Back injury.
This year doesn’t start happily for me. After few trainings on the water I had to stop to train because of big pain in my lower back. Lately it turned out to be two ejected and destroyed spine discs. It didn’t look well and doctor even suggested a surgery but it wasn’t an option for me. I couldn’t move much because this pain went through my whole left leg. Painkillers were on my daily diet but they didn’t help much. I was very nervous and angry from constantly pain and because I could do any sport. I have visited some physiotherapists, I even had few acupuncture sessions. Nothing seems working well for me or at least no that fast as I was wishing for. At my last appointment at neurologist I agreed to get corticoid injection to spine but first I wanted to go for short kayaking trip to Plattling with Peter - of course I wasn’t kayaking or sporting. So I decided to have this corticoid therapy next week when we get home. I really needed to go outside and relax my mind and soul a bit. Peter was worried about me and really wanted to cheer me up. I was doing few easy exercises from my physiotherapist to remove the pain and increase flexibility- which was on the zero level at that moment. Peter helped me with some movements and made me few new exercises. This helped me so much. After 5 days of two times a day exercising I was feeling much better and I stopped to limp while walking. I still had a pain in my feet but I finally could do it without painkillers. Next week I canceled my therapy at neurologist. He agreed that I don’t need this injection if I feel better. Since that time I didn’t stop exercising. Every day I need to stretch my legs, specially hamstrings and I do lot of workouts for my back as well. First it was only stretching but I realized that many of poses I do are yoga poses as well. I stared to look for some more yoga poses and find it very interesting. One of the most helpful poses are various backbends and headstand. Since I involved yoga poses into my daily workout I feel so much better. After almost three months I don’t have a permanent pain in my back or leg. I already started to train a bit and finally I am kayaking. I was so happy to sit in my kayak after such a long time. I stared to paddle my creek boat on flatwater, than I added whitewater and slowly I am trying freestyle. I am still a bit afraid to do it and I don’t train full on yet but anyway it’s a big success for me. When this happened to me I didn’t know if I will be able to paddle this year at all and now I have already two races behind me. This year we host a big event in Slovakia. We will have European Championships in Cunovo, our local playspot. Last time, in 2014, when it was here I was just two months postpartum and wasn’t fit for it. Despite this I took silver medal. This year I really wanted to push as much as I can and prepare myself for it but destiny made it other way. I still have about two and half months to prepare but I already know it will not be as I want. My health is on the first position and I still have a long way ahead of me to full recovery. I don’t even know if it is possibly, but I know I will do everything what I can to treat my body well. Flexibility came back, now it’s even better. My leg doesn’t hurt but sometimes I can feel burning in it which reminds me I have to be cautious and care about myself more as I did before. Because your health is the most important thing and people sometimes forget about it.
I hope to see you all at the rivers somewhere around.
Nina
