In June 2007, I injured my back water skiing.  I was in the best shape of my life.  I had recently completed a marathon, Auburn’s Half Ironman Triathlon (Worlds toughest half) and various other triathlons.  At that time I was also running youth triathlon camps, personal training, and running my chiropractic practice.  Everything in my life was dependent on a healthy body, but suddenly the healthy body decided it needed a break.  With what seemed like an insignificant tumble that wouldn’t even cause minor injuries, I the doctor had become the patient.  I continued to practice and train people, but I was in constant pain.  Over the next 1-1/2 years, I did a lot of rehabilitation in the gym, had regular chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage.  Frustratingly, the moment I would feel better, I would injure my back again and began losing hope.

As the months went by I did continue to try new things and early in 2009 I finally began to see improvement in the chronic pain. The first thing that I began to do differently was practicing yoga a few days a week. In a very short time I noticed a difference in my level of pain, that my body was beginning to heal, and I began to have hope that I might be able to do things that I enjoy again. 

 

Starting this new routine was tough.  My experience was that a few yoga classes were not the magic pill that would make it all go away.  The process required work and the commitment to change the routine and lifestyle habits that were not serving me.  To get better, I also had to be committed to routine chiropractic care with my chiropractor.  Together we worked on discovering what was out of balance.  This meant that for a while I had to give up the exercises that irritated my body, (running, biking, weights) and did things that made my body feel better.  I replaced those high impact forms of exercise with a routine of swimming and Power Yoga.  

 

I had been suggesting yoga to my patients for many years, but personally found it a little slow.  I was finally converted when I branched out and tried a Power Yoga class.  This style of yoga is a bit faster pace than many others but the challenge of the classes made it an easy substitute for my former workouts.  Regular practice and routine Chiropractic care has changed my life.  

 

This experience gave me skills that I was able to incorporate into my practice.  Incorporating a yoga prescription into my practice, I began to see results with patients I had not seen prior.  Looking back I can see that life has a way of dealing us cards that at first seem so negative, it is hard to see the forest through the trees. Connecting the dots of my experiences, I can see that these tough times were the ones that helped me grow and become a better chiropractor. 

 

My point in relating this story is to tell you that if you are injured or find yourself in chronic pain, Don’t Give Up!  If things have bee tough for you emotionally, financially or physically, Don’t Give Up!  Make a commitment to change.  Also, remember that the best place to start is with yourself.