Whew! It’s been a few weeks since I hurt my back (what felt like 4 or a billion years or so) but I’m finally feeling better. Still a bit sensitive, and my IT bands are still driving me nuts, but I made it back to the gym with Sam yesterday and walked on the treadmill, and it felt good. I cannot even begin to tell you what a difference a no-pain day has made in my outlook on the world. If I’m careful (fingers crossed) maybe I’ll make a full recovery and can work on strengthening and preventing new injuries in a couple of weeks.

How did I get there, do you ask? A lot of motivated work. I found a chiropractor and went three times (leaving the office in twice the pain I went in with), bought an exercise ball to sit on instead of a chair, iced about twice a day, stretched slowly when I could, and took far more ibuprofen over several weeks than I’m comfortable admitting. I also had a conversation with a massage therapist friend after the chiropractor didn’t really work and she told me to buy two tennis balls. That’s right, tennis balls. Then she told me how to do an exercise with the tennis balls between the base of my spine and the floor. It hurt like nobody’s business, as she warned me it would. But when I stood up, my back didn’t hurt–at all–for the first time in weeks. The muscles tensed back up over time, of course. Nothing’s free. But I actually had something that worked. HUGE difference.

I still have my rolling office bag, and my flats, and are committing to both for a good while. Also, letting experts carry heavy things. I am woman, hear me roar! But not with heavy boxes, at least not right now. (Sheepish smile.)

Now, onto writing and freelance work and Other Great Non-Pain Things…