We rarely appreciate things when they are doing well. Troubles are strange agents of realization.
So, things were going as smooth as they can during the quarantine and I was doing okay myself. And then one day, I woke up to a horrible pain in my left shoulder and a very stiff neck. It was probably a night or two of me sleeping in an odd position. ‘It should be fine by tomorrow,’ I thought. And was I wrong or what. The pain got worse over the next few days and I was unable to move my entire arm. What made it worse was that I could not even move my neck.
I generally do not give much thought to how I sleep. I just am glad that I manage to get some sleep. Turns out, sleeping like Superman taking off is not an ideal position. Who knew?! I did after a week long ordeal. At first, I thought it was a muscle cramp. Later found out it was much more serious than that. It was a pinched nerve around my neck and shoulder area. The pain and the restriction to movement could go on for weeks or longer depending on how severe it is and how I take care of myself. So, the first thing I did was read up on this and follow the instructions.
Over the next seven days, I avoided working on my laptop as much as I could, limited my cellphone use, slept on my back with two pillows to provide neck and shoulder support, massaged my arm frequently and walked around my room like a robot.
When you choose to do nothing, it is a luxury. When you are forced to do nothing, it is a punishment. Power of choice is potent.
My arm eventually got better. It felt great. Never have I ever been so glad to be able to touch my toes with both my arms stretched. Little things in life.
Take Care Everyone. Stay Safe!
(Photo by hessam nabavi on Unsplash)
The Zainab Experiment 