Simonized

You may recall my post on being Torbenated, trying to alleviate a nerve root irritation in my left leg. The five sessions left me, in the end, unhappy; while I always felt fine afterward, I didn't think I was making progress toward real recovery, and wanted to do more to help myself.

A few years back I had an elbow injury—a slightly violent clash with a rushing commuter as I was exiting a train and putting a rucksack on my back—and found myself going to a wonderful physiotherapist called Vicky who used a combination of acupuncture, massage, and exercise to help me fully recover, even while playing tennis. After my disappointing results with osteopathy, I thought to look her up again, only to find that the office she worked out had closed. I called my private health insurance to try to track her down, and they could not tell me where she was practising and only that she was still certified under my insurance plan. Sounding a bit exasperated as I did, the very helpful person on the other end offered to set me up—gratis for multiple sessions—with a physiotherapist through Nuffield Health.

And so I’ve been Simonized. I use the American spelling here because I’m not sure one uses that term at all in Europe; it refers to polishing with wax, as in polishing one’s car. And, I must admit, I am a far happier client. There’s still massage—that hurts, by the way, lest you think this is a pleasurable experience—which the osteopath used, but this time it feels more focused. And there is stretching—which doesn’t hurt, because if it does you’re not doing it right. And there is homework--the helping myself bit I was hoping for! My first two weeks I dutifully did my take-home exercises twice a day, and I must say I noticed a slight difference almost immediately. I still had occasional flashes of pain when I stepped down with my left foot, but the pain was less shocking and occurred less often. Having returned for a second session and giving Simon my update, I was issued more difficult and even more localised stretches, and once again I will dutifully carry these out in hope of further alleviating the pain.

I came to a realisation in chatting with Simon about my injury and other such diverse topics as philosophy (he’s a Buddhist) and cultural differences (he’s Australian), and he confirmed my suspicion: this treatment is not temporary;  it is part of a lifelong journey of keeping healthy, as Simon says, to optimise the quality of my life. There is no quick fix for what ails me; I will have to stay fit, keep on exercising, and yes, perhaps continue some stretching. I accept that, and honestly find that far more palatable than taking drugs—even Paracetamol or aspirin—which may mask the pain but not get to the root cause of the problem, ever. I like Simon because he is asking lots of questions to help provide me with guidance on how I can easily integrate wellness into my every day life without having to do things that I likely wouldn't enjoy, like core exercises or weight lifting, planning my longer-term path toward a healthy body. 

Are we a quick-fix culture? Sometimes I think we’re inclined to be less interested in treatment that requires even minimal effort, and then there are only a few who benefit from that—mostly large drug companies. I’d like to think that I’ll always fall on the other end of the spectrum—that I’ll be patient in treatment, and accept that steady progress and life-long vigilance will keep me enjoying  long walks along the seaside and relatively pain free. No matter how often I take that stroll along the Parade toward Gurnard, I always enjoy it—the scene is never quite the same, what with the boats and the wind and the tide and the colours of the sky from the sun, all painting a different picture each time I set off, making me smile, often softly, and always with a nod of gratitude for the chance to experience it.