Well today I went to see my Chiropractor Ben, he's lovely. It was a follow up to last weeks initial tests and x-rays. I went there already knowing that my spine is a little screwie. I have had back pain for donkey's years and undiagnosed sciatica for about 15 years (hey you don't need a doctor to tell you its sciatica when your leg goes numb, its kindda obvious).
So lets start with the good news. All of my nerve tests came back clear. Now for the not so good news, lets start at the top and work our way down.
My neck (Cervical Spine) is, well, fucked! there's no easy way to say it. I have no medical training and yet even I could see the x-rays where wonky. Now your neck or cervical spine, when looked at from the side is supposed to be shaped like a backwards "C" called a Lordotic Curve, which is concave. Mine isn't, it looks straight, but is in fact slightly convex. Which makes my neck have a Kyphonic Curve, which trust me, isn't a good thing. In fact its made my tendon that attaches from C1 or C2 (I forgot exactly) to my skull and the muscles behind my airway calcify!! never mind turning fat to muscle, am turning muscle to bone!!! Then to top that off my neck is at a strange angle, when you look at it from the front it bends off to the right, making my head bend over to the left. So my left side jaw is higher than my right. Again tis is a bad thing and believed to be the root of my 20 years of Migraines as the calcification has been cutting off the blood supply to my brain and causing both the migraine and the random bouts of plegia!!
So lets start with the good news. All of my nerve tests came back clear. Now for the not so good news, lets start at the top and work our way down.
My neck (Cervical Spine) is, well, fucked! there's no easy way to say it. I have no medical training and yet even I could see the x-rays where wonky. Now your neck or cervical spine, when looked at from the side is supposed to be shaped like a backwards "C" called a Lordotic Curve, which is concave. Mine isn't, it looks straight, but is in fact slightly convex. Which makes my neck have a Kyphonic Curve, which trust me, isn't a good thing. In fact its made my tendon that attaches from C1 or C2 (I forgot exactly) to my skull and the muscles behind my airway calcify!! never mind turning fat to muscle, am turning muscle to bone!!! Then to top that off my neck is at a strange angle, when you look at it from the front it bends off to the right, making my head bend over to the left. So my left side jaw is higher than my right. Again tis is a bad thing and believed to be the root of my 20 years of Migraines as the calcification has been cutting off the blood supply to my brain and causing both the migraine and the random bouts of plegia!!
These aren't my X-Rays, but its similar to mine although a bit too straight!
And now to the Thoracic Spine (middle back), actually not too shabby. Onwards to my Lumbar Spine (lower back), oh you poor Lumbar you. Again your supposed to have a nice gentle curve. What do I have? try a small curve to L1 the BAM! L3 through to L5 are in a nice straight line, making me have a pinched disk (slipped disk) which causes my Sciatica, I was aware of that one though. Then to top things off nicely my Lumbar is also happily glowing bright white on the x-rays showing I have Spinal Arthritis, it is affecting L3, 4 and 5. Oh and the disks here are also showing that they are calcified!!! I have a new super power!! I turn soft tissue into bone!!
And finally onto my pelvis. I have an anterior rotation (my pelvis tilts forwards), which I knew about. This leads to Pelvic Deficiency, which basically means an "apparent" difference in leg-length, not an anatomical difference. I used to joke my right leg was an inch longer than my left, its not and now I know why, thank you P.D!!
And this all lead to the ultimate question...... So can I still play Roller Derby???????
YES I CAN!! just as long as am happy to take the risks, which lets face it, am going to. If I hadn't gone to see him I would still play without the knowledge. At least now if my back starts to play up I know to stop rather than push through it and potentially cause some serious harm. Even if my skating career as a player is cut short, I'll still Ref or NSO. CRoC ain't getting rid of me that easily!!!
Stay Skating, Derby Love
Rhayfen
xxxxxx
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