Today, I finally feel like I'm on the road to recovery from the "strained back" I reported about the other day.
If you've ever experienced it, you may know that a "strained back" is a serious painful condition.
Can't we do something about calling that case of severe pain "strained back"?
In Europe, it is also known as the "witch's blow," but even this is not enough.
I've heard that the official name (general term) for a strained back is "acute back pain syndrome" -- but I'm still not convinced.
Can a serious complex disease of joint sprains, muscle injuries, and myofascial inflammation be called "acute low back pain" or even "strained back" in a derogatory way?
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Why is it such a derogatory name? I thought,
(1) Incredibly severe pain that forces a complete cessation of daily activities, and
(2) The appearance of the person is so 'unseemly' that it is ridiculed by others.
(3) Basically, there is no effective remedy or treatment (only poultice).
(4) In principle, complete rest for a long period of time (from a few days to two weeks) will heal the body.
I think it is a combination of items that are extremely difficult to evaluate: "severe pain," "unseemly" "no cure method," and "healing".
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The first step in the fight against "strained back" is to find a posture that does not cause pain.
For example, let's say you have found a posture in which you feel no pain, sitting deeply in a chair in your study (called state A) and standing up with your back straight (called state B).
However, a slight deviation from this state (e.g., state B with the upper body bent forward at a slight angle of about 2 degrees) is enough to cause severe pain.
In order to maintain this state, I cling to the things around me (desk, bookcase, shelves), which requires me to support my entire body with my arms.
But I don't have that kind of muscle power.
Eventually, I will be in state B', which is out of state B, and I will be screaming in extreme pain.
The speed at which I move my body will be about 0.2m/second, and the average travel time from the study to the living room table will be about 3 to 5 minutes (usually about 5 seconds).
In the toilet, arm strength is important as I go through the transition state from state A to state B.
In the toilet, arm strength is important as I go through the transition state from state A to state B.
It is a daily routine of trial and error with screams.
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I took a thorough sleep strategy this weekend.
After getting a good night's sleep, I finally took a method of forcing sleep by throwing in a stabilizer (x sleeping pills).
Thanks in part to these efforts, the operational range of states A and B began to expand, the pattern of transition vectors increased, and the number of "screams" decreased.
At this rate, I expect to be healed by the middle of this week.
And when I'm healed, I'll probably forget about this.
So now, I am keeping this as a record in my diary.
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This time, however, I was horrified just thinking about what I would have done if I hadn't had a companion (wife) to put poultices on my immobile body.
Now, when someone asks me what the point of marriage is, I can proudly answer, "To get a poultice on my lower back.
But at the same time
- This pain will become a part of my daily life as my body ages.
and,
- Entering the nursing care phase where even the spouse is no longer able to help me,
I was afraid to think about the above.
It is only when I am assured of healing that I am able to endure this intense pain.
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I am sure that this "strained back" was caused by the sudden death of my mother and the various responses that accompanied it.
I believe this is a message to me from my mother, who has been through the hell of caregiving for over a decade.
I think -- I am convinced that this is more of a "mother's blow" than a "witch's blow".