Toastmasters - My back

Yeah I know it's not what you were expecting.

Who among us, at least once in their youth, thought they were invincible? In my teenage years I certainly behaved that way as I ate, slept, ran and leapt through life. While I was running up and down stairs two steps at a time, I always wondered as I breezed past the elderly how they could possibly be so feeble and slow. I vowed that in my later years I would never become THAT silver haired geriatric holding up the line to get on the bus. Fatefully, just a few days ago I sprained my lower back and finally understood how everyday motions can become arduous performances. As we all age oh so gracefully we should become more aware of many aspects of our deteriorating health. I hope that I will be able to enlighten you about lower back injuries today.

The reason why I want to focus on the lumbar is because acute lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for physician visits. Additionally, it is the area of our bodies that allows for flexibility and movement in bending and supports the upper body and head. Indeed it is vital to almost every movement we make. This also makes it more likely to be injured. A pain in this area can be caused by a stretched or torn muscle or ligament and even though a muscle strain doesn’t sound like a serious injury, the pain can be surprisingly severe. Simple tasks need to be planned out in steps to find transitional positions that minimize the agony. Beginning the morning by rising from the lying position is no longer a simple fluid motion. I had to start on my stomach and raise to a crawl position before I could attempt lifting my upper body. Bending down to put on pants became an excruciating chore, especially with two legs. An unconstrained flop onto the couch is an invitation to a sharp hellish suffering that will make you curse the heavens and lay down to seek sweet relief. Which of course means you have to get back up. Even sitting on a chair is not a pain-free activity.

It is because of this massive reduction in the quality of life, we strive to prevent such injuries from occurring. Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and none of this should be construed as professional medical advice. Of course regular exercise and stretching will result in well conditioned muscles that are much less likely to suffer from strain. Exercises and stretches such as the upward dog position, plank, rotational stretches, sideways bending stretch and abdominal crunches all exercise the lower back in varying degrees. I used to snicker when I saw my grandmother doing these each morning but too late do I realize she was wise and experienced.

If prevention fails you as it did with me. The goal becomes to recuperate as quickly as possible. Using ice packs to reduce inflammation and resting will relieve the pain. However, unused muscles will start to atrophy which increases the likeliness of subsequent injuries. Therefore you should only rest for a day or two, and try to do light stretching and exercising. Of course all exercises should start light and gradually increase in difficulty as you become more comfortable. What you do not want is to be pushed into hardcore interval training when you haven't worked out for a couple of years. This of course also happened to me.

Now that we better understand lumbar sprains and strains, I hope all of you can avoid one of the most problematic and pervasive injuries. By exercising and being active you can preempt the suffering and continue enjoying a quality lifestyle. If you do become an unfortunate victim to lower back pain, remember to rest but do not let the muscles atrophy. It is my sincerest hope that using this knowledge I will heal and be waiting for the next obstacle in my slow and inevitable descent towards one of life's only guarantees. No, I'm not talking about taxes.