Weak and pathetic

Lesson for the day: three months of Core Fusion three times a week does not equal core strength. Two weeks ago I strained my back lifting a patient-- I'm pretty familiar with this injury now, as this is now the fourth occurrence. It's been almost a whole year since my last injury, which I attribute to more rigorous ab work.

Since this is my fourth lower back injury-- I should add that none of them have been serious-- the helpful NP at employee health suggested I could benefit from physical therapy to strengthen my core. I went along with the idea, pretty sure that physical therapy would pronounce me fit and strong as a proverbial fiddle. Pride goeth before a fall, as they say.

Today was my first PT session. The therapist had lay on the table with a pressure biofeedback pillow-- a kind of fancy blood pressure cuff for physical therapists-- under the small of my back. I was instructed to suck in my belly button and then kick my feet one at a time while keeping the manometer needle stable. This sounds easy but is laughably difficult. Turns out, I'm weak in my transverse abdominus (I'm renaming it the transverse abominus). The PT did give me an A for effort-- as in, I know what I'm supposed to do, I just can't do it. Great. Now I have to do this and some other exercises for 15 minutes a day.

Now I'm spending way too much time worrying about whether or not I'm sucking in my belly button correctly. If you see me with that faraway look on my face, I'm probably practicing. Maybe that explains Paris Hilton's vacant stare-- she's working her transverse abominus! I'll try not to do this while I'm driving-- I promise.