Wanna skate!!!!

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm so cross being stuck at home with a bad back. It's feeling a lot better this afternoon, and I'd like nothing more than to go down to the rink and skate, to try to "skate out" the stiffness. Okay, I'm so not going to - it would be crazy - but oh, how I want to! :cry: :cry:

How do other people handle it when they really want to skate and can't? Apart from coming on this forum, of course?

[Melzorina]

I go through this every day except saturdays. The feeling of wanting to skate, very badly, and get extremely excited on Fridays (Like now). If it's internet-wise, I tend to find myself downloading skating videos, and looking at apparel and accessories.

This will make me sounds very sad and retarded but I sometimes put my skates on and walk round my bedroom practising spirals and the sit spin position. (I'm getting there!) (And I don't advise it if you have a bad back). :oops: I'm quite sane, really. Honest I am. Stop staring at me...

[NickiT]

You have my sympathies Annabel. I've been there. First with my broken ankle - that was the worst because at the time I didn't even know whether I'd be able to skate again or not so I was desperate to get out there and prove that I could. Then I had two nasty falls last year. I broke a rib and tore some intercostal muscles in the spring and was off the ice for three weeks, and then had a hairline fracture to my elbow and hurt my ankle in November, meaning another three weeks off.

It's so hard and very frustrating but unfortunately there's nothing that you can do but sit tight and try and reason with yourself that you are doing the right thing by not skating. At the end of the day there's no point going back too soon if you're hurt. It's not worth re-injuring an already injured body.

Anyway I hope your back feels a whole lot better very soon and that you are back there on the ice in no time at all!

Nicki

[froggy]

I hope you feel better real quick! When I can't skate I skate in my mind---I imagine myself skating and doing all my moves in my head and I also try to concentrate on what muscles I'm working on. When I do this imagery I imagine both me as a spectator looking at myself skating and then in first person as well. I think of it as great off ice practice!!

I'm really normal!!! :o)

happy off ice skating!

[Petlover]

Hi Annabel, I really feel for you with the back pain - I've been there many times, and it gets so bad you want to scream!

Just something you might want to try - when my back is really hurting and sore, my husband gives me a vitamin/mineral called MSM (1,000 to 2,000 milligrams) and it seems to really help ease the soreness. It can upset your stomach, so if you try it, take it with food. Nutrition and vitamins is my husband's hobby, so I've learned to listen to him.

Also, if you have access to an inversion table, it does help stretch out the muscles in the back which keeps them from spasming so much.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better quickly!

Marcia

[dbny]

Aw, I hope you feel better and get back on the ice soon. When I was sidelined with my broken wrist, I did Nordic Track almost every day to keep my legs strong and to keep the weight coming off. I fed my skating addiction with videos and books. Of course, I was also driving daughter to the rink at that time, so I got to watch others skate; although I don't think that was much help :roll: .

[Mrs Redboots]

Thanks, everybody. I think things are improving slowly... I was able to do a few strength exercises last night with no undue pain, and stretched out over my balance pad (as I don't have an inversion table or one of those "racks"). Might try swimming for a bit, even though it doesn't really "go" with skating. It is worse in the early mornings, so I'm not sure whether I'll be able to skate in the morning, or whether the husband will have to have our lessons all by himself! It may be okay.... I think I might buy one of those 3-position shower heads so that I can massage it in the shower in the mornings, that might help. I certainly feel a lot better in myself than I did on Thursday, when I felt really rotten.

[Michigansk8er]

Annabel,

Hope things are improving. I know the feeling............believe me!

When I initially injured my back, I actually could "skate it out"......once I could move, that is. Once you are able, start working those abs and lower back muscles.

Leslie

[samba]

Oh Annabel do take care!! dont rush things and you will be fine, meantime start designing some new outfits and listen to some potential skating music, you could also try on some old costumes if you can manage the do that much, that will cheer you up when you see how they just hang off you!!

Mel if you're sad then that makes two of us!!

Cheers
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

Annabel,

Hope things are improving. I know the feeling............believe me! Yeah, I know you do - I don't quite know why I'm fussing, when I think what you have been through!

When I initially injured my back, I actually could "skate it out"......once I could move, that is. Once you are able, start working those abs and lower back muscles. I can sometimes "skate it out", but haven't been able to this time. Simply couldn't get going at all on Wednesday, and finally gave up and came off the ice - and have hardly been able to move since! Went for quite a long walk today, and sat on a tennis ball (you put one under one buttock - I did mine on the sore side, and it hurt like anything at first, but then felt much easier) for a bit. And have been doing some stretches and Pilates-type exercises (have to be careful of those, as they make me car-sick, of all things!), and some of my normal off-ice workout, just omitting a couple of exercises that stress my back. So hope things will improve.... maybe go for a swim sometime, too, to stretch it out a bit. I know one shouldn't swim and skate, but the occasional swim does no harm.... I hope....

[samba]

I know one shouldn't swim and skate, but the occasional swim does no harm.... I hope....
What's this about swimming and skating? I cant say I have heard anything about that.

[Chico]

Add me to the list, I'm sorry too. When I can't skate I count the days, hours and minutes. And, I've been known to whine to my skating buddies. Helps a little. =-) Think about your goals and how you can achieve them. Meet with your skating peers for coffee and talk about skating. Try walking to ease those aches and pains and get you back on the ice sooner.

Chico

Hope you heal soon!

[Mrs Redboots]

What's this about swimming and skating? I cant say I have heard anything about that."They" say it uses all the wrong muscles. My coach says that very definitely, if you do both, always skate first and then swim, never the other way round. But serious swimming is not recommended for skaters - a few lengths to stretch out and tone up is one thing, 40 lengths non-stop is quite another!

[samba]

Thanks Annabel, just curious, as I swim like a brick there's not much chance of me overdoing it but I do like to take the grandaughter occassionally.

Hope you're feeling much better

Cheers
Grace

[slusher]

I'm on the disabled list too. I've bruised my hip and it is numb. So, no skating for a week at least. I also bruised my wrist the week before so maybe this is a message to take a break.

fyi, it's that darned loop jump. I seem to like to launch myself horizontally.

[daisies]

I understand, Annabel. I hurt my back 16 days ago -- coughing, of all things -- and today was the first day I could skate since then. It was so painful for the first week, then I needed to make sure it was OK before I got back out there. And actually it's still not 100%, but I am supposed to compete next week at Adult Sectionals, so it's now or never.

I hope you feel better soon!

[jazzpants]

Just got my computer back into commisson and catching up on threads...

Annabel. I'm so sorry about your lower back!!! I've been there with that Gawd awful sciatica so I know what you mean. I hope things are better now... :cry: (Same with daisies. I've read about it on the other board and was wondering how you were doing...)

Take care! Backs are nothing to mess with!!! Trust me on this.

[Mrs Redboots]

Thanks. I skated on Sunday, although was still stiff and sore, and couldn't do all I wanted to do. Yesterday was a rest day, so I just did some stretching and some off-ice exercise. Husband wants to skate this evening, which is fine by me - but I had to talk to myself *very* seriously, or I'd have been on the ice now, and twice in one day isn't a very good idea yet, especially as I shall be skating twice tomorrow (First Wednesday!).

Back isn't *quite* right (Thankfully, Jazzpants, I don't think it's sciatica this time, just a tweaked muscle), but getting better.

[skateflo]

Annabel - sounds like you have a pool available?? Water therapy for sports injuries has become a resounding success, not just the arthritis exercise programs......so if you feel up to it, do go the pool and do some exercises in the pool - not swimming laps! And if they have one of those toasty warm water jet small tubs/mini-pool, sit yourself down in it for 5 minutes after you come out of the pool...it works wonders! Been there, done that!

I worry that you are trying to do too many exercises too soon for an acute back attack. I know an adult skater with an acute back recently who finally turned the corner with PT in the pool - it really helped.

Even if you are back on the ice, it doesn't sound like you are near 100% - the last thing you want is a recurrence......so please don't push it too fast. Everyone wants you back skating in good health!

[daisies]

(Same with daisies. I've read about it on the other board and was wondering how you were doing...)
Thanks - I am doing a lot better. I have every intention of going to Tacoma next week ... especially now that I just got tickets to see Duran Duran in Seattle two days before the competition! How cool is that? :)

[Elsy2]

Sorry about your back Annabelle. I was in physical therapy for piriformis syndrome for months. That is a muscle that runs from your hip over the sciatic nerve, and the tennis ball exercise was most helpful.

The therapist recommended to heat the area 5 minutes, then stretch, then ice. You might want to try that.

I also got massages......although it'a bit awkward to have them massage that area directly 8O

The most beneficial therapy was a STEM unit where they put electrodes on the area and the machine provided a vibration sort of stimulation. Of course this was very expensive therapy at a sports rehab center.

As for swimming, coach always warned us not to swim at the hotels during competition. It would fatigue the muscles.

What do I do when I want to skate and can't? Watch some skating tapes and be miserable!

[Mrs Redboots]

Thanks again, everybody. Sadly, the swimming-baths here don't run to such luxuries as jacuzzis (hot tubs); at least, not the ones we can afford, which are your basic cheap-and-cheerful at the local council-run leisure centres. Nice pools, though. And we may actually go swimming on Saturdays, which is our rest day, which was recommended to us by a fitness instructor as a way of doing something completely different. I have just bought a new costume, not an hour ago.... hope it fits!

Back survived skating this morning very happily, but is a bit tired now. I am skating again tonight, but may well decide not to do the class, only the social dancing afterwards. I'll see how it feels when I get there.

I may be quite mad, but at least I'm not as bad as one of my coach's other skaters, who has a badly sprained ankle with torn ligaments, and is *still* skating....

My coach, also with a bad back, is totally sympathetic. As he said this morning, "You think you want a rest from skating, but when you have one, you can't wait to get back!"