Hi all. I've been off the ice since May with a herniated disc in my thoracic spine. My first day back on the ice was yesterday. It was so much harder than I thought it would be! When I broke my collarbone in 2001, I was off for almost 2 months and was doing axels my first day back. This time I was off for 4 months and could barely do a waltz jump! Even back crossovers were a struggle. Ugh. This will be an uphill struggle for sure. I will be doing some soul searching in the coming weeks to decide if I want to put myself through it!

daisies,

Do you think you will still enjoy skating? Did the docs say it will be good exercise for you?

I have MS and often have major setbacks because of my symptoms. My medical team is very positive with me skating and feel that the exercise is of great benefit. I know my own body that I dont push myself too hard, especailly if I am having some MS type symptoms.

I know you are probably itching to get back to axels, but you have suffered a major injury and you have to start from square one. Perhaps your back is telling you no jumping yet. Work on basic skills first

I have several chronic health problems that sometimes interfere with skating; you just have to listen to your body and take it one day at a time. Don't ignore what your body is saying to you.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Thanks to both of you.

jp1andOnly - The docs say I am fine, but I think I am wrestling with the question of whether or not I will enjoy skating. I'm not sure I have it in me to work on things I know in my heart of hearts I can do already but that my body isn't allowing me to do (yet). I plan to go tomorrow and see if there's any improvement!

How about working on some of the special figures? I always found those amazing. Good luck in your recovery, daisies. I hope to see you on the ice with us soon!

Hi manleywoman! You know, doing figures always hurt my back! After I passed my 8th, I was visiting the chiro much less frequently. Isn't that weird? LOL!

I hope to be back with you all soon, but I guess I am just very discouraged right now. I will give it some more time. I have never been one to give up!

Thanks to all!

Actually, no . . . one of the young adults here (23 yrs old) decided to pick up figures again (he's on his 4th) because freestyle was hurting his back too much. But after two months figures was hurting his back too. So he had to quite completely. Hard to beleive. I was hoping your back injury might be different.

daisies: Be VERY CAREFUL coming back from a back injury!!! (Quite different from a collarbone injury.) Your body may tell 'ya that you're ready to come back until you get on the ice. Take your time on this...and have your chiro on speed dial just in case!!! Check on your leg strength. (i.e. have your chiro do resistance exercises on your leg.)

The good part is you will probably be well again within a month or two to go for that axel again... so DON'T GIVE UP!!! (We won't let someone with GREAT SMOOTH EDGES like you go w/o a fight anyway!!! LOL!!!)

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Daisies, what about ice dance? I know you've done quite a bit of it in the past - or does that hurt your back, too?

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Daisies -- I hope you are okay!!

Give it time. I haven't had a "serious" back injury, but I know when I have come back from various ankle sprains, foot and toe fractures, etc., I have always had to start very very slowly. One time I even skated the first time holding on to the wall! I called it my "rehab skating period". So take it slow and you should be back to normal in no time!

I am also having trouble with my back and neck and I attribute at least some of it to doing figures. Once I got past the simple forward eights and serpentines and started anything backwards and with turns, then the troubles began -- I have spoken with several others who have had this experience also!!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Although I'm not coming back from an injury, per se, I'm struggling after being off the ice for four months, too. I was off the ice for the last three months of my pregnancy and then for about 6 weeks after Milo was born.

Everything is hard again. I get out there hopeful and ready to go and feel very disappointed by the time I step off the ice. I'm really frustrated that things I could do confidently suck now and that I've reverted to a lumbering Frankenstein on the ice -- all stiff and un-coordinated.

I'm especially tired of saying "I'll try" to things that I really want to be able to do NOW. Grr!!!!

I don't have any suggestions, but I'm planning to keep plugging away until I get back to where I was -- probably just in time to get pregnant with #2, LOL!

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging replies. I am happy to report that I dragged myself out of bed this morning to give it another shot (I almost went back to bed!). It wasn't the best of sessions, but I accomplished three more things that I wasn't able to do on Friday -- a couple of loops, a flip and a really REALLY bad back sitspin (lol) -- so I can't complain. Man, spinning makes me really dizzy now!

Annabel, I am seriously considering picking up ice dancing again. I first want to see if I can get some of the FS skills back because I would love to do O'dorf next year. (Right now that's just a pipe dream!) If it gets to be too much to handle, I will start dancing again. One of these days I may actually get a partner!

Daisies..

I'm so glad to see you're back on the ice. I'm sure you'll be enjoying yourself again very soon. To help that process along, remember why you started skating or what you enjoyed most about skating when it wasn't quite so serious (wind in your hair, sound of blades on ice, smell of the rink?) and pretend you are a little girl again, just out to have fun.

Also remember how good you felt after your program at AN this year.

You are an awesome skater and you shouldn't have to prove that to yourself again. We all know it... and you do too.

Do what your body will allow you to do for now and just enjoy the process.

Best wishes!

Daisies,

I hardly ever post on this forum, so you probably don't recognize me. But I had the same thing you did, many years ago, and just wanted to tell you how much I empathize - it was a really long road to recovery!

I'm adding my best wishes to everyone else's, but similarly want to say that you should probably take it easy, including on spins. That's a lot of pressure on various parts of your spine, and, dizziness aside, can add up to soreness in your back, hamstrings, etc. I actually talked with a friend of mine, who is a personal trainer at my (fancy, but really good) gym, and she gave me some nonstressful exercises that helped me build up all the little muscles that contribute to back and abs strength. I found that working on both back and abs helped me a lot. At one point, I was doing 600 situps a night, and then 1/2 of back stretches a day. (I was young and foolish, but fit!) I would NOT recommend that degree of nuttiness - but I would say that "core" strength can only help you...

JP1andonly,

I believe you are an inspiration to me! It is so cool to hear that you skate, and that you enjoy it just makes it even more impressive. What are you working on? Are you testing and/or competing? I've just started testing, and am still chicken about trying to compete. We'll see - I don't even have a Bronze program yet...

best to you both,

BV

oops, in that last post I meant to write "and 1/2 hour of back stretches"

Also, I meant to tell you that I can probably find that list of exercises, if you are ever interested in reading about them.

BV

Thanks, b viswanathan! So, you had a herniated disc in your T-spine? Mine is T7-8, and my only symptom is numbness in my upper-left back. I don't actually have pain, just tingling, and only when I am in certain positions. It's really bizarre.

I didn't skate today and am not sure when I will again. It just doesn't feel right. I am working with my insurance on getting a second opinion from someone "out of network" (ugh). The spine specialist I saw said I am fine and can skate, but I'm not so sure. I would rather just see someone else and either confirm it or get another prognosis.

Thanks again to all of you for your encouragement! Hopefully I will see you all soon!

Yup, I compete I have my junior bronze (just tested it this past winter) which is equal to the US silver freeskate. However, we have a wee bit longer program length (2:30 or 3:00). I'm more worried about huffing and puffing thru the program rather than the jumps..hehe

Currently working on that dratted axel and have tried some doubles. (loop is the closest and a couple others I can get 1 1/2. Dont even ask about the sal or toe)