Personal Journey - My Recent Encounter with Low Back and Hip Pain

I'd like to share a personal journey with you—a story I hope will shed some light on the therapeutic potential of yoga and inspire you to become an active participant in your own well-being. So, let's embark on this narrative together, as I guide you through my recent encounter with a low back pain and lingering hip issues.

Just picture it: an apparently ordinary day, about a month ago, the sun is shining, and I'm in my garden, hanging the laundry out to dry. Then, suddenly, the routine transformed into something extraordinary as I was struck by a sudden bout of lumbago. It caused all the muscles in my lower back to spasm and left me in excruciating pain. It was far from the kind of day I had envisioned, but there was no time to dwell on the situation because it required an immediate response.

I turned to what I knew the best, my yoga practice. Specifically, I embraced the therapeutic aspects of yoga, knowing they held the key to pain relief and healing. I knew that these exercises would help to ease the pain and initiate healing. And in the long term, they would provide the foundation for my body to regain strength and resilience, helping me return to a state of balance and better health.

However, despite the power and effectiveness of the Therapeutic Yoga exercises, I knew that consulting a healthcare provider would be a smart thing to do. Because after all, effective healthcare is a team effort and I greatly value the expertise of doctors and body workers. So, the next day  I consulted a physiotherapist who offered invaluable help in managing the acute phase of my pain. She used a technique called 'dry needling’ to release the tension in the multifidus muscle that was in spasm and also did a more traditional manual therapy to help the muscles to release.

The real turning point in my journey however came through the consistent practice of therapeutic yoga exercises. These exercises weren't just random poses; they had a purpose. They addressed muscle spasms, realigned my lower back, increased circulation within the tissues, and brought calm to my nervous system, allowing my body to feel safe and protected which is such an important aspect in healing and pain management. 

For two weeks, I followed a daily yoga ritual, dedicating just 15 minutes to each session, yet the impact was profound. A private online class with my trusted teacher, Tove Palmgren, introduced additional therapeutic yoga techniques, which not only sped up the healing process but provided me as a teacher with an even deeper understanding of the human body and left me with new Therapeutic Yoga tools that I could use not only for my own wellbeing but also for the wellbeing of my students.

Today, my back is nearly back to normal, but the story didn't end there. This incident made the hip issues I’ve been experiencing on the left side of my body worse and you know what, I'm actually very grateful for that because now I had the perfect opportunity to do something about it. So, rather than perceiving my hip pain as an obstacle, I viewed it as an opportunity. It was an invitation from my body to dive deeper into the root cause of my recurrent hip pain and finally take action toward positive change.

As a dedicated yogi, a passionate runner, and someone who celebrated their 40th birthday this summer, I've come to appreciate the vital role that muscle strength plays in maintaining the body's well-being. With this in mind, I decided it was time to script a new chapter in my wellness journey. I decided to join the gym for the first time in 13 years and consulted with a personal trainer who designed a tailored program for me that aligns with my unique needs and wishes: strengthening specific muscle groups to better support the demands of running.

Now, twice a week, you'll find me at the gym, diligently adding another valuable tool to my wellness arsenal. This commitment, combined with my cherished running routine, has become a valuable complementary practice to my beloved Yoga.

Additionally, I decided to consult my family doctor to ensure there were no severe underlying issues with my hip. As there were none, he gave me a prescription for physiotherapy— yet another new chapter in the ongoing saga of my recovery.

This new, (holistic) physiotherapist quickly grasped the nuances of my unique story. In our first session, he skillfully identified a connection between the tightness in my neck, upper back, and shoulders, a three-year-old ankle injury, and my persistent hip discomfort. As homework, he recommended diaphragmatic breathing exercises to help mobilize my rib cage, deepen my breath, and soothe my nervous system. This home practice felt like a perfect fit for a yogi. So many insights just from a first session and I can’t wait to find out what we will discover in the coming sessions. 

I can now use the insights I received during the physiotherapy session to modify my yoga practice in a way that it can better support the delicate balance of my body and mind.

So, here are the key takeaways from this chapter in my journey:

• The therapeutic power of yoga in easing pain and igniting the healing process.

• The significance of consistent practice in reshaping our body's response.

• The interconnectedness of our physical being, where one aspect of our health can influence another.

• The vital role of collaboration—between yoga, medical professionals, and personal trainers—in crafting a comprehensive approach to well-being.

In essence, this is a reminder that our bodies are dynamic stories in motion, constantly seeking balance and safety, and our role is to be active participants in this ongoing narrative. Through yoga, through medical guidance, through self-discovery, we can craft a story of healing, transformation, and resilience.

So, my dear readers, may you find inspiration in my journey, and may your own story be one of empowerment and well-being.