LIFTING SPIRITS AFTER INJURING MY BACK

by SANTOSH

I had recently gotten a new job and was going through the initial pangs of excessive strain commuting to office some forty kilometers away in badly crowded local trains. This day, as I bent forward to pull up my shoe laces, I nearly fainted in extreme agony feeling as if an electric shock had run down my lower spine right to my ankle. I literally felt my body temperature rise.

I was sweating all over. I was in no position even to move my body in any direction.

And I couldn't ask for any time off work. Asking for even a day’s leave was a sin!

Incidentally, one of my colleagues had recently suffered slipped disc and he was put on a stiff bed for six long weeks.

I consciously underplayed the pain I was in and asked my wife for a cup of tea. In fact, I wanted to gain some time to see if I really needed immediate medical care. I could bring myself up on my feet and walked up and down some steps. This sort of reassured me my back wasn’t totally stiff.

I had tea and an ibuprofen tablet, sat for some fifteen minutes, picked up my briefcase and told my wife I could possibly attend office.

As I walked up the street where I would get a bus I had no steam left. I couldn't walk another step.

Eventually I made my way back. I was sweating badly.

I returned home and slumped to bed.

An experienced homeopath practiced just across the road. He told my wife to have me examined in his clinic. I walked those fifty odd meters in utter pain but somehow I made it.

The doctor asked me for various symptoms as he briefly examined me physically. I asked him if it was slipped disc! His diagnosis was a great relief when he said in humid conditions that Mumbai is beset with, this for sure was a bad muscular catch.

For treatment, he prescribed some pills and asked me to present myself again that very evening for him to assess the condition further. For pain relief, he did prescribe another stronger painkiller.

I dutifully went to him again the same evening. After asking for the changes in symptoms if any, he sounded firm that it wasn’t any worse than a bad catch. Hardly did I realize what was in store for me.

Third day, he demonstrated a series of exercises that I had to gradually start but was firm I could resume office the day I could make a perfect arch lying on my back with heels and head touching the ground.

I took some fifteen days or so during which period each workout seemed tougher than the previous one.

The toughest was the one when I struggled to raise my back like the doctor had demonstrated! Can anyone believe how difficult this seemingly simple posture could be for me then? Even I can’t!

The best part is that I have been regularly following a schedule of physical exercises to this day together with deep breathing I learned from a yoga teacher.

Eventually I was able to do my exercises, my back got better and I got back to work.

I am 63 now, retired from the onerous profession. I keep myself busy by taking a batch of eight-ten students for coaching in science and mathematics which I had to regain touch with keeping effort focused and a positive approach alive.

Do you need a little more help with your weight?