My hip pain – the miracle cure
As you may or may not know I’ve been having some amusement with my right hip/ sacroiliac joint recently. It just started hurting spontaneously about four weeks ago now, and there is a blog you can read about it here.
I haven’t run for four weeks, I’ve barely been able to walk without pain for two of them, despite some pretty lovely rest and some strengthening work. Now, I’d like to talk about alternative therapies for just a moment.
In the past I have come across people who have had longer term issues (note – they are NOT pathology related – like a broken bone, or cancer – more of a subjective issue – one in which it is the *processing* that is the issue) who have seen all manner of specialists and therapists and have come out the other side having had some marvellous experience in which an alternative therapist has, I dunno… manipulated their spirit or something and they walked out cured of all ills.
Not wishing to be too disparaging about this, I would like to shine a light on my miraculous recovery, and why I think that the amazing change wasn’t to do with an amazing single intervention
What I have been doing
So for four weeks I have been working on strength, on recovery and rest. I’ve been sensible, yet every single day I have got up with pain – be it in the Sacro-iliac joint, around the muscles in my bum or around my hip in general I have barely been able to walk 300m without a limp, and yet, on Sunday, I walked for 3km without pain. I even jogged up the garden to put the washing out.
What was the miracle cure that had precipitated this change in fortune?
The Cure
On Saturday night we had friends round and proceeded to get uproariously drunk.
Brilliant.
All of a sudden, on Sunday in a post-hangover state I was wandering around, quite well again, and surprised at my sprightliness. The only thing that changed was the fact I drank a load of beer – so therefore, it MUST have been that thing which changed everything.
Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?
The Problem
This is exactly what it sounds like when someone tells me that a single treatment from someone has “cured” them.
What may have happened through that single session is that a processing change may have occurred. It may well be that a therapy has given them the confidence to move in a better way. It may well be that the body has been quietly healing and getting on with things and this session coincided with everything being healed. However, I’d say that 5 pints of varying strength ales of an evening is probably as about as effective.
Conclusion
Could it possibly be that the long term stuff I have been doing has had a difference to the way I move? Or was it the single beery session with friends? I am under no illusion that it is the slow and steady progress of increasing strength and control which are enabling me to slowly be in less pain and do more, but it was really interesting to see the massive change in feeling when I woke on Sunday, which led me to write this. So will I be continuing to drink beer as a cure?
Of course not.
Will I continue to do the intelligent stuff, like strengthening and movement work… I’m afraid so. I don’t just need to know the path, I need to walk it as well.
Miracles don’t happen without a lot of hard work.
