TI Therapy: Back Health

By JOHN CAREY

I have had chronic problems with my spine, including my lower neck, my mid thoracic, and my lumbar, for two reasons. I played the saxophone for many years; a ten-pound weight pulling on the lower cervical vertebrae contributed to chronic arthritis/degenerative disk disease. And, I was in a motorcycle accident, which created a whiplash-effect and led to chronic muscle spasms in my neck and nerve deficits to my arms. My right arm lost holding power in the bicep, grip, and proprioception. After several years the right arm improved, but my left arm has also experienced a degree of weakness and proprioception loss.

As well, I was thrown from a horse some 15 years ago. I thought horseback riding would be safer than motorcycle riding; however, my horse spooked and I bailed out on some very hard boulders covered by some deceptively soft-looking dirt, leaving me with chronic muscle spasms. The injuries significantly impacted my work as a veterinarian, as I often need to pick up struggling, 80-pound animals and hunch over a table doing surgery for several hours.
About two and a half years ago, I realized that things were deteriorating for my back and neck as I was enduring significant episodes every couple months. After consulting my physical therapist, I decided to exercise to strengthen my muscles; running and biking were too stressful, so I chose swimming. I swam regularly as a child and began scuba diving in my twenties, but recreational swimming was painful because I’d been taught to swim with a flat upper body turn my to breathe, and use a churning kick.

Fortunately, my wife (a triathlete) led me to TI. I began swimming 60 to 90 minutes, four to five times a week and my conditions have all improved significantly. My neck has responded well to the gentle rotation of TI swimming. My muscle spasms have decreased, and my nerve function has improved. I can really feel the difference when I swim less frequently: problems don’t necessarily return, but I can hear crunching and grinding when I move my neck.

The mid-thoracic problem – a deep bruise between the spine and the left scapula –worsens when I do anything that puts stress on my shoulders, such as biking or canoeing. My physical therapist felt this area was the most affected by muscle weakness (a common response to back injury). Rather than stressing the area, TI swimming has actually made it stronger. The muscle spasms in the mid-thoracic region used to be so strong that I could not sleep; but TI swimming has cured them for over a year now.

The lower lumbar area is affected by chronic degenerative disk disease, which is very common. I actually have very strong back muscles, but my abdominal muscles have not been very supportive (I have a typical Irish protruding belly). The gentle kicking of TI and the emphasis on using the core muscles has helped me to strengthen the area, and whereas two years ago, picking up a 60-pound animal would give me back spasms, I can pick up a 90- or 100- pound animal with no back spasms. Before, I would get back spasms after standing for surgery for 40 minutes. Now, I can stand for two hours and only have a little fatigue. The other day, I had to perform surgery in a very awkward position with my upper body extended over the table. I couldn't have held that position for more than two minutes two years ago; this time I was able to complete the 15-minute procedure without any problem at all. I have gone from having multiple problems in several areas to unexpected improvement across the board, and have significantly improved my quality of life just by focusing on swimming the TI way – examined movement with balance, body alignment and power from the core.