Journey to Health

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         Several months ago, I mentioned how this year has been about rebuilding and bolstering myself. Part of that involved becoming more physically fit. Since March, I've been able to head to the gym twice a week. I've also made changes to my diet to include less processed sugar.

         In June, however, I hit a road bump when I noticed discomfort in my back. There's an old injury that flares up every couple of years. Previous visits to physical therapists never noticed anything abnormal in my scans. One of my colleagues suggested that I should see a chiropractor. I decided to give it a go.

         The chiropractor took an x-ray and went over it with me. Yes, I have had mild scoliosis since my teens. That wasn't the news. The chiropractor proceeded to tell me that she noted something peculiar: I have a sixth lumbar vertebra. Of course, that didn't mean the extra bone was the problem. It did bother me that my previous x-rays never revealed this feature. Funnily enough, when I told my uncle about it, he told me that it runs in the family. Well, what do you know?

         Digging around the internet, I found some information about this phenomenon.

         It's more common than I initially thought. I guess I'm one of the rare cases where it could have been an issue.

         I have stepped up in my core exercises and stretches since then. The discomfort in my lower back is similar to that of sciatica. After personal efforts and weekly adjustments for the past several months, I am now better than ever!

         Fortunately, my insurance covers the chiropractor I'm seeing. I use my HSA on whatever costs are not absorbed by the insurance. Through this journey, I realized my back and neck have not felt this good in years.

         So far, my thirties have been an interesting adventure of rebuilding myself physically since I started working full-time after college.

Posted with STEMGeeks

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48 comments
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This is the first time I reading of this. When I saw the 6th vertebra I had to read it twice to be sure. I'm glad you are being health conscious. Hopefully, you don't have a recurrence.

I'm trying to take working out serious too. Push-ups and squats, for now, I'll hit the gym once I get my money right.

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I was surprised by that as well. Until my uncle said it runs in the family. lol

Yeah, I'm lucky that the gym at work is free.

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Go to crossfit or get you a battle rope, the fattest and longest, then double it up and swing it like a huge sword for 10 minutes. HIT.

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Ohh...That's awesome. If I had something like that I'd be at the gym more often.

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Check out myofascial self release and foam rollers, and do hanging, or pullups and chin ups.

We have a 36in x 6in powersystem roller, an Acumobility 7in wide x 11in high roller, a Thera Cane massager, and a miniPSO, plus a cordless puncher from wallworld, and if you do a considerable amount of sitting look into a saddle stool. Some people do inversion tables/boots, but I have gotten over my back pain with just rollers, tough I have my wife walk all over my back and dig her heels in, now I can crack/release my back fairly effortlessly and no more scoliosis.

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I have had a thing that helps decompress my spine for several months now and it helps a lot.

I'll check this thing out.

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What kind of thing? You should follow Bob and Brad physical therapist on YouTube, they have excellent exercises and stretches, if you didn't already know.

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Something like this. It relieved a lot of tension when things were at their worst.

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That's not bad, I would invest in a cheap yoga mat and the two rollers I mentioned, (don't skimp on there, theres a lot of cheap stuff but it'll probably be useless in no time whenever it breaks) as well as that cane. I saw a strap and elastic device on Bob and Brads channel that you put around a door handle and close the door with the loop on the other side and while laying down you put it around your head neck and you do that while the elastic is under tension and then release, or something like that.

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I've seen strap setups on a chair for your neck at the chiropractor's.

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That reminds me, my dad uses a TENS device for his lower back, and my wife has a overpriced one for her period cramps, we got it not long before we went to the chiropractor last year, there he hooked us up to a TENS device before he did the one on one.

This is the strap thing:

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(Edited)

My wife has soreness in her shoulder and we have discovered "324 hemp oil roll on" which works fantastically. I hit myself with a brad nail earlier this week, it curved around and got me on the outside of my wrist, right in the bone, nothing serious at all at first, felt like a blunt force at first, then a few hours later I took a break and it shot up to my elbow, suffice it to say, I can attest that the Roll on hemp oil worked really good, took about 95% of the pain away and after two days of wearing a wrist strap it's almost fully recovered.

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I haven't been to the chiropractor in years (knock on wood). I prefer the ones where they use pressure points and resistance versus cracking you. I think it is called kinesiology or something like that. I likely spelled it wrong. I am glad you are feeling better though! I need to start working on eating less processed sugar. It is just so tasty though!

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The chiropractor I go to does some of that as well.

It's too bad tasty things aren't always good for you.

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(Edited)

My wife is a trooper and has stayed pretty much off sugar or fake sweeteners, even stivia, she does make fudge, which I just ate :( and we got a ninja Creamy and make coconut milk/dairy free ice cream but we don't eat it all the time, I think theres 3 batches in the fridge she's made yesterday yet to be touched. Once you break free of the addiction we've found a lot of self restraint on the other side.

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Engaging in exercise is very important to keep a healthy lifestyle and maintain fitness.

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Something the pandemic made difficult for two years.

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Thank you for your witness vote!
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I have mild thoracic scoliosis but not enough to warrant some therapy. Still gave me chronic posture problems and back pains during sleep but I don't know if that's related. Yours made me think I got the low end of the spectrum being tagged as "mild". Good to know you're feeling better after some months of committing to those exercises.

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I’m sure they are related somehow. Too bad there’s not a sure fire way too treat the scoliosis.

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That was nice news to read!

The insurance part is always puzzling for me, as a European. Healthcare is much better covered by the state in France, and much cheaper too.

Cheers, and please enjoy the rest of your 30ies! ;)

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That's the problem with US healthcare.

It's all for profit.

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Definitely, and I find it very wrong. A different system...

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Have the same should help you with swimming im told and flexibility

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I haven't swum in a long time.

Might give a shot.

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I didn't know that was a thing of an extra vertebra!
!1UP

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I was thought the anatomy of the spine in my third year in college. You mentioning a 6th lumbar baffles me. It feel like something that should never happen but then again we were taught on how some individuals body anatomy defies the norm. We call anatomical Variation.

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Yeah it’s more common than I thought.

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wow. that's cool. an additional vertebrae.

hope you are in a much better position now.

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Definitely better than I was in October.

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