Monday Moment - Massaging Your Message

I’m writing to you from a unique position on this bright Monday – sitting on an exercise ball instead of in my usual chair at my usual desk. And there-in lies a bit of a story – and some stuff I learned which I’d like to share with you.

For the past few weeks, I’ve had a nagging issue with my sciatica – a catch in my lower back that is sometimes acutely painful and sometimes merely uncomfortable. I tried to rest – though it wasn’t easy to find a relaxing position. I tried stretching – using some excellent stretches shown by my former massage therapist. I tried swimming, walking, and being active to loosen up this nasty tightness.

All those – and liberal use of ibuprofen – helped some. But the nagging ache continued.

I knew from past experience that massage would help a great deal – but my regular massage therapist has moved out of town and is no longer doing massage. I’ve been going to Karen for several years, and I was out of touch with other massage therapists in my community. What to do, what to do? Mostly my plan was to hope it might just go away on its own – but my hope was not terribly strong.

Then at our monthly writers group meeting, Brenda, whose work doesn’t allow her to join us very often, mentioned that she also is a licensed massage therapist. Hooray! It took a little juggling for the two of us to schedule a session, but you can imagine that my hope level was certainly rising.

And with good reason. In addition to an excellent massage, Brenda gave me several great suggestions for helping my sciatica to heal – and to prevent it from coming back. And that’s what I want to share with you! Even if you’re not troubled by this particular issue – or haven’t been yet – you might find these stretches and ideas useful.

· Sit on an exercise ball. In addition to distributing one’s weight in a way that a chair can’t do, an exercise ball gives your butt a massage as you sit. Brenda tells me that some kids with ADHD can even go off their medications if they are allowed to sit on a ball at school. Interesting! Brenda urged me to find a lower surface for my keyboard and try sitting on a ball while I work. I’m still getting used to that process and I’m not yet sure ball-sitting would work for me every single day. But I can tell you that I haven’t stopped bouncing and swaying all through this message – so apparently I’m massaging while I’m messaging. And so far, it feels pretty good!
· After sitting a long time or while you’re traveling, find a set of stairs. Stand with just one foot on the step and let your other leg and foot just hang – while you hold onto the rail for balance! Sitting shortens a muscle in the groin, Brenda says, and this exercise helps lengthen it again. Let one leg hang for a minute and then turn around and let the other hang.
· Brenda reminded me about using a tennis ball to help relax and stretch one’s feet. Just rolling your foot around on it feels great. A physical therapist once told me that some people with plantar fasciitis find it helpful to freeze a water bottle and roll that under their foot. Apparently not everyone likes that much cold, but it’s been a great thing for me to do.
· Brenda also suggested lying on the floor and putting your feet up on a chair, couch, or whatever you have handy. She says it’s relaxing, and it helps your back realign itself.

As I was leaving – quite relaxed and feeling more limber than I had in days – Brenda gave me a tour of her tiny – and miraculous – garden. I mentioned that my former massage therapist was big into gardening too. Brenda twinkled. “It’s that nurturing thing,” she said.

Which leads me to another tip – from me this time. Find your own nurturing, gardening therapist and make an appointment soon! Not only will it feel great, but just imagine what you might learn!

May you feel nurtured – and bouncy – this week!

Sally