Getting Started: A pain in the neck
Melissa Spangler’s Journal
Recovering from an injury
Kayaking at Deception Pass for a Tidal Pools class toward the end of November was the last opportunity I had to get into a kayak and paddle throughout the day. Despite having the time of my life during the class, I should have listened to the warning signs and postponed attending. Prior to the class my body was signaling for me to slow down and rest but I didn’t heed its warning signs.
Throughout my journey over the past year I have learned many lessons about kayaking, kayak camping, rolling, kayak surfing, wet exits, paddling in open water, turning strokes, balance, core workouts, proper gear and attire. I have met some of the most amazing and dedicated people who have grown to be friends for life. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to squeeze in a multitude of breathtaking experiences and to create an extended network of kayak family throughout 2010. Throughout my intense paddling while participating in the Puget Sound Challenge totaling 150 nautical miles, I also participated in many training courses, rolling classes, practice sessions and kayak overnight trips. The mileage I paddled astounded me, totaling over 200 nautical miles in one year as a beginner. Amidst the thrill and excitement of engaging in this incredible new sport, I failed to learn a most important lesson: Getting the proper rest and relaxation is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Learning how to rest and relax is incredibly important because if you don’t then you may not be able to continue participating in any of the physical activities you love. I had immersed myself completely in kayaking, dedicated to improving my kayak skills throughout 2010. I was paddling extended mileage almost every weekend, participating in a mid-week paddle and practice session along with practicing rolling every chance I was on the water. I also took up golf during the same timeframe and faithfully practiced every week from November 2009 until October 2010, and when my shoulder began to bother me I had to refrain from swinging a club. Hiking and backpacking were interspersed on open weekends, leaving little to no time for my body to rest and begin to recover from the strenuous activities.
While practicing rolling around mid-summer, I jarred my shoulder a few times by digging the paddle into the lake bottom instead of sweeping along the surface. What seemed like a minor injury at the time, starting with an achy shoulder, developed into an agitation that increased and never dissipated. With repetitive motions of paddling, rolling, swinging a golf club and carrying a heavy hiking pack, the ache graduated to tenderness in my shoulder blades, escalating to sharp pain accompanied by tingling fingertips and arm numbness. One morning I woke to severe neck pain and found that I couldn’t turn my head without wincing. With the increase in pain, I began to take ibuprofen. A stabbing pain in my neck and shoulders was plaguing my mornings, afternoons and evenings. I couldn’t sleep through the night any longer because each time I turned, I screamed in agony, waking throughout the night. I began to take the ibuprofen every four hours and iced my neck every night before bed and many times wrapped the flexible pack around my neck then secured it with my scarf to ease the pain at work during the morning. The pain continued to increase rather than subside, even after I had backed off of almost every activity. The pain was so intense at times that I cried myself to sleep. I was hindered from participating in my daily activities and driving became unsafe since I couldn’t turn my head completely to check for oncoming vehicles when changing lanes. I began canceling outings with friends, kayak events, golfing, etc. I had to alter everything from drying my wet hair to resisting the use of nodding gestures when in conversation. I had never experienced such non-stop, excruciating pain in my life.
Two days before the tidal pools class, I made a doctor’s appointment to find out what was going on and to seek pain relief. The doctor claimed that there were some vertebrae out of alignment and proceeded to conduct an alignment adjustment. It was one of the scariest loud cracking noises, but immediate relief flooded over me. I couldn’t believe it! I have always been taught that when something appears too good to be true, it usually is, but it gave me enough hope that I pushed forward and attended the class at Deception Pass. This irritated the area and I started feeling the same if not worse symptoms and made additional doctor appointments. I visited numerous doctors before getting down to the core of the issue. During this time I received X-rays, batteries of tests, an MRI, therapeutic massage, a multitude of chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy. It turned out to be a few misaligned vertebrae, severely inflamed tissue and an irritated nerve which started to cause other issues with the continual repetitive motions.
It has been a long couple of months and with two months of mandated rest and weekly physical therapy sessions, here I am at the end of January and I have just made it to the point where my PT appointments have transitioned from healing and recovery to conditioning and strength training geared toward getting back into a kayak. The past two months have altered my life forever. As someone who has lived life in 5th gear and thought my body was tough and durable, I have learned the importance of slowing down and taking rest and relaxation seriously. I am learning to incorporate balance into my daily plan so I may maintain my quality of life. The injury was a minor set-back in the big scheme of things, however it could have easily ended up with serious consequences such as permanent nerve damage, loss of feeling in limbs or constant pain as my orthopedic doctor warned if I didn’t slow down and take care of my body. I have learned that when participating in a new sport, it is critical to learn proper form from the beginning so that you practice the correct motions to minimize the wear and tear on your body. It was also highly recommended by my physical therapist/miracle worker to condition prior to engaging in any new activity. Knowing it is one thing, but actually doing it can be difficult. No one ever said you have to learn everything in a day, or a year in my case. It is not a race to a finish line but a new lesson that we learn each and every day.
I found some quotations that were a good fit for my circumstances:
” The time to relax most is when you don’t have time for it.” Sydney J. Harris
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” Chinese Proverb
I love sea kayaking and have developed an amazing passion for the activity. I can’t wait for the day I get back into a kayak and paddle across Puget Sound. It may be a slow yet worthwhile process.
Notes from Christopher Cunningham, Sea Kayaker editor
Melissa had been considering the Deception Pass Dash until the eve of the event. She thought she’d at least start the race and see how things felt. Ultimately she made the right choice and stayed home. It makes sense to leave shore when you know your capabilities are a good match for the conditions. Paddling out to see how things will go isn’t a good idea. If you have doubts and uncertainties—whether they’re about your physical capacity or about the conditions you might face— pay attention to them. They’re important tools to use in your decision-making.
By foregoing the Dash Melissa assured that she’d not aggravate her injury. She also avoided having the doubts she had about her ability confirmed by the unforgiving currents in Deception Pass.
9 Comments to “Getting Started: A pain in the neck”
I just passed my sixty-fourth birthday and my body is begining to tell me that my trips have to be a bit less strenuous than in the past. Still there is nothing as fun as paddling along a shore you haven’t seen before or waking up in the morning and sipping your cofee while gazing out over a misty bay. So in deference to my aging joints, I’ve eased off from seeing how much I could push myself to just enjoying my time on the water. What I am trying to say is take care of your body so you can continue to paddle in retirement. Pain is your body’s way of telling you to ease up.
Melissa,
After all your rehab is done and you are ready to return to paddling–it is now time to go exclusively with the Greenland Blade.
Wishing a speedy recovery.
Reaching for a peak activity often causes injury for reasons more various than ‘overdoing it.’ Only way around this is moving from a very steady state into a new level. Not a higher level of expertise or strength activity, only a new level.
My ‘last’ injury cured in 3 years-right shoulder tendonitis inflicted in 15 minutes jogging with a wrist weight. I had worked the same routine for 3 months without the extra 2 pounds. ?!
While your crippled, read stretching books and EXRX.com.
Melissa this is the most valuable blog of the series.
There are so many people in adventure sports that belittle dialing it down, or rely on annual shots of cortisone to keep going. They take or inject things that only mask the pain instead of treating it, all the while doing more damage.
Yes it is their body, their choice, but they are not listening to it and make choices accordingly. Also, it sets up a culture of body abuse that some naive novices convince themselves they should emulate.
I hope you make a full recovery – and paddle with whatever paddle you want! It’s all in good technique & you will no doubt go on to excel there. The very best to you grrllll
Please use your wonderful energy to find someone who does bodywork. There are many techniques for repairing bodies.
Melissa:
Good on you for learning the lesson of rest before rest had to become retirement. For over 30 years I engaged in “hard core” otdoor activities. During this time my mantras were “when the going gets tough the tough get going” and ” ever higher.” Pain was a “character builder.” Until my aging body said enough and landed me in a surgical theater with three herinated discs and that familiar numbness in my fingers and intense pain along my shoulders. Now, five months later the jury is still out on my ability to get back into sea kayaking. What I have learned (or rather REALLY learned this time) is that rest is THE biggest contributor to increasing fitness. It is during the down times that our bodies rebuild and get stronger.
May you paddle and rest forever.
Thanks for your clearly written description of your difficult year. It speaks eloquently of the tension all would-be athletes feel, the tension between training (over training?) and health. I have just turned 63. It’s clear that my best performances–as measured by times and distances–are behind me. Realizing this, however, has permitted me to experience a kind of liberation. The point now, obviously, is health, and the goal is to manage my training in such a way that I am able to continue to train, to experience that pleasure, and avoid injury/breakdowns. An obvious help is crosstraining. Because I enjoy running, swimming, cycling, and paddling, it’s easy for me to move between all these activities, and thus avoid the overuse injuries that accompany too narrow a focus on any single pursuit. Relaxed movement between various activities is a well-known antidote to injury, and maybe it becomes easier and more natural as we get older–and less driven to “personal bests.”
Melissa,
I was your wkc roll instructor in the pool last fall. I have had similar challenges with both my neck and back due to a rear end collision back in 2003. Kayaking has helped my back by keeping it strong and loose. The trick has been to listen to my body and not to overdue it. Make your stregnth and distance gains gradually. Learning to roll was very hard on my back and was usually followed by an imediate trip to the gym to stretch.
Two things that I highly reccomend are a supplement called Healthy Joint Image (google it and read about it). Before I started taking it I had to ice my neck and had limited range of motion. Also Feldenchrist can also teach you movements to help with pain. I have learned to give myself chiropractic adjustments. Good luck and hope to see you on the water.
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