Breathing Through The Pain

An epidemic of low back pain, hip pain, shoulder pain emerges these past two weeks.

One longtime client (who has been frantically monitoring his retirement account balance) texted this morning sharing that he was (frantically) calling around to see where he could get an epidural the fastest.

A family member who had doubled up on TSLA in his IRA in December (now down by nearly 1/2) called to say he was scheduling hip replacement surgery-- at 52 years old! (He apparently was also quite heavily invested in green energy listings.)

I suppose this could sound anti-empathetic, or even callous, but from "30,000 feet" it is so fascinating to me to see how IMMEDIATELY this kind of acute stress (for men, more often financial; for women, more often than not, relationship-- but no ironclad rule) creates pain in the body.

A dermatologist buddy throws his back out like clockwork EVERY mid-December, as the hubbub around holiday gatherings takes its toll. A couple of years ago, to the point where he could only crawl along the floor to get to where he needed to be. (Thanks, Mom, thanks, sis, thanks, in-laws.)

Not one but literally my two longest & favorite yoga teachers both underwent surgeries after the 2020 Covid shutdowns squashed their businesses (and income): one lumbar, one hip.

So what advice to give?

Maybe it's not helpful to point out this interconnectedness. But if it can stave off a rash decision that will be regretted later (or even create harm, both sooner and later), perhaps it's worth a try?

A 50 year old woman who felt trapped in an unhappy marriage was talked into hip surgery when what it seems she needed at the time was either to learn how to speak candidly with her partner-- or work through the emotions with a therapist.

Lucky (also unlucky) for her, the Striker company issued a recall. She had the replacement replaced. And as part of a class action lawsuit, she walked away (but never again a regular gait) with a cool quarter of a mil. (And another quarter of a mil after the eventual divorce.) But is this really what we wish for those we love?

She will of, course, require a fourth and fifth hip replacement in her 70s. (Shortly after the left hip, she had to do the right hip, because of imbalances.) All that anesthesia. All those metals. Thank you, no thank you.

The shoulder pain guy messaged us a week ago. He had found an acupuncturist in town who would see him for $50 a session-- even for the first visit, which most folks would charge $200+ for! (He has insurance, but it's the budget-iest of budget plans and doesn't cover acupuncture.) After the first session, he already felt better. After the second or third, his pain was gone completely.

Now this surely wouldn't happen this fast for everyone, but it is more likely to if the stress slash panic component is significant.

All this I suppose is a way of suggesting (as a good, slow yoga or even meditation class might already have taught many of us) that sometimes it's helpful to sit quietly, inhale fully & slowly, and scan the body. Where am I holding tension? Does my posture feel balanced? Where can I let go?

Some will tell you laughter or doing something fun or silly can help. Another friend of mine suggests screaming your lungs out, as the Nancy Weston character just diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Thirty Something did with a friend as the planes took off at LAX or wherever.

Or maybe find someone who knows you well (or a complete stranger?) to talk to about it.

If there were ever a time for affordable (or insurance reimbursed!) medical massage, even Swedish or deep tissue of shiatsu type or lymphatic drainage massage, or yes, even acupuncture (but the stress release, energy balancing type, imo), it seems it is now.

And of course, while surely preaching to the choir, nothing beats informed preventive maintenance. After 40, or 50 especially, caring for the body is, like housework, a daily task-- even if requiring only 10-15 minutes. Unlike housework, though, you just can't really pay someone else to do it for you. This is between you and your body.