A Herniated Disk Doesn’t Just Happen all at Once

Jeremiah 10:19 – Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.”

A herniated disk doesn’t just happen all at once. It builds as you move your body incorrectly and by overuse. Here are some tips to prevent injury from ehstoday.com in their article, “Orthopedic Surgeons Offer Tips to Reduce Workplace Injuries,” and those I’ve experienced myself:
 

1. When placing an object on a high shelf, move close to the shelf. Don’t stand far away and extend your arms with the object in your hands. When I overstretch incorrectly my neck and arm muscles feel like they’re tearing.
2. Lift with your leg muscles – Never lift an object by keeping your legs stiff while bending over it. This can put unnecessary weight on your back and legs. My legs become weak and sometimes I lose my balance because of it.
3. Position the person or object close to your body before lifting. Bend your knees and tighten stomach muscles. With time, my stomach muscles developed and as a bonus I lost belly fat.
4. Plan ahead what you want to do and don’t be in a hurry. It seems like I’m always in a hurry to get things done and end up hurting myself which causes me to be unable to complete the task at hand.
5. Avoid twisting your body, instead, point your toes in the direction you want to move and pivot in that direction. This is a difficult move for me, but with practice I was able to learn to pivot.
6. Don’t try to lift by yourself something that is too heavy or an awkward shape. That’s me again. I hate to ask for help because I’m afraid that the person I ask will turn me down. It doesn’t hurt to ask. If one person says “no” find another person to ask.
7. And last – Get help both from another person who can help you move an object and from God, who will give you the wisdom and discernment on how to complete a task without getting hurt. God has stopped me many times from making a mess with my body. His wisdom becomes like second nature when I go to him for wisdom.

 
My overuse of my cervical spine and muscles resulted in herniating a disk and surgery to correct the problem. It was a difficult surgery. I remind myself that when I’m about to make a mistake, to stop and think it through first. One small move can affect you the rest of your life like it did for me.
 
Then you can feel like the Bible verse above. Great sorrow for injuring myself and finding even with surgery there is no guarantee that you will have to live with it the rest of your life. You will have to endure it.
 
Yet, I believe there are times when an injury or sickness can be reversed. I found it in myself when my heart had A-Fib. I thought I was going to have to endure it because of failed procedures I’d had done with no relief. Then I prayed and went to another doctor a couple of hours away, and when he did the procedure, it worked! My A-Fib was cured!

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