Two years ago, I was involved in an accident on the job.
I work as a roofing company and fell off a set of scaffolding onto my back.
The accident resulted in multiple broken bones and I required surgery. I participated in eight months of physical rehabilitation. I took advantage of any medical assistance my insurance would pay for. At the conclusion of it, I still suffered constant pain. I was unable to stretch out on my back and had no choice but to sleep in a recliner. There was no chance of returning to work. I had difficulty carrying anything heavier than my car keys and found it hard to tie my shoes. While I had once gone for daily runs and played hockey, I could no longer participate in either of those activities. Along with non stop aches, pains and stiffness, I had limited range of motion. I figured that this situation was the way it would be for my whole life, and I became rather depressed. My wife eventually signed me up with a personal trainer. I had no hope that a personal trainer would provide anything but further proof that I couldn’t heal. I planned on failure. Instead, my sessions with the personal trainer totally changed my life. For the first meeting, we talked over my physical complaints and goals. She then started with gentle stretches and a dedicated warm up routine. I began with light weights and attempted static holds with nothing more than my own body weight. I noticed an increase in strength and flexibility very quickly. There was a steady decrease in the level of pain. Although it was a slow improvement, I am nearly back to 100%. I have been able to go back to my job.