Most Injuries Are Stress-Related…Tell Me About It!

My Mother Always Said "Sit Up Straight"

Just a quick update because I have weeks of studying to do in the next five days.

I just got back from the physical therapist about my shoulder and I feel like singing. She had me do a series of movements that I would rate on the pain scale from 1 to 10. She said we would begin working on the most painful point and go from there. Here's what I took away from the amazing session:

(1) She said that something like 80% of injuries are stress related.

(2) Most of us need to work on our posture.

On point number one: one of my friends said (again) the other day that they were going to do an injury intervention on me. There had to be a reason why I was constantly getting hurt…or not so much getting hurt as hurting myself. I think it is safe to say that having a 16-year-old step-daughter battle and lose to cancer and then living in the aftermath qualifies as a stress-inducer.

On point number two: I have horrible posture. My sister got my grandfather's posture- ramrod straight. Me - not so much. I spend so much of my time hunched over computers or phones or pads these days. The muscles in my chest and shoulders get tighter and tighter and the muscles in my back stretch and weaken. So she told me that every hour on the hour I am to be aware of how I am sitting or standing, and then do three quick exercises:

(1) Gently push your shoulder blades/shoulders down and release -- 20 times.

(2) Squeeze your shoulder blades together - sticking your chest out helps - 20 times.

(3) Push you shoulder blades back and down - not first back and then down, but one movement - sort of imagine on the diagonal. Yes, do this 20 times.

Every hour on the hour. I'll have to set my phone alarm or I'll forget.

While I was there she had me lie down with a piece of a pool noodle along my spine (a rolled up towel will do). At the same time she put a moist heat pad around my shoulder. She told me to lie there for 10 minutes. It was AMAZING! I am not exaggerating here. I felt my chest open up. I tried to gently focus on what was happening to my body as I lay there. It was as if a chiropractor was realigning things. This may sound corny, but as I felt my chest open up I focused on my heart and on letting it rest and open. Earlier in the day as I showered to get ready for my appointment I realized I was tense and rushing. In the shower?!? When do I not tense and rush? Now. And on the hour.

Oh, shoot!! It's 11:09! I missed the hour.

Squeeze - two - three - four….