These last two nights, I was awakened by back spasms — sudden, throbbing pain that sent waves of pain throughout my back. I do not really know what could have brought it on but I had been decluttering and moving stuff around. I may have done something to cause some strain on my back.
If there was no pandemic, I would have scheduled a trip to a spa for a good body massage focusing on ironing out the kinks in my back. But since the start of the pandemic, none of us dared go, knowing that we would be in a small, enclosed, and airconditioned room with a masseuse working on us up close.
Thankfully, I HAVE BALLS! These are my therapy balls, something I got during a 2017 training I attended on Dual Zone Myofascial Release (DZMR) conducted by Nelson Chong of the Functional Training Institute (Singapore) to address body dysfunction.
These therapy balls were made to Nelson’s strict specifications. Placing these balls in two different body areas simultaneously releases tightness in superficial and deep muscles, tissues, and fascia, bringing almost immediate pain relief. During our DZMR training, we were taught how to screen for mobility dysfunction, learn where the different myofascial trigger point releases are in the body, and experience actual myofascial release through actual exercises.
My daughter has one of my two DZMR therapy balls (she refuses to give it back to me as she uses it herself, haha!). Last night, when the spasms came on again, I slowly reached out for the other ball and placed it on one area of my back where a spasm was radiating pain. I just lay still on my bed, letting the ball dig deep into my back. After a few minutes, I would slowly move to let the ball roll into another part of my back. Then I would again lie still on it. I repeated that until I had covered all the areas where I felt the spasms.
The spasms went away! I have been working on my computer the whole day today and the spasms have not returned.
These therapy balls are the bomb! They bring great pain relief even if I am still unable to go for a full body massage.
I still have a very tight right shoulder – a perennial problem because I am right-handed, tend to carry heavy stuff in my bag, which I sling over my right shoulder, and I am on the computer most of the day. More work needed with my therapy balls!
If you want to know more about functional training courses that can improve mobility and relieve pain, check out Functional Training Institute on Facebook. I checked and they have some webinars on Zoom. Too bad FTI is all the way in Singapore. We need more functional trainers like Nelson over here.