I’m willing to try all the things: diet, Eastern medicine, Western medicine. I still have reduced mobility of my shoulder, and am working on that. In the past two weeks, I’ve experienced a number of alternative treatments including infrared sauna, cryotherapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. I also want to try hyperbaric oxygen therapy but I haven’t figured out how to get access to it in Prague. I may ask the orthopaedic doctor when I see him tomorrow.
Infrared Sauna
The infrared sauna is at a gym, which I’ve only been to once. Research shows that infrared sauna reduces inflammation and helps maintain muscle mass even when not working with heavy weights. I’ve decided to make it a regular part of my life. I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but will figure it out with time.
Acupuncture
A friend of mine in university used to get terrible migraines, and swore that the only think that helped him was acupuncture. Since then, I have accepted acupuncture as a reliable therapy. When I lived in Japan, I regularly had acupuncture and moxibustion treatments. The therapist came to my home so it was very convenient. It never hurt and was relaxing until the therapist started sharing problems of other patients with me. When I injured my shoulder, acupuncture seemed like a good option.
I’ve had 3 acupuncture treatments for my shoulder. The Chinese Medicine center that I go to is a tram ride away and takes about 30 minutes door to door. There are several therapists who work there. I work with Renata, who I think is conscientious and kind. She seems to really cares about what’s in my best interest. She listens to me carefully and takes thorough notes.
Cryotherapy
I heard that cryotherapy is great for recovery and reduces inflammation. I was pleasantly surprised to find a treatment center a tram ride or a 40 minutes walk from home. There was next-day availability for an appointment with a choice of two therapies: local or full-body. The local treatment is 10 min long and the full-body treatment is 3 min long. I opted for the full body therapy for greater effectiveness. After all, how bad could 3 min be at -110ºC?
I wore a tank top, capri yoga pants and winter socks. The receptionist also gave me disposable socks (which I didn’t use), woolen boots, a headband a mask. (I really need to get into the habit of taking pictures.) Once I was properly decked out, I entered the first chamber, with a temperature of -60ºC. After about 10 seconds, I entered the second chamber as instructed.
I couldn’t see much inside the chamber because of all the condensation. The receptionist was in charge of the controls and also did a countdown. She announced the 2:40 sec remaining time, and then gave an update of the remaining time every 20 sec. She had instructed me to walk slowly around the chamber so I did that, taking a few steps in each direction. I accidentally brushed my bare arm against a side of the chamber once and was careful to avoid doing that again!
I knew that I could leave at any time, but was determined to stay for the full 3 min for the optimal benefit! At 1:40, I felt so cold. I tried to breathe slowly and minimize my shivering. I have a tendency to mentally count (numbers) as a self-soothing strategy and used that to get through the last 80 sec. Three minutes never went so slowly for me before! When I got out of the chamber, my natural inclination was to shake my limbs to get the blood flowing. There are 3 cardio machines and 1 vibration machine. I haven’t seen a vibration machine in so long (those things still exist?!) but since I felt like shaking myself anyway, I decided to use it for 10 min. I also used the opportunity to do some arm raises (no pain in that moment) and some squats while on the machine.
Diet
My diet isn’t nearly as clean as it should be but I’ve been trying to eat berries and green vegetables for their anti-inflammatory effect and nutritional value. I ate kale and tomato soup all week last week. I’ve also been eating a combination of garlic, onion, bell pepper, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries most days. I know some people might suggest I eat raw vegetables, but I’ve learned that I don’t like raw vegetables and my body don’t digest them that well. So instead, I’ve made roasted tomatoes (delicious with cheese), vegetables sautéed in coconut oil, and soup. I’ve found that salt and garlic are a good foundation for delicious flavor, and can be further enhanced with other spices and herbs.
Other Options
As part of my recovery process, I’ve also learned about osteopaths, rolfing and (some of) the differences between mobility and stretching, I believe that food is the most important factor for a healthy life. I have lots of room for improvement but am working on eating less sugar and more veggies. I’m also going to start using Fresh Bedenky to get organic food, particularly for the dirty dozen.
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