I couldn't work, couldn't drive, and couldn't do chores. Getting back and forth to the bathroom was about the best I could do.
By late October 2007, I still hadn't made much progress, and I was frustrated with my reliance on pain medication. I had been instructed that I wasn’t to do any yoga, or walking for exercise, so my mainstays were absent for close to four months and I was increasingly depressed.
As I sat on the table in the chiropractor’s office, going through the same drill we'd been going through for weeks, I finally broke down crying.
(Don't get me wrong - this was my longstanding chiropractor, and I've had great success with chiropractic manipulation in many situations...just not this one.) I told him I was going to try it my own way for a while and I canceled my ongoing appointments.
That day, I ordered the DVD Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips from Gary Kraftsow (www.viniyoga.com/store/dvds-and-videos). Kraftsow’s work focuses on therapeutic yoga, and he offers other targeted yoga DVDs, as well - for both physical and emotional conditions.
I began doing the sequence of poses recommended in the DVD, slowly and painfully at first. As I began to build a little strength, I started walking around inside the house with intention.
Through the process of increasing the flexibility of the muscles in my hips and lower back, and those that connect to the thighs, the pain began to lessen and my hips began to realign.
When the sacroiliac joints are pulled out of place, the muscle connecting the sacrum to the pelvic bone stays “stretched out” so the joint slips out of place pretty easily, and it's painful when it happens. It also causes instability - if it slips out of place, the leg on that side will give out suddenly - for example, we
typically step out of a vehicle without really thinking about it, but with an SI joint injury, if you're stepping out on the affected side, that movement is apt to cause the joint to slip and leave you on the ground.
I didn't drive for months, but when I finally began driving again I had to remain mindful of fully turning my body toward the door and stepping out of the vehicle with both feet forward.
As I became more flexible through following Kraftsow’s advice on the DVD’s, I began incorporating more of my old yoga asanas into my routine, a little at a time. I love standing postures and warrior poses, which strengthen the hips, legs and buttocks. Strengthening this area of my body began to increase my stability and balance. I began incrementally climbing the stairs to the second floor (it was deep winter in Maine by then so everything I did was indoors), first just three or four steps, then halfway, then all the way to the top.
As I increased the number and types of postures, I found I had to make some modifications, at times, especially with many of the twisting postures. The SI joint is stressed when we twist at the waist, and it was a lengthy process of rehabilitating my core (mid-back, abdomen and
waist) before I could perform a twist with ease. The process of strengthening my body helped me begin to shift my focus from targeting only my lower body to strengthening and improving my entire body and overall well being.
Because of the injuries my body has endured, I have had to permanently modify some of the poses that I practice. For example, when I am moving from an arched-back to a swayed-back pose, it merits caution as it puts the stress smack on the SI joint. It requires a controlled and conscious pause when I am at a level position, between arched and swayed. This is especially true in a Sun Salute - going from Up Dog back to Down Dog.
By the time spring rolled around
As I sat on the table in the chiropractor’s office, going through the same
drill we'd been going through for weeks, I finally broke down crying.
30 | ElementsForAHealthierLife.com | July 2016