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Sunday, June 1, 2008

The Two Sides of Back Pain

I did too ambitious a plow pose in yoga class today, and heard my back make a suspicious popping sound. When I rolled out of the position, I couldn't sit up straight. Bent over like a crone with a cane, I inched my way to my car and made it home. I have been icing my back and crunching Advil for the last few hours.

My reaction to my body failing in any way is so convoluted since the peak days of suffering with a pain condition. On the one hand, I want to shout, "I've paid my dues. I earned a lifetime get-out-of-pain card. Pass me by and give that 20 year old in purple spandex a broken finger nail instead.

On the other hand, it's a bit delicious to have a normal person's ailment. Something with a known cause, a clear treatment, and most importantly, an end date. I'm seeing my chiropractor tomorrow and expect to be down-dogging again by the weekend.

3 comments:

Andy Burnett said...

We too have this problem in my home country of Norway. Sometimes, when I am working, with my brother Olaf, on our herring fishing boat, I am being too abitious in lifting the herring. My back is also pooping and Olaf has two put me in a bigg herring barrel and role me around the forecastle until I unpoop.

I hoop your chiropracteur is a magician.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking of trying yoga for my chronic pain.
Do you think it makes a huge difference?
It's so hard to get going when pain just holds you back. But I guess the first person to help has to be yourself...
Great articles, take care
xxx

Undiagnosed Illness

Mr Mans Wife said...

Oh my goodness, I totally know what your saying about having a "normal" ailment. It's a novelty for me when I get a cold. I finally allow myself to rest, and bizarrely quite often have more energy than usual.