Teaching with an Injury

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Hi all! I just wanted to give you a little insight of the difficulty I've had for nearly 3 years now, but more recently in the past 3 months.

 

A bit of history first. I was invited 3 years ago to play volleyball on a Olympic specification sand court on Labor Day. Being at that time, 48 years old and feeling my oats with a court rulled by mostly 20-something year olds, I spiked feriously, dug for low balls and generally, played like I was in my 20's too!

 

Well, after 5 games in a row, we decided it was time to hit the "keg" and have a few, and as I walked to a seat with beer in hand, everything was fine. Until I started to sit down that is. My butt got halfway down to the seat and something went "SNAP" in my lower back. I rolled out of the chair (even spilled my BEER!!!) onto the ground, and the pain was God awful!

 

I layed flat on my back for maybe an hour, then had several of the "youngsters" help the old fart (me) to my truck and I went home. I had to call in sick a couple of days at work, then finally decided that it wasn't going to heal itself and bit the bullet, and went to my chiropractor. It took 5 sessions I think to get it where it didn't hurt anymore, but I have had the same recurring pain and injury maybe 2-3 times/year since then.

 

This past late December, I was working with my class and threw a hard front snap kick during a kata. Not anything unusual, but at the extension of the kick I got this severe pain in my pack again and it dropped me to the floor in agony. I'd waited a few days and tried it again when my back felt better. Same thing. Just a stupid front snap kick! ARGH! The frustration has been really bad, but thank God I have a 2nd Dan senior student and a couple of brown belts to take over the class.

 

About all I can do currently is to grab a chair and supervise my class, while others teach it. I've been going to the chiro for a few weeks, and it does seem to be getting better, but not to the point I feel I'm ready to start hitting it again hard. Heck, right now I can't even stand uap for more than maybe 10 minutes wihtout it starting to hurt!

 

Have I gone to a regular MD yet? No, I don't have health insurance as of right now, nor the money to pay for the exam, x-rays and God knows what other tests. Plus, I'm afraid of what he will tell me!

 

Has anybody else ever had anything like this? I'm hoping this isn't permanent, and possibly end my martial arts training. I'm to young for that!!! lol

[CanuckMA]

Doctor

 

X-Rays

 

MRI

[Pacificshore]

If it is still bothersome even after your chiro appointments, then I'd seek a second opinion. Maybe look into acupuncture as an alternative, take longer rest periods, then finally seek out your MD if all else fails. Hope you get better.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

If it is still bothersome even after your chiro appointments, then I'd seek a second opinion. Maybe look into acupuncture as an alternative, take longer rest periods, then finally seek out your MD if all else fails. Hope you get better.

 

It's usually pretty good for months after a chiro gets done with it, but doesn't appear to be holding up as well as it used to. Stretches, exercises, walking all seem to help, but not totally.

 

I'm afraid a MD is going to have to take a look at it...but not for a while. There are times I wish the US had socialized medicine! lol I appreciate the feedback people.

[tommarker]

I had a similar thing a few years ago playing a pick up game of soccer. I jumped in at goalie, and the first time I punted the ball (no stretching beforehand) I felt a pop and a sharp pain go up the back. I was in so much pain afterwards, I couldn't tie my shoes!

 

The doctor recommended:

 

1. Lots of advil

 

2. Heat in the morning and before activity.

 

3. Ice in the evening and afterwards.

 

4. Stretches.

 

5. Strengthening exercises.

 

It took about 3 months before I really felt "good" again. The strengthening exercises really helped, and when I slacked off, it got bad again.

 

Losing 25 pounds took off some pressure as well.

[White Warlock]

I experienced a similar problem with my left leg. When i heard the snap/pop-like sound, my first thought was that i had ripped a muscle. I found out later it was just the noise created by the muscle stiffening up so dang quickly. Take heart, as it is likely what happened to you.

 

But, also take heed. My muscle was injured and without proper care, it built up calcium deposits, which later had to be worked out. If i didn't get the calcium deposits out of there (this is done merely by regular massage, which helps to break it down into itty bitty granules that the body can wash away), they would have eventually ravaged my muscle and tore into my bones.

 

On your present care... the chiropractor will help, but what will do the most good, is a regular visit to a 'professional' masseuse. Your problem was likely caused by your muscles not maintaining your spine, and thus you ended up with either a 'temporary' herniated disc or a muscle pinch, which... in turn, caused certain muscles to stiffen up and hold your spine at a certain position (your body's self-defense mechanism). The masseuse, along with the chiropractor, can work together to calm those muscles down and rearrange your spine. After that, you'll need to slowly work on rebuilding tone in the back muscles.

 

Also, please take into account, i'm speculating.

[Red J]

I'm no doctor...so maybe you need to see one.

 

Ice and advil cure most of my woes...Especially ice when it starts to feel better. Many people stop treatment when they feel relief, but it is important to see it through.

 

Good luck.

[Ironberg]

I had a very similar problem when I once threw a spinning hook kick so hard that I heard a very loud pop. My knee took about a month to heal, and I'm still not sure what kind of injury it was. What helped me was a knee brace, lots of ice, lots of heat, motrin, and progressively doing more work with that knee.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

uhhhh...I think a couple of you are missing something here. It isn't my knee that';s hurting. It's my lower back. And it's not a muscle injury, it's something in the vertabre.

 

Pain killers dull the pain, but do not repair the injury. Icing helps make it feel better, but doesn't last long once the ice is off and I start standing.

 

I've had good results in the past with a chiropractor, but it always seems to coem back again eventually.

 

I just wanted to clarify that.

[White Warlock]

I didn't entirely misunderstand your post. Herniated disc. The pop sound was likely caused by a combination of the liquids being thrust out from between the vertebrae and the muscles surrounding the spine 'snapping' to stiffness in an effort to keep you from moving it further.

 

A masseuse will help to relax the muscles and the chiropractor will help to realign the spine. Many chiropractors suck at getting the muscles to relax. Instead, they jump all over you trying to get the friggin' spine to fall back in place, which only serves to further aggravate the muscles, possibly even tearing them a little in the process. So i really do insist upon the tag team of a masseuse and chiropractor, followed up by a physical therapist or physical trainer.

 

The fact that you ended up getting better with treatment indicates that it was temporary. Another failing i've experienced with chiropractors is that they put things to right (eventually getting the spine back in proper alignment and the muscles to relax enough to allow it to 'stay' there), but don't spend enough time helping you rebuild the muscles that are needed to keep things to right, thus you're not ever fully recovering (return customer anyone?).

 

This is where a physical therapist (or a physical trainer), needs to fall into the picture.

 

I have a few back injuries myself actually. After all the car accidents and having been run over while on a motorbike, my spine and i don't always get along. I state this because i've been there and have researched this when dealing with my own problems.

 

Unfortunately, full recovery from a back injury is likely not going to happen without a serious degree of patience, effort and professional assistance. The hard part about it is, once you injure the back (especially the lower back), you tend to 'baby' it... which causes the muscles to get even weaker, and thus the problem actually gets exacerbated.

 

Hope this helps.