I have always believed in defying limits, especially when it
comes to endurance training. I was christened “Extrajess” by a good friend back
in 2007 after the energy drink Extrajoss because I never seemed to get tired,
and the name kind of stuck.
2012 was probably the most active year of my life. I took on
three full marathons, a 20-miler, a handful of half-marathons, and countless other
races and training runs. I snagged my best 21k and 42k times. I was a BodyPump
addict (squats reached a peak of 27kg), doing cardio workouts six days a
week, and attempting new activities such as hiking. Twenty-four hours in a day weren’t
enough. I was (still am) a
part-time MBA student. Taking restdays from my workouts is torture
for me. Add insomnia to the mix, and getting 6 hours of sleep in a night becomes a rare
luxury.
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| QCIM: My 5th and most recent full marathon...and possibly my last? Photo credit: Photojojo . |
I’ve lived this lifestyle since 2006. I already had
severe back pains twice before, one episode severe enough for me to require
total bedrest, but I always recover. So when the back pains started late
January 2013 after an intense session of dynamic flow yoga, I ignored it. I
worked out the next day, and the day after…and then, after a lunchtime RPM (indoor spinning) class one Wednesday, I realized I could no longer walk without subjecting
my lower back to the most excruciating PAIN I’ve felt, ever. I'd say my tolerance level for pain is pretty decent, but this felt like the worst case of cramps radiating across my lower back and butt.
I rested the entire next day and decided to consult my neurologist Dr. Ester Bitanga about the pain a few days after. She put me on pain medication and muscle relaxants, recommended me to see a rehab medicine specialist,
and made me get an x-ray of my lumbosacral spine. The x-ray indicated the
presence of bony formations called osteophytes, which were interpreted as signs
of “degenerative changes," in my lumbosacral spine (L4-L5 region). I was scared as ever; all sorts of scenarios from slipped disc to being forever banned from exercise to chronic back pain for the rest of my life started popping into my head. More than anything I was scared
that I would now to have to pay the price of my stubbornness and endorphin
addiction.
My back pains did not show any signs of backing down in the next days, so I finally consulted a rehab doctor. The first doctor recommended me to have an electromyography (EMG) of my back done. The EMG consisted of having electrodes with needles placed on my back to measure electrical activity and identify any abnormality. Neeedless to say, the procedure was painful, and results indicated the presence of "radiculopathies," which indicated nerve damage along the L5-S1 region of my spine. The doctor recommended me to undergo rehab therapy. I wasn't scared of the therapy itself, but it would definitely be time-consuming, so I decided to consult my friend Dr. Dave De Castro, a rehab medicine resident, to ask for a second opinion. Doc Dave recommended me to avoid lifting, running, and twisting workouts for the meantime, and be more active with low impact aerobic workouts like swimming.
By this time then pain would come and go. On some days the pain was so severe that merely coughing or sneezing was excruciating, and I would have to stop walking every few meters because I couldn't bear the pain that would radiate across my back and butt. On some days my back felt almost normal, as if I'd just finished an intense back workout.
In February, I ran the half-marathon (21k) at the Condura Skyway event and did a short run at the La Mesa Nature Reserve with my running group Six:30, but I completely stopped running after the two events. I took on radical changes in lifestyle. I started sleeping more, BodyBalance (a fusion of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates) and Gentle Flow Yoga became my favorite workouts, I would swim every one or two weeks, and I always had a couple of Arcoxia tabs handy, although I hoped I would never have to take them.
And then another good friend, my BodyCombat mentor Dr. Dean Torno arrived in Manila for his annual vacation. After meeting up with him, he convinced me to visit his friend Dr. Mark Tiangco for a fourth opinion on my condition, and he made a lot of things clearer. Apparently, I was not suffering from slipped disc, as I previously thought. I actually had Degenerative Disc Disease (or DDD), caused by normal wear and tear of my spinal discs (which was actually not surprising for me given my active lifestyle) and usually triggered by trauma. But the word "degenerative" was a bit misleading; the pain could go away, therapy was not imperative, and the pain could lessen or even go away. However, there was a very high chance of recurrence.
Also, the yoga I'd been taking on lately was actually good for my back provided I keep in mind my limits. Dr. Tiangco also recommended I start taking collagen supplements for my back and prescribed Lyrica, a strong medication for nerve pain, to be taken as needed. The medicine, especially the collagen, helped immensely.
Since the onset of pain in January, my back still aches when I stand or I sit down for too long (usually at work), my ab and oblique workouts are still limited, I wouldn't dare to try lifting weights yet, and the only running mileage I've had since the La Mesa run was during the Safeguard-2xu Half-Marathon last April, where I garnered my worst 21k time of 2:58 after about 19 kilometers of power walking.
On the whole, my back has improved tremendously, but it's possible that this time the motto "pain is temporary" may no longer apply. The five months (and still counting) of pain will always serve as a reminder for me to actually listen to my body, although my back still gets better and better with each week. I know the worst is over, but I can only hope it will stay that way.
My back pains did not show any signs of backing down in the next days, so I finally consulted a rehab doctor. The first doctor recommended me to have an electromyography (EMG) of my back done. The EMG consisted of having electrodes with needles placed on my back to measure electrical activity and identify any abnormality. Neeedless to say, the procedure was painful, and results indicated the presence of "radiculopathies," which indicated nerve damage along the L5-S1 region of my spine. The doctor recommended me to undergo rehab therapy. I wasn't scared of the therapy itself, but it would definitely be time-consuming, so I decided to consult my friend Dr. Dave De Castro, a rehab medicine resident, to ask for a second opinion. Doc Dave recommended me to avoid lifting, running, and twisting workouts for the meantime, and be more active with low impact aerobic workouts like swimming.
By this time then pain would come and go. On some days the pain was so severe that merely coughing or sneezing was excruciating, and I would have to stop walking every few meters because I couldn't bear the pain that would radiate across my back and butt. On some days my back felt almost normal, as if I'd just finished an intense back workout.
In February, I ran the half-marathon (21k) at the Condura Skyway event and did a short run at the La Mesa Nature Reserve with my running group Six:30, but I completely stopped running after the two events. I took on radical changes in lifestyle. I started sleeping more, BodyBalance (a fusion of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates) and Gentle Flow Yoga became my favorite workouts, I would swim every one or two weeks, and I always had a couple of Arcoxia tabs handy, although I hoped I would never have to take them.
And then another good friend, my BodyCombat mentor Dr. Dean Torno arrived in Manila for his annual vacation. After meeting up with him, he convinced me to visit his friend Dr. Mark Tiangco for a fourth opinion on my condition, and he made a lot of things clearer. Apparently, I was not suffering from slipped disc, as I previously thought. I actually had Degenerative Disc Disease (or DDD), caused by normal wear and tear of my spinal discs (which was actually not surprising for me given my active lifestyle) and usually triggered by trauma. But the word "degenerative" was a bit misleading; the pain could go away, therapy was not imperative, and the pain could lessen or even go away. However, there was a very high chance of recurrence.
Also, the yoga I'd been taking on lately was actually good for my back provided I keep in mind my limits. Dr. Tiangco also recommended I start taking collagen supplements for my back and prescribed Lyrica, a strong medication for nerve pain, to be taken as needed. The medicine, especially the collagen, helped immensely.
 |
| Don't let the funny name fool you -- this supplement helped me LOADS. (And by the way, I am not sponsored by this product, I spend good money on to this day.) |
Since the onset of pain in January, my back still aches when I stand or I sit down for too long (usually at work), my ab and oblique workouts are still limited, I wouldn't dare to try lifting weights yet, and the only running mileage I've had since the La Mesa run was during the Safeguard-2xu Half-Marathon last April, where I garnered my worst 21k time of 2:58 after about 19 kilometers of power walking.
On the whole, my back has improved tremendously, but it's possible that this time the motto "pain is temporary" may no longer apply. The five months (and still counting) of pain will always serve as a reminder for me to actually listen to my body, although my back still gets better and better with each week. I know the worst is over, but I can only hope it will stay that way.
