The Mechanical Pillar: Rejecting the Surgical Script
Weightlifting became an interest of mine at about the age of 12 or 13 and progressed to a passion that replaced running during my college days. A few friends and I pitched a successful idea to fund and start a “Weightlifting Club” at the small engineering college we attended. It was an “if you build it, they will come” experience. The training sessions were incredibly rewarding, allowing us to fine-tune our lifting and teaching skills through real-world feedback.
The Day the Script Flipped
Having played little league baseball growing up, I jumped at the opportunity to join a workplace softball league. That went smoothly for the first few years, but eventually, my flat feet and old knee issues were replaced by acute back strain.
The issues were generally manageable—until one day in my late 20s, they weren’t.
Trying to beat out a throw to first base, I pushed off intensely on my last stride and stretched hard to toe the bag. I felt the injury in my lower right back muscle immediately. By the time I made it home, I could barely get out of the car due to the tightness and excruciating pain. I collapsed on the family room floor and began an icing routine.
The next morning, the pain of trying to stand was unbelievable. My MD took X-rays, which showed my spine being pulled significantly out of alignment by the contracting muscles, causing a severe arc in the lower third of my back.
The standard medical treatment I received?
20 minutes lying on my stomach with a heating pad.
Prescriptions for muscle relaxers and pain pills.
Crawling Across the Floor
I took the pills as soon as I got home, opted for ice over the recommended heat (knowing ice was better for acute inflammation), and tried to sleep. It was awful.
The easiest, least painful way to get to the bathroom was to crawl on my hands and knees. Even then, muscle spasms sent excruciating waves through my back so violently that I would collapse entirely onto the floor until they subsided.
After four days of a miserable, failed attempt to return to work, I knew I needed a different path to heal. I booked an appointment with a highly recommended chiropractor kinesiologist who had helped me with lifting injuries in the past.
The intake was thorough. She performed targeted adjustments to address the muscle impacts, prescribed dedicated stretching, and—crucially—measured me for custom orthotics.
The Long-Term Accounting
I never went back to pain pills or muscle relaxers.
Over the next 25 years, I faced several other significant back, running, and water skiing injuries (including a severe latissimus dorsi tear). Instead of medicating, I chose to work through them systematically with rest, ice, and intentional stretching.
I have several friends, family members, and co-workers who chose back surgery instead. I can honestly say I would not consider any of those procedures successful to the point where they could return to the activities they loved. Managing your own mechanical health takes work—but the autonomy is worth it.