#1 rule for Surf: Avoid anything that crunches the trunk
#2 rule for Surf: Consider sports hernia to be caused by a malfunctioning nervous system - neurotransmitter impairment.
I began my rehab program May 18 (about 10 weeks ago). I began with paddling a surfboard in calm water. I was so weak after two months of no exercise that just walking in the beach sand carrying my board was a trial for my adductors. I almost tripped after stepping in water only a few inches deep, the sensation of walking in wet concrete, a shock to the adductors.
Serendipity of the surfboard
Early on with my sports hernia injury I noticed that anything that crunches my trunk will later inflame my left testicle/spermatic cord and adductors. In other words, almost any activity to strengthen my abs was off limits. One day I happened to think of paddling a surfboard and then it dawned on me – lying prone on a surfboard in a paddling position effectively prevents any crunching of the trunk, even if you wanted to crunch it. This has been one very lucky break for me because it has allowed me to do something that works my abs but doesn’t inflame me.
So, for the past 10 weeks I’ve been going to the beach for about 30 minutes, 3 days per week, paddling my surfboard. The first day I could only paddle about 30 feet before stopping. Now I can paddle perhaps 100 yards with the same degree of effort. This has brought my abdominal muscles back from the dead, has helped my wind, has strengthened my back muscles (which helps my posture, which is always good for hernias), and also helps arms, shoulders, and chest. Also for the first time in a couple of months, it let me do something more or less strenuous, which produces a bit of happiness endorphins, that stuff we're all addicted to, and better sleep to boot.
During those surfboard sessions I was also doing on-back flutter kicking, letting my board, attached by leash to my ankle, trail behind me. The on-back flutter kick feels wonderful, as does the on-back dolphin kick, and was generally good, but after about 3 or 4 weeks, I decided to drop it because it sometimes leads to inflammation because the position is a slightly crunched trunk.
First successfully established base – Surfboard paddling
So I was fortunately able to establish a firm base around surfboard paddling. I can do it every other day, or even every day, and it won’t inflame me. Yet it continues to strengthen me, even at my 59 yrs of age.
Second established base – Lawn mowing
On July 2 (28 days ago), I first did some lawn-mowing with a Sears 3.5 horsepower push lawn mower. Rather than just mowing the yard, I concentrate on mowing thick high grass around ditches and trees so that my movements are highly varied, and at the same time forceful, yet slow. It’s the middle of summer, yet I always wear long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat, seeking to be hot, as this seems to make my movements safer, probably because the neurotransmitters function better at higher temperatures. Worried that lawn mowing would inflame me, I then waited a few days, but no inflammation.
Since then, for the past 3 weeks, I’ve been mowing for 35 minute sessions almost every day, sometimes two mowings per day. My neighbor was even kind enough to let me mow part of his yard.
Because I mow around trees and ditches, there’s a lot of me pushing downward with my hands on the mower handle to raise up the front of the mower to get tall weeds, etc. This is a little bit like tricep pulldowns, which injured me in my initial descent into sports hernia back in February, but not so much force. Just what I need I think.
Caffeine
Muschaweck paper:
http://www.leistenbruch.de/fileadmin/docs/UEFA_engl.pdf
On July 10 I began taking vitamin B6 because it is listed in Dr. Muschaweck’s non-surgical rehab plan. And when I looked into B6, I saw that it’s used in the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
When I looked into neurotransmitters, I saw that many drugs such as heroin and caffeine alter neurotransmitter functioning, I decided to quit caffeine. So, on July 11 I stopped coffee, and diet cokes, then on July 17 (about 2 weeks ago), I stopped tea.
Jogging in grass
I’ve conducted several experiments of jogging in soft grass over the past week or so. It appears that I can now jog very slowly, in short S-patterns or zig-zag, for 40 yards at a time, in soft grass without inflaming. I’ll know for sure in a few more days. My object with this is not to jog far, but rather to gradually build in more zig-zag, more agility movements, but keep it short. I’m rebuilding, re-programming the screwed up nervous system of my pelvic/abdominal area. I want millions of different natural movements.
Biking
During the past 2 weeks I rode my brother’s bike around my yard a couple times, then waited a couple of days to see if would inflame me. It didn’t. So yesterday I bot a cheap mountain bike at Walmart for $79, and rode it around the thick, resistant grass in my yard for only 5 minutes. It felt fine. I’ll probably know late tomorrow if that will inflame me.
Jumping jacks
Barefoot in my living room 2 days ago I tried 10 jumping jacks, very cautiously. As of today, I was still not inflamed by it, so I did 50 jumping jacks today, which felt wonderful.
Rehab base
So, my rehab program is ever-evolving, but as of now, looks like this:
#1 rule for Surf: Avoid anything that crunches the trunk
#2 rule for Surf: Consider sports hernia to be caused by a malfunctioning nervous system - neurotransmitter impairment.
#3 rule for Surf: No caffeine (coffee, colas, tea, chocolate)
Base exercises
- Paddling surfboard 30 minutes – 3 days per week
- Lawn mowing in thick grass – 35 minutes – 6 days per week
Auxiliary exercises
- Squats in a doorway – 15 reps
- Dumbbells presses (dumbbell in each hand) - 15 lb x 50 reps. Then 30 lb x 50 reps
- Grass jogging in zig-zag (still experimenting)
- Bike riding in thick grass (still experimenting)
Using the heat session
My typical rehab session begins with me putting on long-sleeved shirt and pants, walking about 100 yards to warm up, cranking the lawnmower and mowing maybe 20 minutes. Now that I’m hot, sweaty and loosened up, I can jog zig-zag in the grass for 40 yards. I can also go get in my car like a normal person, then slowly get out of my car like a normal person. Or do jumping jacks. In other words the mowing gets my body in a good state for other exercises and less susceptible to injury, I guess.
Overall result
The overall trend is I’m certainly getting stronger, more resilient, and able to do more daily living.
My biggest problem
My biggest problem to date is the fact that even though I’m getting stronger, I still can’t get out of a car normally because usually I’m cold by then, and my nervous system needs time to get itself going, usually a minute or so of movement. Same with getting out of bed.
All in all, compared to my earlier efforts at rehab, I've finally been able to show solid improvement not just over 2 or 3 days, but over a full month. I'm definitely getting stronger in several ways, and improvements keep coming. I'm hoping to just keep on slowly improving and within a year I'll be much better able to cope with life.
It felt so good to zig-zag jog in the grass today, and to do some jumping jacks. My poor old body is slowly coming back to life.