When you do it to your spine, that is.
I was visiting my parents a couple weeks ago and woke up one morning feeling as though I had twisted my right leg. It felt like a muscular thing, so I didn't worry about it too much. After all, I know what's good for sore muscles. A good workout, that's what.
That was a Thursday. On the following Saturday, I went hiking like I usually do on Saturdays in the summer. You see, I have commitments that keep me home during the summer and leave no time for pony play. It can be torture reading all those emails posts from friends who are out having a great time at TESFest or The Floating World, or Pony Perfection Day or pony munches or...or...or...
But I digress.
So I keep fit by doing something else I'm passionate about. I hike. I live close to Acadia National Park where you can find over 120 miles of hiking trails, most of them beautiful to behold and ranging from easy to deadly challenging. I like the strenuous trails and try to finish the hike in as little time as I can without running or jogging while taking some time to look at the view. If you want to catch the view, you have to stop walking. Some of the trails are less than one foot wide with a sheer rock face on one side going up and the same on the other going down. Look at the scenery while walking in an area like that and you may just end up a part of the scenery.
On that Saturday I took a somewhat less than strenuous trail so that I wouldn't cause more trouble with my sore leg. I wanted to work it gently with the hope that the muscles would clear and settle down. By the next day, however, I realized that the problem wasn't muscular alone. There was a nerve involved and it wa a biggie. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest single nerve in the body, and if you ever needed proof that Mother Nature is more tinkerer than engineer, you need look no further. This thing runs out through the base of the spinal column, through a loop of bone in the pelvis and down the leg. Yeah, it splits into two nerves in the lower third of the thigh, but let's not get too technical here. When pressure is put on the sciatic nerve - either by muscles along its course or something in the spine itself, pain results and, in my case anyway, an intermittent twitching of the muscles the nerve controls does as well.
I'll spare you any more gory details in favor of a quick synopsis. After talking with two doctors - one my regular physician and the other an osteopath who worked on my leg for a while - it became clear that I have some issue arising in my spine that is putting pressure on the nerve and causing a lot of pain. The list of potential evildoers is pretty long, but the general treatment is the same in most cases - watchful waiting, exercise and lots of Tylenol.
But what really mystified me was the exact cause of the spinal problem - whatever it happens to be. With the exception of my youth (which could be the answer), I have paid careful attention to my back and its proper use. I have had lower back pain on and off for a long time but long ago learned how to deal with it and how to prevent it from happening. But this was something new. Most back problems don't just happen. They result from many years of use and abuse. So what could I have been doing all those years that was wrong?
Sleeping, it turns out.
I'm a side sleeper. I get all stuffed up if I sleep on my back or stomach, so I have always slept on my side. The only problem with that is that my knees and ankles tend to knock and get uncomfortable. My answer to that has always been to lie on my side with my topmost leg bent more sharply at the knee and jutting out in front of me. That would inevitably result in a twisting of the spine. I believe that over the years, that twisting has taken its toll.
Ok, I have no proof and it's just a theory, but for the last several nights, I have been sleeping with a pillow between my legs to cushion my knees and ankles. I also took one pillow out from under my head (I have always used two) to keep my neck as straight as possible. Result? A steady, if gradual, reduction in pain.
Gradual is the key word here. My ankle still feels as though it is sprained and the muscles twitch as much as ever. But last night following my workout (yes, I'm still going to the gym), I learned to concentrate on the leg when stretching. If the pain starts to get intense, I stop and tell those muscles to relax. In no time at all, I feel them let go and can stretch them as usual.
Hey, I hate to ruin a perfectly good reputation by being optimistic, but this pony wants to get back into the action and not find himself sidelined by pain. I'm too young to be taken out and shot! Still, a judicial and gradual road back to health is probably the best. I so want to carry Mistress in a saddle one day and pushing things now could foul up my chances.
Wishes for a speedy recovery are always welcome.
