My back

I've mentioned a couple times out here that I have back issues.  I have scoliosis, curve of the spine.  My curve is in the lower portion of my back and because of that, it makes everything just a little off.  My left shoulder droops down a little bit and my hips are slightly uneven.  These things are not really noticeable; they just bother me because I know they’re there. My curve was bad enough that I needed to wear a back brace for several years as a kid to prevent it from getting to the point where surgery would be needed.

 I don’t have any limitations because of my back; I’m just not very flexible and have to be careful in how I move.  Every day; however, it does ache, especially first thing in the morning, and I’m prone to pinched nerves and sciatica because of the curve. Physical activity is both good and bad.  It’s good because it helps strengthen my core and make my back stronger, but too much stresses it out. With never really being much of a runner before, I've been worried about how my back would hold up to the impact.  Starting out slow and gradually increasing mileage has helped, but my back can definitely tell there’s more going on.  I've been a lot sorer lately.  Ice, Advil and visits to my chiropractor have helped.  I’m also adding in some Pilates moves as I’m stretching my legs after each run.   I hope I’m being smart and proactive enough to keep my back happy and not cause major pain.  We shall see once the mileage really begins to ramp up.

One of my friends said this to me last week: “Did the Kristin with the back brace ever think she’d be running like this later in life?”  No.  No she didn't. :)