There once was a girl named Jacquie. She loved dogs. She also had a thing for rushing around the house in slippery socks. One day, Jacquie fell down the stairs…
It’s okay, guys & gals. I’m still alive and I can walk! In fact, I’m nearly back to normal, but I do need to rebuild. So, let’s talk about that.
Here’s what happened
I fell on the stairs. Yes, on. Not down. On. I slipped off the first step on my wool socks - basically ass-over-tea-kettle style - landing square with the edge of the top step on my mid right back (no bones!), and fell down the remaining two steps to the landing…and then I couldn’t get up.
I’m still not sure exactly what happened beyond that initial blow - I was in shock - but I felt a blinding, lightning-like radiating pain in my right hip every time I tried to use my right leg. I almost passed out twice in the process, but eventually we got me to our bed where I called my parents. I didn’t ask for an ambulance, I wanted to allow time to calm down to sense what was going on in my body first, but I had never felt pain like that in my life. I was petrified, which made that whole calming down thing take a while longer.
I was able to be assisted to the bathroom by way of a chair being pushed down the hallway, and shortly after I decided it would be best for me to sleep on the guest bed, due to the ease in which it took to lay down compared to our bed. I slept in that bed for close to 3.5 weeks. Slipping and falling sucks, yes, and it’s a hard recovery, no doubt, but I’ve had my mind wiped clean and my energy refreshed in ways I more than needed at that very moment and it’s been a blessing.
The diagnosis
It turns out I had a bulged disc that put pressure on nerves that run through my hip and down my right leg, which was what caused my nasty nerve pain. (Side note: If you’ve ever felt nerve pain like that, kudos to you for sticking it out because it is beyond painful and scary!). My hips and low back were also out of alignment, so much so that it caused my bones and muscles to rub together to cause some fluid build up (bursitis) on my outer right thigh. Luckily, and thanks to some key players noted below, most of this has now subsided and I’m working now on relieving some deep muscle tension, which will likely take the longest to heal and relieve, but I’m really enjoying the process.
How I was able to heal
There are a few tools I’ve adopted that have been essential to my healing. First off, I had the best support system. My boyfriend and our two dogs were by my side for weeks, and my parents helped a lot. I’m very fortunate to have them close by.
Secondly, I don’t think I could have (1) bounced back as quickly as I did or (2) been saved from a worse fate if I hadn’t been practicing Essentrics consistently for the past few years. Having said that, my fall left me in rough shape and my body was much less than moveable, so I implemented the following:
rest
And lots of it! I can’t remember the last time I consistently slept this much, nor a time when I was so uncontrollably tired from doing nothing. When you’re in great pain, everything becomes emotionally and physically exhausting. And yes, I cried…a LOT. It’s extremely tough and trying not being able to do what you normally could just mere days ago.
Me being me, though, I took a week off work, then forced myself to go back for a few days. I know, I know…I don’t know why I did either. I quickly learned I should utilize my working benefits and taking short-term leave in order to truly be able to rest and heal. So, that’s exactly what I did. No more work, no more teaching Essentrics (obviously), no more cooking, driving, walking the dogs, etc.
Patience
Being hurt gave me the push I needed to shift into sob mode. I cried every day. I cried when I hurt myself, I cried when I couldn’t sit down, I cried when I could walk again. I even cried for no darn reason at all. It needed to happen.
So did my patience. If I hadn’t let go of my control over the situation early on, I would have been a basket case and likely wouldn’t have healed as quickly. Seemingly long days waiting for progress turned into weeks that flew by until I was moving much more comfortably and normally. It’s amazing how my perspective shifted from “everything is important and needs to get done now” to “the only thing that matters is my health and the people around me”.
Physiotherapy
I’ve never really been one to do physiotherapy - I’ve never really been hurt - but my dad had been seeing a physiotherapist post-knee replacement surgery and swore by his. So, I gave him a shot and he has been just what I needed to (1) help me understand what was going on with my body from my fall, (2) give me the space I needed to move again at my own pace, and (3) challenge my brain and body to feel safe enough to move from a place of nervousness through to comfort and beyond. I see my physiotherapist twice a week and will continue on a monthly basis until I’m feeling like my Essentricizing self again. (Yep, it’s a word.)
Osteopathy
I have to admit that my osteopath is a wizard. Without him, I would still have nerve pain like no other and be afraid to sit down. I already regularly saw my osteopath - once a month - for a check up and reset. He works intuitively to manipulate my soft tissues and bones as my body needs, because let’s face it…our bodies are not perfect and they need help to get back into alignment, even with all the Essentrics in the world! (I can’t believe I just admitted that!). I’ve seen him every other week since my fall and will continue to see him on a monthly basis once I’m back on track.
heat, electrotherapy, and salves
I’m fortunate enough to have an infrared sauna in my home - a housewarming gift I permitted myself when I knew I would have the space and the budget. It has been a life saver. Every night for the past month I’ve been indulging in 30-50 minutes of cell-penetrating, healing heat that melts my muscles, increases my blood flow, and flushes toxins out of my body while I heal. I’ll take this down to 3-5 times a week until I’m in the clear, but honestly…it’ll be tough to cut back!
I’m also fortunate enough to have a boyfriend who owns at least five electro-massage tools, like the ones my physiotherapist uses at the end of my sessions (TENS). I was using this tool two to three times a day during the first few weeks and have now cut back to once every couple of days. Stimulation paired with regular use of a heating pad on my aching muscles and joints has produced a calming effect and given me an excuse to lay idle for 20-30 minutes and deep breathe.
I’d follow every late night TENS massage with a good dose of CBD arnica salve on my muscles. My herbalist at Zen and Tonic in Toronto created a wonderful arnica cream with a much higher percentage of arnica and the addition of CBD oil that works to relax muscles when used regularly for chronic pain. I still use the salve whenever I go to bed and after I practice electrotherapy.
Food, supplements, and Tea
I wasn’t able to eat much for the first few days following my accident, but when I was hungry, all I wanted was vegetables - juice, soups, and salads. I avoided sugars and most carbs for almost two weeks. I also introduced a few supplements: CBD oil for anxiety, fish oil for nerve protection, turmeric capsules for inflammation, magnesium bisglycinate powder for muscle tension, vitamin C for adrenal support, vitamin D and zinc for immune support, and anti-inflammatory tea (again, from my amazing herbalist April Cockshutt).
Movement
My body was in a state of shock followed by PTSD of my nervous system, which prevented me from moving too much or too deeply for a good three weeks. However, I let my intuition speak to me and when my body was ready and my brain allowed me to, I moved in stages. I was walking slowly after 48 hours, taking the steps (three at a time) after 72 hours, dressing myself after one week, cooking after two weeks, putting my shoes on after three weeks, and driving after one month.
Part of my physiotherapy was to introduce some gentle stretches into my daily routine. Slow rotation of my spine, alternating arching and rounding my spine, nothing intense. My body was craving movement, but I was far from being able to ‘Essentricize’ just yet. I tried really hard to integrate it into my routine in week two, but couldn’t muster more than a 8 minutes of a few small movements. So, admittedly and embarrassingly, I gave up for two weeks. I let fear take over, only because I was beating myself up over the fact that I couldn’t do a full 1-hour class. Instead, I started doing individual movements that made me feel good so I could feel like I had a handle on my body’s freedom. Once I got over myself, I found small wins every day.
After the fear subsided and my nervous system and brain allowed me to get back to it, I re-introduced regular walks, bending, light lifting, and yes, Essentrics classes too - short, but sweet. Woo! I’ve been doing 15-25 minute Essentrics workouts on Essentrics TV about three times a week and although my back and hips are still tight, I know it can only help to resolve the pain. I know well enough to start gentle and push my body only when it’s ready.
It’s time to regenerate
I’m at the point in my teacher training where I’m working toward my Level 3 certification - the level that focuses on flexibility and therapeutic exercises. This injury could not be more aptly timed, with my rehabilitation in parallel to what I’m learning. It’s awesome! I’m able to better understand my body and the body in general, as well as the nuances of pain my students feel with certain hindrances. I’m getting a better comprehension of anatomy and physiology than I could have asked for from books. Hands-on learning, no matter how painful it has been to go through, is teaching me a lot and I’m very grateful.
Not only that, I’m ready to move again and I’d love it if you’d join me. Classes are starting up on March 17th with two series:
Regenerative Series | March 17 - April 21
This 6-week series will re-set and regenerate all your muscles, bones, and joints with gentle movement designed to rehabilitate and comfort you and/or get you back to a comfortable level of flexibility.
For this series, we’ll be using props (chairs, straps, pillows) to assist with movement and support our bodies as we find comfort in deeper movements.
Strength-Building Series | March 20 - April 24
This 6-week series will re-train and enhance the flexibility and strength of all your muscles, with dynamic movement that builds week after week. The focus of this series will be to open up your hips and low back while strengthening your back and core.
Since I’m still building toward moving through a 1-hour class, I’m also introducing a new class style: each 1-hour class will include 10 minutes at the beginning for me to check in with you and break down a different move within that class, so you can get more from your workouts and better understand the intricacies behind the dynamics of Essentrics. (Classes will resume a 60-minute format in May, but the 10-minute intro won’t disappear!).
Here I am, 5 weeks post-accident, and happy to be getting back to normal. I’ll see you soon, friends.