The Road to Recovery Part 1
Healing Process Week 1-2
Ok, it’s only a broken wrist but it has changed my plans for the rest of 2018!
Instead of campaigning for winter regional qualifications, the horses have been turned out and roughed off. Thankfully the weather was very kind to us during the weeks of my recovery, allowing them to enjoy 24/7 in the field.
I am very grateful to the hospital, it only took 6 hours from registering at A&E for them to X-ray, examine, straighten and stabilise my wrist with wires, under general anaesthetic. This started the healing process right away and meant I was able to continue teaching the following day.
During the first week, my wrist felt very unstable, so I kept the arm elevated in a sling. The whole of my right arm seemed limp and lifeless, all the muscles in my arm seem to have waisted away, it felt like I was carrying a tea pot on the end of my arm! Normally I have loads of stamina, however I guess healing of the wrist was intense, so I allowed myself time to chill and sit for a hour or so during the day, which is most unusual for me!
Writing with my left hand was hilarious, it was like going back to school, being dyslexic I really had to focus, which was a little tricky when I had to sign one of my students BHS log books, for her to take an exam. The writing would have looked poor in the preschool class at the local primary school!
Despite being unable to ride, It is important to me to continue to keep fit. I am going to share with you some of the exercises that have helped me during this time.
Please understand that these exercises worked for me, we are all individuals and whenever you are exercising you should listen to your body and always know your limits to stay safe and continue to improve.
Throughout the whole process, I always stayed comfortable and would stop and rest if I was tiring. If I felt any sharp pain in the wrist, hand or arm, I would stop immediately and avoid or adapt the exercise accordingly.
Asymmetry
The first few weeks I would enjoy a daily walk with the dog, for up to 5 miles with hills to help my aerobic fitness. The lovely dry sunny weather meant no soggy plastercast!
Whilst walking I would check in on how my feet were landing on each step, I would ask myself the following questions to check my balance and asymmetry;
* Is the weight balanced or is there more weight on the inside or outside on my foot as they land and rollover?
* Does the weight feel even with each step that I take or am I landing heavier on one foot than the other...If so how could I make each step more equal.
* I noticed my core muscles....was I engaging them as much as I would when riding?
* Were both sides of torso equal in tone or was one side stronger?
This takes a lot of focus when you have a weighty plaster of Paris cast on your arm and no power in your right arm. I tried hard but my perception was all I had to get it as right as possible, however I hoped that with regular focus it would become more level again. Asymmetry is always challenged after an injury but by keeping focused on body awareness, you hope side/side balance will improve faster, however asymmetry is a continuous process for all of us at all times. As the wrist stabilises more I will head to the chiropractor for some more help to balance my whole body.
Prints in the sand
Even whilst lying down resting on my back, I would check in on my awareness of my asymmetry, noticing how my body was being supported by the ground, then imagining I was lying on soft sand and seeing the print that my body left in the sand noticing where it would be deeper and where the print would be light.
Core strength
Even in the early days, when my arm was feeling delicate, I was able to work on a few core strengthening exercises including sitting on my gym ball when sitting at the kitchen table.
Bowl of water
Whilst lying on my back, with my knees bent and feet on the floor at hip width, I imagined that I had a bowl of water sitting on my lower belly.
I had to rock the water gently up towards my head, the down towards my feet. Then from one side of the bowl to the other.
Finally I thought of rolling the water around the bowl, first clockwise and the anti clockwise.
Leg lift
Another exercise, whilst lying on my back, involved lifting one foot slowly off the ground and holding it a few centimetres off the ground for 5 to 10 seconds and breathing! Repeating this with the other leg, then after a small rest, duplicating the exercise another once or twice, depending on how I felt. I would notice and compare both sides observing the power in the core muscles of the torso.
Imagery
While sitting on my Stability ball or a chair, I use visualisation to help increase my core strength, imaging I am sitting on a horse and connecting to the horse in an energetic way both via my seat bones and my core whilst keeping a good neutral alignment and posture.
By week 2 I had ditched the sling as it was pulling my shoulders forward and causing my neck to ache. It was good to straighten my elbow, although quite hard initially as it was very set in a bent position.
The next two weeks bring more stability to the arm as it continues to heal, in my next blog I will share some more ideas that helped me on the road to recovery.
Ok, it’s only a broken wrist but it has changed my plans for the rest of 2018!
Instead of campaigning for winter regional qualifications, the horses have been turned out and roughed off. Thankfully the weather was very kind to us during the weeks of my recovery, allowing them to enjoy 24/7 in the field.
I am very grateful to the hospital, it only took 6 hours from registering at A&E for them to X-ray, examine, straighten and stabilise my wrist with wires, under general anaesthetic. This started the healing process right away and meant I was able to continue teaching the following day.
During the first week, my wrist felt very unstable, so I kept the arm elevated in a sling. The whole of my right arm seemed limp and lifeless, all the muscles in my arm seem to have waisted away, it felt like I was carrying a tea pot on the end of my arm! Normally I have loads of stamina, however I guess healing of the wrist was intense, so I allowed myself time to chill and sit for a hour or so during the day, which is most unusual for me!
Writing with my left hand was hilarious, it was like going back to school, being dyslexic I really had to focus, which was a little tricky when I had to sign one of my students BHS log books, for her to take an exam. The writing would have looked poor in the preschool class at the local primary school!
Despite being unable to ride, It is important to me to continue to keep fit. I am going to share with you some of the exercises that have helped me during this time.
Please understand that these exercises worked for me, we are all individuals and whenever you are exercising you should listen to your body and always know your limits to stay safe and continue to improve.
Throughout the whole process, I always stayed comfortable and would stop and rest if I was tiring. If I felt any sharp pain in the wrist, hand or arm, I would stop immediately and avoid or adapt the exercise accordingly.
Asymmetry
The first few weeks I would enjoy a daily walk with the dog, for up to 5 miles with hills to help my aerobic fitness. The lovely dry sunny weather meant no soggy plastercast!
Whilst walking I would check in on how my feet were landing on each step, I would ask myself the following questions to check my balance and asymmetry;
* Is the weight balanced or is there more weight on the inside or outside on my foot as they land and rollover?
* Does the weight feel even with each step that I take or am I landing heavier on one foot than the other...If so how could I make each step more equal.
* I noticed my core muscles....was I engaging them as much as I would when riding?
* Were both sides of torso equal in tone or was one side stronger?
This takes a lot of focus when you have a weighty plaster of Paris cast on your arm and no power in your right arm. I tried hard but my perception was all I had to get it as right as possible, however I hoped that with regular focus it would become more level again. Asymmetry is always challenged after an injury but by keeping focused on body awareness, you hope side/side balance will improve faster, however asymmetry is a continuous process for all of us at all times. As the wrist stabilises more I will head to the chiropractor for some more help to balance my whole body.
Prints in the sand
Even whilst lying down resting on my back, I would check in on my awareness of my asymmetry, noticing how my body was being supported by the ground, then imagining I was lying on soft sand and seeing the print that my body left in the sand noticing where it would be deeper and where the print would be light.
Core strength
Even in the early days, when my arm was feeling delicate, I was able to work on a few core strengthening exercises including sitting on my gym ball when sitting at the kitchen table.
Bowl of water
Whilst lying on my back, with my knees bent and feet on the floor at hip width, I imagined that I had a bowl of water sitting on my lower belly.
I had to rock the water gently up towards my head, the down towards my feet. Then from one side of the bowl to the other.
Finally I thought of rolling the water around the bowl, first clockwise and the anti clockwise.
Leg lift
Another exercise, whilst lying on my back, involved lifting one foot slowly off the ground and holding it a few centimetres off the ground for 5 to 10 seconds and breathing! Repeating this with the other leg, then after a small rest, duplicating the exercise another once or twice, depending on how I felt. I would notice and compare both sides observing the power in the core muscles of the torso.
Imagery
While sitting on my Stability ball or a chair, I use visualisation to help increase my core strength, imaging I am sitting on a horse and connecting to the horse in an energetic way both via my seat bones and my core whilst keeping a good neutral alignment and posture.
By week 2 I had ditched the sling as it was pulling my shoulders forward and causing my neck to ache. It was good to straighten my elbow, although quite hard initially as it was very set in a bent position.
The next two weeks bring more stability to the arm as it continues to heal, in my next blog I will share some more ideas that helped me on the road to recovery.