Says 245 – Finally a exercise/stretch that seems to work

A couple of weeks ago, as I was waking up and feeling my neck and right shoulder achy and sore, I had a realization. Since my car accident back in December of 2014, I’ve been having issues with my neck and right shoulder / arm. Physiotherapy was of no help, in fact it caused more damage. Since then, I’ve searched the internet for exercises and stretches that would help, but none have worked, or if they did, it was only temporary.

What I realized is that they all require you to contract some muscles while trying to stretch others and that doesn’t work as you are working against yourself. Routines like holding a strap tied to a fixed object and then trying to stretch the arm with the same hand and arm doesn’t work as one set of muscles is holding the strap, while the others are stretching. The thing is that they are all muscles are interconnected and go into the shoulder, upper back, and neck that then creates tension and pain and makes matters worse.

What I found was to clasp my hands together, inter locking my fingers, and then grabbing my knees and letting my leg exert pressure to stretch my arm, shoulder and neck. BINGO .!  It works. All the muscles in my arm, shoulder and neck are relaxed and when I begin to push out with my knee, I can feel the stretch in all those parts. I can control the tension with my knee and I can also control the rotation to the sides, using either my right or left knee to do the stretching.

While my arm, shoulder and neck are sorer than before the stretch, I can feel and hear my neck vertebra cracking more than before, while at the same time I feel I have more mobility and can move my head easier with less pain. I feel it’s now stretching the knots and scar tissue that has formed in the muscles and ligaments during the past two years. Yesterday, I saw my chiropractor and told him about my findings, and he noticed an improvement since the last time I saw him before Christmas.

This picture is actually of a guy pulling his leg toward his chest.  It was the only one I could find where he had his fingers interlocked over his knee. So in my case, instead of pulling the knee with my arms, I use my leg to pull my arms, shoulders and neck muscles.

Says 215 – Chiropractic – TRT Adjustment (Torgue Release Technique)

215-back-injuries-herniated-discThe new chiropractor that I’ve been seeing does TRT adjustments and uses a tool called an “Integrator,” that is designed to reproduce what the hands do during an adjustment, but with more accuracy and less force. He has been working on my spinal column in my neck and lower back where there is pain and inflammation, where the spine and nervous system were damaged or misaligned (the medical term is subluxation) due to the accident and other factors.

215-inflamed-muscle-and-irritated-nerveThe body, in an attempt to heal the damaged vertebra, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage (discs), and nerves, causes inflammation and the lack of movement, that if disturbed, causes pain. Using the Integrator, he makes a few adjustments to the muscles and nerve endings surrounding the spinal column where nerves are being affected. This basically activates the nerves electrical system, kind of like removing a kink in a garden hose that is limiting the water output. This process relieves the muscle tension and reduces pressure on the nerves to not only that area, but to the rest of the body that depend on this nerve to function. This in turn, allows the Body can begin to heal (reduce inflammation and pain) and return to normal.

This new Chiropractic treatment, coupled with the massage treatments that I’m getting, seem to be reducing muscle tension throughout my neck and back, and giving me more freedom and reduced pain. The question is, is this really helping my Body heal, or is it just another “quick fix” that will fade as soon as the treatments stop, or will they just go so far and then stop being beneficial?

Says 160 – Got a cold with an unexpected side effect

says 160 - man sneezeI just got over a cold that had unexpected and painful side effects. Sneezing is part and parcel of having a cold, but this time, the sneeze did some damage. I was bending forward and also turned to the right when a sneeze suddenly came upon me. There was no warning, just a powerful 250 MPH sneeze that felt like a hot knife had sliced my body in two as I felt my body drop and my knees buckle. It was instantly followed by a second sneeze that thankfully wasn’t as severe and painful as the first one, but then again, I was already in pain, so added pain wasn’t noticeable. I was in agony and had to cling to the wall to get up and return to my bed.

says 160 - spinal cordI was now not only suffering the pain and misery of a cold, but also severe back ache. In addition, my legs felt numb and I had to boost myself to go from a sitting to standing position. The next day I still had my cold symptoms and constant lower back pain. The following morning, I couldn’t find a resting, standing or seated position that didn’t hurt. I called my Chiropractor and got an appointment for the next day. The next day when I got up, the pain wasn’t as severe. I went for my appointment and after examining me, he informed me that as the result of my bending forward, it put pressure on the forward part of my vertebra, compressing my disc. Then the twisting action pivoted my vertebrae to the side, squishing my disc again. says 160 - verterbrae cross sectionWhen I sneered so strongly, my core muscles tightened and the sudden expulsion of air caused my upper body to suddenly move, jerk, not only putting extreme pressure on my already pressured disc, but also causing some of the outer layers of the myelin-sheathed fibers of my spinal cord to be torn. After some massage, manipulation, electrical stimulation, and being tapped up and applying cold packs, I was good to go. I have to go back in a few days, to see how things are going.

I share this to let you know not to bend or twist when you are going to sneeze, especially if it is going to be a forceful one.