Life takes a twist

I went to the chiropractor today. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've dealt with back pain for the last 5-6 years, but more recently it has really flared up and become a concern. I've had unusual (and extremely painful) abdominal cramps while running. I couldn't put this off anymore.

So to the chiro I went!

Luckily he could see me today. I was worried this morning. My fear was that running had caused this, and that he would tell me I could no longer run, lift weights, or do anything active. How would I deal with the possibility of being told that all the things that have changed my life over the past 6 months would be out of my reach? Have I worked so hard and come so far for nothing? Just how f'ed was my back, really? This scared me. But I tried my best not to think about it, not to stress over it, and just wait and see what happened. Then freak out, if necessary.

The verdict - my spine, hips, and sacrum have twisted. Really my whole lower back is twisting towards the right side. The X rays give the appearance that my left hip bone is larger, but it's really at an angle. So is my spine. My 5th lumbar is compressing a nerve slightly too. This is causing the pain in my lower back and hip, and the compressed nerve is affecting all the surrounding muscles (the abdominal cramps I've been getting) Now, this has not spread to my leg. But he showed me that it's basically one giant nerve, and that it would eventually spread there. Sounds painful. And it is!

The good news is - this was probably NOT caused by running. He figures this has been progressing for years and simply getting worse with age. Makes sense, as I have had back pain since 20. I always attributed it to my sit down job and never really paid it any mind. He thinks the running may have just agitated it. The problem can be corrected with adjustments and proper care for my back. And I can still run! YAY!

Bad news... is I may not be able to go to Warrior Dash this weekend. Bummer... I go back to the chiro on wednesday for another adjustment and for him to make a recommendation on whether or not I should race. I am expecting a resounding "no" so I am not getting my hopes up, but we'll see. It seems I should be able to transfer my registration to another event for a small fee. So if I can't go this weekend then I will transfer to the North Carolina WD on June 1st. All is not lost! I just really really wanted to do it this weekend! WD seems like a really fun race - maybe not as hardcore as Spartan, but after finishing a Spartan I am longing for more mud! June is too far away!

I'm glad I went and saw the chiro. I feel better already after today's ice/muscle stimulation and the first of (many, I'm sure) adjustments. I feel kind of validated now because it turns out I did have a problem, and I was right to go and get it checked out. I'm also really relieved to learn that it can be fixed and won't interrupt my new lifestyle. On the contrary, maybe exercise will improve my back health over time - once the problem is corrected, that is.

Over the past few months I've dealt with a few different health problems- PCOS, dental issues, back pain, and foot numbness. During this time I have also made several significant changes in my diet and exercise habits in an effort to improve my health. But here's what I have realized while dealing with all this. Getting healthy is about so much more than just diet and exercise. It's about taking care of those little quirks in your body and not just putting them off or taking a pill to make the pain go away. We need to see our doctors when something is wrong, get the corrective care, listen to their advice, and make the necessary lifestyle changes to manage the condition. Health is so much more than the number on the scale or tape, and the reflection in the mirror. It's about how you feel. It's about your bones, joints, organs, everything - functioning properly. And doing your best not to stress about all of it - just take care of it and trust that in time things will improve. I am still working on this one... stress is not my friend!

Anyway. I am going to take it easy for a couple days while I nurse this back issue of mine. Wednesday I hope to do some strength work, followed by a run on Thursday. Warrior Dash... we'll see....