Well sort of. We’re now only an hour and six days from home base. One hour in time zones and six more days of driving around the good old US of A. National Parks and general meandering around. Yesterday in Colorado Springs however brought a nasty reminder of how things can catch you out, but also an object lesson in using available resources to sort it out.
In short, an old health problem raised its head. My back locked up. A legacy of years of weight training and generally abusing my body with physical exertion. Two muscles, specifically the Quadratus Lumborum that help stabilise the lower back took it into their fibres to spasm and seize up. Now if you know anything about this condition you will understand two things; firstly it is paralysingly, spine gratingly painful. Secondly you cannot bend or straighten, and walking is sheer torture. It’s a show stopper. Even the slightest misalignment of the back when lying or sitting is agony. A bed or chair that is too hard or soft renders you immobile, teeth clenched, and there is no painkiller short of Morphine that will make a dent in the pain. How do I describe it? Like someone has jammed a rusty crowbar in your lumbar vertebrae. Then twisted it. Attempting to move or bend is impossible. Yes, it’s that bad. I’ve suffered from periodic episodes since I was in my late twenties.
There is a trick, however, that works when painkillers or traction will not. All you need is a nice firm ball like one used to play Softball and something to roll it between you and the unlocking pressure points. This will start the ‘unlocking’ process and with a half days rest, will return you to almost full working order. Ideally you’ll need 36 hours of proper rest to let the muscles fully unwind or run the risk of recurrence.
Fortunately I am happy to report that there is an additional short cut. A Shiatsu massage chair like this one. One of those things you find in some malls and service areas. The ones that cost a couple of quid, Dollar or Twoonie to operate when they haven’t been switched off because the mall rats or someone’s messy little four year olds have been hogging them. I spent the best five dollars of my life and fifteen minutes in one yesterday. It hit all the pressure points and reduced my pain from excruciating to mild discomfort. Today I found the pain completely gone and full mobility returned. For five measly bucks. Something my UK doctor would only prescribe painkillers for. Painkillers that took forty eight hours to even begin returning me to normal, yet dulled my other senses and reduced my effectiveness. Yet a toy ball and five bucks in a massage chair did the trick, no chemicals required within twelve hours. Bloody marvellous.
Colorado Springs? Nice place. Very tidy downtown. Recently upgraded with a lot of money being spent on tidying the place up. Quite a few beggars around until the Police patrols hit the streets around 10am, then the crusties evaporate like morning dew. That was yesterday. Today we’ve been up above the snow line, letting our little Subaru strut its stuff in the fog and ice when other vehicles on their summer tyres were slip sliding away. Tonight we’re stopping over in Grand Junction, feeling relieved and quite pain free. Looking forward to the rest of our trip and also planning the next.
The Bill Sticker Alternative 
Glad you are okay. That could have been less than funny.
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Elena, lower back pain like it is never amusing. The pain paralyses. Fortunately I only get a bout every other year or so.
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I get it to some minor extent, every day. But it is only minor, albeit it stops me from doing whatever I am doing at the time.
Although I did once get poleaxed when picking up a small child when pregnant. That cleared me for a week. And then I recovered for a very long time.
It is only now, many years later that it has become a problem. I can’t Strim anymore because after 15 minutes I am crippled for hours. So I just have to watch what I do. This is very boring.
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The pressure point unlock method works very well on its own, but add a massage chair and the pain disappears very quickly. A dip in a handy pool or bath also reduces the pain. Better than all the pills and potions
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Pills don’t actually work anyway. But I don’t have much access to anything else. So I have had to learn to cope with my limitations. I suspect that we do the damage long before we realise, but by then it is a bit late.
But your Blog was interesting.
Funnily enough, I have an Acupuncturist and a Chiropractor in the family. But no way am I having my son or grandson messing about with me. Far too embarrassing. Although I do believe that both things work.
So stagger on, eh, what.
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I’ll look the requisite video up and send you a link. The pressure point ‘unlock with a ball’ Pilates method works quicker than pills.
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Thanks, Bill. I did do a bit of serious damage about a year ago, and was a bit laid up for a couple of days.
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