Strengthening is a natural process

I have said to myself that I am now in a strengthening phase.  What does this mean?  Well yes it means i will concentrate on the wim hof method to help get in touch with my inner self.  Hopefully it also means I will start regular yoga sessions as well as my regular swims and walks. And this also includes booking a date for a return to long distance walking.

But they are, together or individually nothing without making full value of my body's natural ability to heal itself.  That's why I went to see a chiropractor.  That's why I am not testing any food and drink  unless I am very confident it will not cause me arthritic problems.

After I had my knees scanned under the MRI the pictures of my knees were very clear and detailed.  I was told I could have knee operations whenever it suited me, "I can arrange an appointment with the surgeon now if you wish, Mr Swarbrick." well thanks, but no thanks.

I have since found out that much of my decrepit body might just heal itself.  With a supportive regime there is just a chance that the cartilage in my knees might improve, as indeed may my gums and teeth.

So that's what I am really working on. Founded in a whole food plant based diet my true goal is to get this body super-healthy.  It is no longer good enough to simply overcome my arthritis but rather prepare my body for the next however many years for a happy and healthy life.

Walking the walk

It was just a walk. It was just a walk. It was just a walk.

It was just a walk around the gardens of Coughton Court near Alcester.  But I did it at normal walking pace.  Another first.  The first time in many months that I was able to walk with no pain, no ache at a decent speed.

That's not to say I walked fast.  But I felt I could have kept going and I did not tire.

It feels like nothing short of a miracle.

Many of my thanks go to my chiropractor, Elaine, whose business card says "Enabling the joy of movement."

Another day today.  I think I'll go for a walk - cheery-bye.

Pain and inflammation - gone

I slept well last night - and no meds.  The night before I found I had to relax my legs into a posture of repose very carefully, whereas last night they settled under the quilt at whatever speed they wanted.

Every day I notice microscopic improvements, for instance today I notice that I can get up from a chair so easily, whereas before it might take me five minutes of rocking myself forward to be able to get to a point where my legs would take the strain.  Bear in mind  I am not talking about a sofa chair, rather a dining chair which should be easy-peasy because it it higher.  This means the ligaments in my legs are working better, that I am more flexible and that I am getting my life back.

The significance of sleeping well is that I now know any pain from my chiropractic manipulating my spine has gone and replaced with health.  Not just that, but improving health.  That is my body is now more able to heal itself.

For the last few weeks I have had persistent inflammation and pain around my wrists which would begin to appear early in the morning before I might arise.  Now that has largely gone.  This means I can now use my wrists to help me get out of chairs.

Does this mean my journey is over?  Not by a long way.

So looking forward to my next Chiropractic session.  In the meantime I think I will get some sunshine & some Vitamin D.

The temperature is going down and my back no longer hurts

I have been very stiff, and despite improving health the stiffness is still there.  So I took the decision to visit a local chiropractic.  Why did I choose Chiropractic instead of other disciplines?  Well I have begun to watch the videos of Dr Bergman, who is a Chiropractic.  His approach is that the body cannot heal itself properly unless the back is right, and conversely if the spine is right then the body is most excellent at healing itself.  Self-healing includes cartilage, synovial fluid, even joints.  Having felt my own body repair itself I know at least some of this is true.

I also know that some twenty years ago whilst in Germany a top specialist did some back manipulation on me, as a necessity, and solved problems that I never knew I had. Whether that was chiropractic skills or whatever I never knew, my German language skills were not that good, and my human biology knowledge was miserable.

Bear in mind that I have never had any identifiable back problems associated with arthritis, except for persistent stiffness, at least in the neck.  This is mostly manifest in a lack of ability to easily look behind me to the right when driving out of junctions.

Well I had my first session and I went away happy, feeling better and with more energy than I have for a long time.  However when I went to bed that night I had the most awful sleeplessness brought on my a total inability to find a comfortable position for my legs.  Time for the meds and a day of rest.