A Summer's Pain in the Neck & A TWO Inch Stretch!

Just last week I went in for a physical.  
"5'6" tall," the nurse said.
"Hmmm, that's funny, I was 5'4" as long as I could remember?!"  I laughed not thinking twice about it.
She measured my height again just to be sure.  "Yup, 5'6" solid!" 

Then it hit me, my journey of a herniated disc, pinched nerve and strengthening my posture, literally made me stand two inches taller.  

The nurse quickly sat up pulling her own shoulders back and head tall as I told her the short version with some tips that helped me through and I hope you sit taller as I tell you...

Brenda, my Physical Therapist, taught me so much about
body, strength, and nerve repair.

We kicked off summer into high gear with graduation parties and baseball games. Little was I prepared for God's message to halt my own plans and somewhat slow down.  The intuition of that gut voice to "take a break!", and "let it go!", warning you to reprioritize; all the indications I didn't pay attention to until it was too late.  

I continued pressing on tackling projects of perfecting as much as I could; landscaping my little heart outside, and making years' worth of projects come to a close indoors and outdoors.  A friend always said, "If you want to get projects done, plan a party."  Those of you that have hosted parties get it.

A summer of party hosting was exactly what I wanted to do; celebrating my firstborn graduating high school and off to college, celebrating family, baseball team wins, and cozy campfires around our new fire pit.  My backyard was the oasis I couldn't wait to share with others.  Summer time here we come.

Or not... a  tight knot in my upper back was not going away on its own. You see, a few months ago, I went in for a massage.  I don't do it often but I considered it a treat for my winter birthday and again for a girl's day when my sister comes home to visit for the summer.  Christy has been the go-to girl that I could count on to work through my chaotic world mentally and calm my soul physically.  Yet, this last appointment I had with her was a warning I should not have ignored.

Christy introduced me to using a MASSAGE HOOK and told me to work out a knot that she just couldn't work through.  For Christy not to get through it was pretty major because she had strength that could work through anything.  I borrowed a hook from a friend, used it very little, returned it back to my friend, then soon forgot all about it thinking that muscle was just fine, it wasn't hurting at all, or I just didn't pay attention. The knot was getting worse and I kept ignoring the signs. Stretching was overrated for me, and oh how wrong I was! If I'd only taken the time...

So a few months later and back to my party list at home, I mulched the yard wheel barreling heavy bags back and forth, moved large flower pots around the patio, planted, and replanted flowers, and laid rock down in newer areas that I wanted to freshen up.  Sure this could've been a family project to work on together with all hands on deck but I was on a mission and not patient enough to direct or push to get the job done, I was doing fine "by myself" and truthfully I love escaping in the backyard gardening.  I would've loved the help and the kids did assist when they could. Whatever we were doing together, made my heart full but who finds landscaping fun as a teenager?! 

The pain started getting worse in my upper back and was slowly moving down my right shoulder.  I would go back and forth between keeping an ice pack on and sitting in the hot tub at night while keeping up with ibuprofen to mask the pain. It wasn't enough to stop the "to-do list momentum", yet.

I went back to Christy sooner than usual thinking she could loosen up my tight back muscles again. At this point laying on my stomach was painful because my shoulder was not supported.  She had me sit up and tried CUPPING THERAPY on my back shoulder area. A technique I'd never done but she thought for sure it would suck the pain right out.  She was ready to try anything to help when she saw the pain I was in.

Unfortunately, the pain was not getting any better and I went to another friend who is a chiropractor and she said I need an MRI.  My upper back was so tight she couldn't even budge on areas that should be easy to work with but tried to do what she could.  I scheduled the MRI and at this point over a month of pushing it and tolerating pain, I'm headed to the ER at 3am because moving, sitting, or even breathing now hurt so bad.  I just didn't know what to do and I reached my threshold of pain unable to finish any plans I had.

On a scale of 1-10 I was at 100 and just wanted any drugs to knock me out and put the pain to rest. The ER gave me the strongest meds possible, did no tests, and said it might just be a pinched nerve.  They sent a referral to the spine doctor and sent me back home. My parents came up to see how they could help and my husband went to collect all of my new prescriptions to keep track of.  I couldn't sit, stand, or walk so I just waited until the drugs kicked in, worked my way into pillows all around me, sat propped up on the couch, and finally fell into a drugged sleep.

A herniated disc resulted in Nerve Damage from my neck to the fingertips.

The results were in and an MRI showed a herniated disc on my L6, and L7 vertebrae causing a pinched nerve.  The pain was horrendous.  I would sit up on the couch at night propping my head up with pillows and then place more pillows under my arm so I wouldn't have to let it hang down pulling the nerve pain from my neck all the way down to my pointer finger.  The drugs were enough to knock me out and the pain was still there when I'd wake. We had to keep a spreadsheet to track of what I was taking and when. To me, I didn't care I just wanted to take them until I felt no pain and pass out. 

We canceled the birthday party for Cameron's 18th and Julia's 13th  with family.  I couldn't move from the couch without feeling like I was drowsy and dosed up or intense pain.  I couldn't make Maximus's baseball games because getting in and out of the car was too painful including sitting on a chair or bleacher to watch the game.  I was miserable and crabby and not a joy around the house.  I thought constantly about how this must be the pain my dad deals with around his entire body on a daily basis.  I was getting maybe a small hundredth of the pain he fights daily, of what many others fight daily. It made me sad and angry all at the same time.  Although some health challenges could be inherited, this isn't something that just happened overnight.  It was me not taking care of myself. 

Why didn't I listen to my body sooner?  I let it get too far.

I connected with another mom of a player from Maximus's baseball team. When she texted me to ask how I was doing I told her what was going on.  She immediately scheduled me to see her the next day.  Brenda is a physical therapist. I'd never seen one before or needed one, and truthfully wasn't knowledgeable enough to know how she could help.  The doctor quickly sent over a referral for me to see her and luckily she was in my network for insurance to cover. 

She did different tests with me of strength and movement to see where our starting point was.  My right arm strength was so weak I could barely write, my head could not tilt left or right without pain and I couldn't look up leaning my head backward.  Complete straight posture was everything, slouching was not an option.  I had to keep my head and spine as straight as possible to try to avoid the pain.  

Your necks daily weight lift!

Brenda worked with me and reminded me that this was going to be slow and steady progress and days of ups and downs.  The insurance contacted me asking if it was work-related or an accidental injury.  "No, it was just me not paying attention to the signs and letting the pain go for too long."  I'm a grown woman that ignored some pretty major signs and it felt shameful.  

Emotions crept in quickly and a black hole mindset started taking over.  Brenda and I were working together 2-3 times a week.  She would do a lot of Dry Needling Therapy on the muscles that did not want to budge, she would help stretch my neck little by little with a neck extender, she taught me different stretches to work on at home throughout the day and ways to strengthen the back muscles to release the pain on my nerves.  Just 15-20 minutes a day at home on giving my body the attention it needed started to make a difference.

Dry Needling is done with a direct needle into the muscles in my upper neck and then on the right shoulder with the TENS Unit.  

My brother-in-law gifted me with an at-home unit that became very helpful during travel as well as at home! 

The more I shared my experiences the more I realized I was not alone and that this was a common issue.  Posture was everything and the main cause of my herniated disc/ pinched nerve. Consider right now at this moment, how's YOUR posture while you are reading this?  Look over at your kids, while they are on their phones, working on the computer, playing video games, or watching the tv?  How are their shoulders?  How far is their neck angled over?  Over time this posture can be painful and result in spine issues.  The rules of lifting with your legs and not your back are rules for a reason and the office comfort of a back cushion on a chair, soft padded shoes, and or fixing your desk to a comfortable height are no joke.  These little accommodations are keeping your body aligned for healthier days ahead!

Which Body Posture are You?

Between the prescribed drugs and the pain, my mental state was very up and down. I learned how difficult it was to rely on others but also how difficult it was to delegate help around our house with my family. I learned that not putting my health and mental needs first resulted in the inability to help others.  

I learned to take what the doctor gives me but to also pay attention and do my own research.  The meds they gave me from ER were burning a hole in my esophagus that would've eventually led to heartburn and long-term stomach damage.  Ibuprofen was just as good for the time so I was able to get off the ER steroid meds and stay on the Gabapentin. 

I felt that the Gabapentin was just making me drowsy so I went off of it on my own now realizing how dangerous that was when the nerve in my arm began to get worse. I then learned that Gabapentin was repairing the damage done to my nerves so when I stopped taking it to avoid being drowsy all the time, I was creating even more nerve damage undoing all the physical therapy I'd been working on.  I didn't understand the nerve blocker was to help strengthen the nerve and relieve the pain.

Brenda reminded me how important it is to stick to my regimen of exercise and meds and to not push it.  That I need to listen to my body and learn to rest or take a break when I start feeling pain in my back.  My pain went from a 10 to an 8/9 after a few weeks.  She worked with me consistently reminding me to ask for help and not keep a stiff "soldier" body but to maintain the posture that is needed.  I just couldn't be comfortable, reading, watching a movie, or writing. When you are in pain, nothing felt manageable to pass the time. 

Zoe joining me for a Spine Shot

My niece, Zoe, drove with me to my cortisone shot appointment.  I thought it was something she could watch and find fascinating but it was a procedure that required scrubs and a sterile room, so she waited patiently in the waiting room.  The shot in my spine began to crystalize after the 2nd day making it worse before it was better.   

My friend Nicole always prepped me for what she went through and what to expect. This was a common pain she went through more often than I'd like and knew how to manage it when it did creep up and happen to her.  Friends stopped by with thoughtful get-well wishes and text messages that helped keep my spirits up.  Many knew just what I needed at the right time and surrounding myself with only positive people was mandatory.  I was battling enough negativity on my own.

I tried keeping the balance of my cup full and reminding myself there is a light at the end of the tunnel, this could be a lot worse.   In the moment of pain, it's hard to grasp. My cousin and a couple other friends told me it took 6-8 weeks with the worse pain they've ever felt. They understood.  What I was hoping would be a couple weeks of recovery ended up being three months.

While I'm still not at 100%, my tests with Brenda at my final Physical Therapy appointment had improved up to 85%.  I was able to raise my arms, turn my head, squeeze my hand and try some new exercises to strengthen my back muscles that will help keep my spine straight and posture strong.

I look back and think what a crazy journey it was this summer and how it took this kind of pain to slow down and prioritize my life better than how I had been.   While the situation could have been way worse, I write this hoping to remind you to listen to your body, give it the attention it needs and take your extraordinary to-do list and prioritize it to what's most important and keeping your HEALTH first!  

Always stand 2 inches taller! Head up and shoulders back!

I hated being told to "ask for help" but honestly, letting a few things go gave the family at home a chance to step up. It is important to surround yourself with the best and also to listen to the ones that could relate and have gone through what you are experiencing.  I took the time to distract my mind at night with YouTube Breathing videos, and when my body was more able, I did Yoga Videos.  

Value you, your time, and the people you share it with.  I am so grateful to the family and friends that helped me and guided me all summer long through this mentally and physically.

Dr. Sweet (Chiropractor and dear friend) is always giving me recommendations to be healthier and helping me keep my spine aligned, she reminds me of constant preventative health.  Dr. Brenda (Physical Therapy & baseball mom) taught me so much about staying strong physically and making myself a priority to live happier!  Christy (massage therapist) will always be my "serenity now and taking care of my muscle knots" and especially my good friends and family that checked in daily keeping my head up and heart full.  And finally, I remind myself and others to 

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DAILY STRETCHING!  

Read David Goggins's book "Can't Hurt Me"

You'll feel just as strong about Stretching without only my word for it! This is the best book to get irritated, and motivated, and learn how you too can beat the odds.  You'll also learn how stretching saved his life! This book is powerful for your own mindset body and soul!