Now that we have identified major hip & back injuries, a rehabilitation & training plan is needed. This article extends what was discussed previously in “Undiagnosed Hip Injuries & Stubborn Fat Loss.” [1]
The first major issue in recovery is dealing with the psychological pain. The injury victim is now realizing the full extent of their injury, which is equivalent to a gunshot wound to the groin that nicks the back. It is useful to think of ‘expelling the bullet’ during the pain-releasing process, because that is what it feels like. There are likely many fragments, as the groin & lower back have been wiped out, and superficial muscle sheaths have been herniated. The cause of the injury may have been a malicious teacher/coach, ignorant/uncaring parents, or a friend’s betrayal. Anger, blame and acceptance are issues that need to be addressed during recovery. This is very much part of the mental aspect.
Pain is stored energy, and the proper method is to release it and immediately put it to good use. Tai chi & yoga principles are used in rehabilitation of hip & back injuries. This means creating energy with minimal circular movements, then flowing it through the body to release pent-up pain. This will create ‘popping’ sensations all along the nerve/muscle chain, activating atrophied muscle– all down the line. It will ‘pop’ at the downstream insertion and often flow to the next insertion point. This quickly activates long-line muscle tissue, which will stabilize & strengthen the injury victim.
It is wise to apply engineering principles to musculo-skeletal development, by creating triangles of muscle bands. Triangles are strong and allow a framework to ‘fill-in,’ as a road worker fills in a pothole with asphalt. Once a band of muscle has been lashed together triangularly, that area can now be flexed. Muscle groups can quickly be rebuilt in this manner, with maximum efficiency and minimal pain.
A couch or love seat can be useful, as the injury victim’s back will need soft support. Gently throw the hips onto the arm with the legs extended over. Work the injured side primarily, while releasing to the contralateral hip. The idea is to control the femur, hip and back in positions of flexion & extension. Work around the deepest source of pain to strengthen surrounding muscle. This bracing support is needed to go after deeper injuries. A beanbag on the floor is a great tool for this.
Do this rehabilitation at climate. That means no A/C or heat. Make your body one with nature, and it will be better. Use ice locally to cool overheated spots, and COLD showers for rapid body cooling. A fan is helpful for cooling during the workout. Fat-burning requires water, so hydrate often. If you have 12 pounds (typical) of stubborn fat to lose, you will add ~4 pounds of muscle, for a net weight-loss of ~8 pounds. That difference in muscle-to-fat ratio, is all the difference in the world.
Since all movements inferior to the head start with the hip & back, the flash-release of the stored energy (chi) will reveal other injuries downstream into all the extremities. The injury victim will soon realize that most of these injuries were caused by the original hip/back injury. A breakdown of the central hub, causes later breakdowns all along the human kinetic chain.
How do you know when you’re completely recovered? When the last of the pent-up energy transfers directly from the injured hip, into the opposing hip. Now the hips are re-connected, and the injury victim can work towards a one-armed push-up & Russian pistol on each side, cleanly & repetitively. That will prove total body fitness and protect against future injury. These exercises were reviewed in an earlier piece titled “You Must Be Physically Strong.” [2]
A clue as to when the injury victim is nearing completion is when he/she can identify the true injury line from hip to back, to contralateral shoulder. Since this is a spinal injury, there is a measure of paralysis in the back, meaning the contralateral vertebral spine is compromised. Some contralateral hip and trapezoid neural connections are short-circuited, leading to atrophy. How much depends on the origin & severity of the injury, but it always has some negative effect.
The hip needs to be mostly healed before the back can be aggressively rehabilitated. Protecting the back (which carries the spinal cord) is always primary to the human condition. Once the injured vertebrae are released (with fresh muscle support), the hip-back-shoulder injury line can be established. The hip-back-shoulder line is the true axis of this injury. It is around this line that the injury can be quickly & safely rehabilitated.
Energy can be safely flowed circularly around this axis, without risk of aggravating the deep injury. The energy that transfers directly through the injury line must still be controlled. This hip/back injury cut its victim in half. If they don’t rehabilitate, they will never be able to transfer energy from their legs & glutes, up through their torso, to their chest & arms for maximum torque & power. The untreated injury victim will always have to ‘leak out’ most of the energy, to avoid sharp pain in their hips & back. If asked to perform under this stress, in a life-or-death situation, they would certainly fail.
One way to train transferring energy from legs to arms is standing under an open door frame, pushing up with the hands and down (through the floor) with the feet. The areas that don’t allow transfer due to ‘leakage’ are the injury points. Work around them, to get to them. Expel all the bullets.
A few health benefits were discussed in the initial piece, so a few others of interest (to most) will be cited. Improved skin tone and health is a given here. More restful sleep and feeling much better about oneself are huge psychological benefits. As mentioned above, there are many types of pain involved here, so dealing with this will make one stronger in character as well. Whatever happened to originally cripple the injury victim may have be cruel & unfair, but that doesn’t allow it to become an excuse for not facing it and recovering. If one does have the strength & fortitude for this, he/she will have to put themselves through self-torture, in order to come out better than ever.
…..><><><…..
