Playing over 35 years of basketball and netball has taken its toll on my body.  Having endured multiple ankle, knee and finger injuries l decided it was time to retire from sport.  Ironically, it was the injury l encountered when not playing sport that was my greatest challenge!

Around 10 years ago, a simple twist the wrong way caused a bulged disc in my low back.

A bulged disc progressed to a ruptured disc causing terrible sciatic pain when I was standing or sitting.  I didn’t have a trusted health care professional so I leaned heavily on painkillers to try and help ease my symptoms – unfortunately this didn’t work.  I spent about 8 weeks in bed – which I now know, having worked at Pakenham Osteopathy, that this was possibly the worst thing I could’ve done.   It didn’t ease the discomfort and I felt like my only option was surgery.

I had a discectomy at L5/S1 and I am so fortunate that my surgery gave me instant pain relief.  Again, now having worked with Osteopaths and being exposed to lots of people who’ve had similar treatment, many just don’t get this great outcome.  I was definitely one of the lucky ones!

The road to recovery seemed long and slow and at times was mentally challenging.  I was determined not to let that injury get the better of me!  I committed to the challenge of rehabilitation just as l had when playing sport – 100% effort.

My rehabilitation program consisted of walking, hydrotherapy, swimming, stretching and strengthening. It took me at least 18 months to regain my pre-surgery strength and mobility.

I still need to stretch regularly and keep active to help with maintaining strength and mobility – yoga is now part of my regular routine.  I have had to change my way of life… but life is good!