No Brick Today; Physio Instead

I had to set things right: my lower back was acting up again. It first happened last week and I don't know what caused it. All I did was climb a set of stairs last Thursday and the pain suddenly hit me as if someone struck my lumbar area with a pick axe. The pain was intense and almost numbing. It wasn't a sharp pain. It was as if I could feel the red glow of the pain. It was the very reason I was advised by adrwee not to do the Singapore Open Water Swim on Sunday. He said the lower back would act as a fulcrum when I swam. Couple that with battling waves and open sea currents was a recipe for disaster. So I missed the race. Then again, I tried to take very leisurely pool swims on Saturday and Tuesday, and it improved just a little.

This morning it hit the roof again.

I decided to call Saratha, my physiotherapist and sports masseuse. PL gave me her contact a few months ago when I had a terrible stiff neck. She was good, and that's why I'd go back to her for any internal sports injuries.

Getting involved in sports, training hard for races, and eventually racing in them are just part of the equation of a wholesome fitness regime. No matter how hardcore an athlete is, injuries are inevitable. No pain, no gain. Personally, this gives me a chance to understand my body and my limits better. I ask questions: What probably caused the pain? Was it improper movement of the body? Was it the shoes? Was it my gait? Was I over-compensating a particular motion such that it's unnatural? I try to seek for solutions. Perhaps due to my engineering background, I am inquisitive. I want to know what's bothering me, and how I can treat it. Knowledge of one's body is therefore important especially for an athlete. Prevention is better than cure.

Saratha takes the time to explain the dynamics of motion. Then suggests specific exercises to strengthen the weak points while massaging. Such is the art of physiotherapy.

This time, I found out that my pain was at the sacral lumbar area. It was heck of a pain when Saratha was rubbing it in (no pun intended). An ultrasound with Fastum and some heat therapy thereafter, I felt better. As expected, she taught me some specific exercises to relieve the pain and to strengthen the lumbar area.

It was $90, but worth the pain. Now I'm smarter about my own body and my limits. If there's anyone who needs a good sports physiotherapist (by the way, she was formerly from SSC, so she has treated many national athletes), this is her contact:

The PhysioLink

1 Raffles Link #01-03A

Tel: 6332 9086