Day 3 and physical activity

I went to yoga last night and bent forward. I almost cried with happiness. Every doctor/PT I've seen always told me not to bend forward for fear of doing x, y, or z to my back. But I BENT FORWARD. My roommate probably thought I was crazy for how much I was smiling throughout the class. There was some pain, but knowing that I am not going to break and that I'm doing this to overcome my fears that I've built up over the past 4 years was so encouraging and exciting.

For my next fear hurdle--horseback riding. I've been a horseback rider my whole life and stopped riding four years ago after my pain started in fear of damaging my spine more. I miss it so much.

Once the weather is warm, you'll find me at the stables.

Exercising how and when I want is going to bring my life back. I'm stronger than TMS.

 

I had a Scoliosis doctor tell me I had to eliminate all bending from my life. No more gardening, no vacuuming, no loading dishes in the dish washer. He created so much worry and fear in my mind. He told me my options for the future were very bleak.

I shoveled snow this week and have many times. I play a sport, pickleball, that requires constant bending. My back is strong. I can do anything.

I work my TMS program. I try to get physical activity every day. I meditate every day. I try to journal everyday. I work on being constantly vigilant about the strong power of the personality traits. I have to manage myself and thoughts.

You will do great.

 

Hi, ladies. I hope the weather gets good soon, Laura, so you can go horseback riding again. Don't worry about it hurting. It will be doing your body and spirit a world of good. Same for you, Stella, whatever pickleball is. I am 85 and it's a miracle that I don't hurt when I bend over to pick up my darling dog Annie's poo. Even if I did hurt doing that, I would still do it. She's worth every poo, and then some. I had to shovel some snow today too, and the back didn't hurt.

 

This makes me so happy to read. All of my neurotic things floating in my mind, I'll look up on the wiki and someone is reassuringly saying that it's ok. I haven't bent forward in 2 years! I had even decided not to have a baby bc I didn't think my back could handle caring for a little one. Now I'm overcoming my fear... I'm so glad to read these

 

You go girl. You can do it.

 

Awesome to hear! I've also been very careful with forward bending and lifting heavy objects since my disc herniation diagnosis (my own self given restriction as a PT!) but have started up Pilates and yoga again and doing lots of bending in any direction! It's truly liberating and going to totally change the advice I give to patients.

@Alexis1984, on the subject of having a child, I had the same fear before I knew about TMS, knowing lots of people who had their back pain connected to pregnancy. I was terrified! Now with my new TMS outlook I am feeling much more positive about all of this. A good thing since my husband and I are at the point in life we are now thinking about kids! It's really freeing to have this new mindset.

 

Send me a PM if you ever want to just chat about the prospect/having kids with this tricky pain... I am lucky, somehow I had no anxiety with my son about anything despite having a rough pregnancy and a wild childbirth. Now I need to get back to the place where I trusted my body. I do think my anxiety ramped up a lot when I was pregnant because of some triggering trauma (that is something I would only say in this positive, healing and functionality focused forum!)