You’ve heard the idiom, and probably even said, “that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Come on! Does that even make sense? I mean, what the &*%# is a camel doing with a straw?! Camels live in the desert and are known for their ability to go for long periods without drinking. Suddenly they need a straw?
What’s that you say? It’s not that kind of straw? Well . . . even more reason this saying needs to be updated. And I have just the thing:
The Brush That Broke the Turtle’s Back
On June 30, while bending over to paint the baseboard in our basement to be the art cafe that my daughter envisions, I strained my back. That’s right. The brush broke this Turtle’s back. Okay, alright, it didn’t exactly break it, but it sure put a big hurt on it.
I’ve experienced these lower-back spasms periodically for the last 10 years or so, but they’re increasing in frequency. I now have an episode two to three times a year. (Can’t be a sign I’m getting old. Nahhhhhh!) During once such episode last fall, I visited an excellent local chiropractor. His office, Complete Rehabilitation, practices not only chiropractic, but they also do massage, electro-stimulation, and physical therapy.
From working with Complete Rehabilitation, I started an ongoing program of exercises to build my “core,” the muscles in the mid-section. A strong core supports the back and also increases power to the legs. This is one of the biggest reasons I have for my strong running since last winter.
But alas, even a core-building regimen can’t totally prevent back spasms. What it can do is make the spasm episode shorter and less intense. That’s good, because according to my chiropractor and articles I’ve read, a back strain typically lasts about four weeks. I can relate to that. Before I went to Complete Rehabilitation, some of my spasms lingered about a month.
This time, I resumed running — lightly — in one week. I’m not yet fully recovered, but I’m on my way … back.
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