I’ve been in physical therapy for six weeks for sciatica, which has been centered on my right hip and glute. I had the same problem in my left hip and glute two years ago, and got physical therapy for it, which helped enormously.
But it came back, this time on the other side. Which brings me to the first lesson from this round of PT:
Lesson one: our physical vulnerabilities don’t ever go away; they’re always there and in need of attention and care.
I knew this, of course, as do we all. But when we devote concentrated attention to some problem, we tend to hope and believe that it’ll be fixed, once and for all. Well, in the case of our musculoskeletal bodies, this just isn’t true.
Lesson two: slow and steady actually works.
Once I got into physical therapy and made a little progress– less pain and more function– I was ready to throw myself into more intense activity. But they counseled me to let pain guide me; if doing something hurt a lot, stop doing it. Sounds simple, but this bears repeating.
Lesson three: more activity brings more discomfort, but it’s okay.
When I was on vacation in Canada, swimming and dog walking and just generally being more active, I had some level of pain every day, for much of the day. Because I’d been prepped for this, I didn’t freak out. I did what I wanted and could do, took Tylenol when needed, and enjoyed the fact that I was able to be more active and out there than the previous month. Yay.
Lesson four: sitting in cars and planes is evil for the body (or at least my body).
Yes, I knew this, but driving from Boston to Ontario and back again (with some detours along the way) showed me once again how my body is vulnerable. And don’t get me started on air travel; that’s what precipitated this flare-up. This doesn’t mean I can no longer drive. But it does mean that 1) I should stop more often and get out and stretch and walk around; 2) I should know that after a very long drive, my body will need attention through stretching, rest, and movement; and 3) If I ignore and push through this, I do so at my peril.
Lesson five: bodies are wonderful things. They take a licking and keep on ticking. And they respond to focused attention and care. This means that I have renewed appreciation and love for my physical self. This time around, both the physical therapists and I are working on a maintenance plan that I can and will follow. I really love what my body can do, and I want to keep doing it for a long time to come.
An excellent set of lessons! My back injury from 30 years ago, which has bothered me a bit again this week, brings Lesson one to the fore. And I appreciate your use of the words “pain” and “discomfort.”