I'm thankful for my practice today! About 2 years ago I started having excruciating pain performing an extension of the spine and going into flexion. I had an x-ray and was diagnosed with a severe disk degeneration and anterior spondylolithesis in my lumbars (possibly accumulated from dancing ballet professionally for 20 years.) I had to stop performing lumbar extensions in my practice. I was devastated that I wouldn't be able to do spinal extensions... I felt so sad and debilitated as if a part of me was severed! For 6 months I didn't do any back bends- though in walking that's what our lumbars do, I would consciously walk with my pelvis in a posterior tilt every few steps just to ease this compression. Since I absolutely don't believe in not moving, I would still move my spine in all planes of movement but cautiously during small ranges in extension. As I progress my movements in my lumbars through creating length and space - just exactly what I preach and teach, I was able to slowly get more range. I reach out to manual therapy by going through 10 unconventional Structural Integration sessions, a Rolfing 10 Series, a 12 Series of Structural Integration and applying the 5 Big Rules of Motion. I'm so grateful that I can now move my spine better especially from extension to flexion without pain. 3-dimensional long chain movements and manual therapy working with the fascial system works very well together as an avenue for our body to heal itself.
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