Yet, I am realizing that watching my nutrition and ensuring I get to the gym 3-4 times a week is still not enough to look after myself and maintain the appearance of wellness to others.
I know that there is still not a large body of knowledge out there to help guide people living with spina bifida who are in their 30's, 40's and beyond. We want to know more about managing ourselves as we are approaching the middle-age years. We want to maintain that sense of wellness. For those of us living with spina bifida, we, admittedly must limit ourselves to the physical tasks that don't compromise our current fitness levels. We can't torture our bodies, like those who huff and puff to no end at the gym. No more stairmaster at the gym for me, even though I walked at very low intensity. The pressure on my limbs is not worth it. Research studies to create a body of knowledge for health professionals who are studying spina bifida has been in progress with a few years now, but it is still a work-in-progress. I know, I was a participant in one of the studies last spring.
Until the day when we know more, I get frustrated when I ask a question, such as "what should I do when I begin to feel soreness in my lower back and numbness in my right foot, the epicentre where much of my scar tissue is located?" There does not appear to be an answer. Nobody knows for sure. Someone who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair may not feel this same soreness in the lower back. I'm very, very active for someone living with spina bifida. I would love to keep it that way until I reach my golden years (70's and beyond). Hopefully, God willing, I will get there.
What should I do?
- Just ignore and move on? I'm getting older, I'm just happy to be alive.
- Or look for a solution, if it is out there.
I like to look for answers. It is actually very intriguing to search for answers to questions on my mind. By nature, I'm a sponge. I love to read books, surf the internet and talk to people to research questions. I actually make it into a game. When I finally have enough information to answer a question, I finally take some sort of action. I don't do anything in haste, especially when it has to do with my health.
I talk about this thirst for knowledge that I have acquired in light of a third element to a sound wellness program (the 1st being exercise and 2nd being nutrition). The 3rd element is the decision of whether or not to make use of the services of a chiropractor or a massage therapist.
As mentioned, I have developed more numbness in my right foot and some minor soreness in my lower back. I feel that I should do something to see what I can do to keep in under control.
Chiropractic will involve taking my body out of alignment and putting it back together. It is kind of like taking apart a computer and rebuilding it. I've learned from my discussions with others in the health community that a chiropractor will not have anything to do with my situation. My bone structure is different from others who don't have spina bifida and Chiropractors would rather not deal with it. Understandable.
From the facts I've gathered, massage therapy is a more feasible option. It is less invasive, and although there is no proof that it will work in the long run, it is worth a try. So I will consider massage therapy as an option, although there may be other options to investigate. I just don't what those options are yet.
I want to leave you with a lesson. Don't automatically accept the choices you've given when you face a certain dilemma. Ultimately, you may have no other choice but to accept the situation you face or what people tell you. However, don't give up until you've done exhaustive research.
In the end, no matter what, knowledge is power, and you can happily pass on that knowledge to others who are traveling down that same road seeking answers to the same questions.
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