last Clinic day - the Reckoning (this time it's personal!)

All during the last day of the Scoliosis SO clinic individuals were called out for their one-to-one assessment meetings and final document completions.  I was scheduled to be the penultimate and I tried very hard not to get too nervous (it felt like exam results day!). During our lunch break (at the Minories pub - pre-ordered - what a good diea) I was eager to hear from those who had had their meetings and heard of rising several centimetres, losing a pound or two and, most importanty, seeing a noticable change to their physical profile.

Games, contests, round robin exercises, filling in our booklets, finally it was my turn and I was shown my statistics.

To be honest I was a bit disheartened.  I had worked extremely hard, didn't waste time getting ready, completely extra sets while waiting, always one of the last to finish before breaks.  Without intending to I think I had expected a greater change or had just hoped for it perhaps.  To me it looked like my after photo was my before photo!

the before is on the left.

 

The physiotherapist took great pains to tell me otherwise, pointing out that my back profile was flatter (primarily due to holding my shoulders back instead of rounding them forward, I think), there is now a tiny indented waist on my left side (primarily due to shifting my hips left) and secondary indents on my right side have lessened (primarily due to shifting my ribcage up and to the right).  In my head, all the gains I made were due to better posture, and not any change stucturally.  But lumbar curves (I was told) take longer to change, (especially after they have been in situ for awhile, I think!) and given that it takes 6 weeks to get a muscle 'activated', the work done in 4 weeks is good stuff. But all I kept thinking was that the gains I had made were due to better posture only.

The other diagrams and stats indicated some but little change, although all the changes were for the better so that was a relief.  I was booked for my follow-up appointment, given my menu of exercises, and that was that.


Scoliometer scans - the after one (right) shows a lower profile (a good thing)

my back's "mountainous" regions are closer to being "hills"

the only one that didn't get better was my weight!

the middle blue (side on profile) image is the one of interest I was told -
it shuld be a bit like an "S" - a kyphosis curve to the right at the top
and a lordosis curve going the other way at the bottom -
my after image on the right shows a positive shift

I was very thankful that I had been scheduled at the end of the day so that I could avoid going back up to the class and take a little time to settle my mind before they all trooped down.  I got trapped with an enquiry by one of the loveliest ladies in the group, who responded to my lacklustre response by saying that I had such a strong core compared to all the others that my gains could never expect to be as big as everyone else's!  In the end we all got dressed, hugged those that had to catch trains and planes, and went to the pub for a drink with everyone else, slowing peeling off with hugs all round as our time to leave came.

As I walked back to the station I reflected that the clinic itself may be over, but it's clear that the work has really only just started. I have 3 months of travelling ahead of me before I get home - how the heck am I going to do 30 minutes of work every day on the road?  Adapting my surroundings to fit?  Am I really going to be hanging off doors or lying on a bed kneeing the mattress as hard as I can? I think I see some rather amusing blogposts ahead.  (you are either promised, warned or threatened depending on how you see it!)