Ryan Potter Instagram – Overcoming injury, fear, trauma, and creating new neural pathways.
When I was 12 years old, I tore a disc in my back. I had to crawl to the bathroom for little more than a week. After months and months of training and physical therapy; I was starting to physically recover. My mind on the other hand never healed from this incident-
In August of this year I herniated a disc while building my body for Titans. I went to the doctor and immediately got sent off for a MRI. Once at the imaging facility I asked the technician if they could take a peek at my previous injury to see how it had healed, separate from the current point of concern. With 2 sets of photos taken, I waited.
48 hours later – I get a call from the doctor. He starts with asking me how my pain levels are, I reply “tolerable” but it was certainly effecting my sleep and energy levels at work. Shocked, he proceeds to tell me that he’s surprised I’m even walking around. I pause, concern rising.
The doctor continues to inform me; that I have not 1, but 4 herniated discs in total.
He inquires about my physical disciplines, trying to get to the root of the inexplainable.
I mention martial arts, weight lifting, and then slacklining.
The doctor proceeds to tell me that slacklining is the most likely culprit for a resilient core. A core that has been holding the herniations in place since the injury. Since august I’ve been mentally adverse to lifting weights so my physical discipline started falling apart. Then the mental health starts to slip with the waning physical discipline.
Allowing myself to slow down, and take time to heal has been a challenge. Thoughts of feeling unproductive and useless would slowly creep in. I needed to heal. So for about 2 months I put all my attention and focus on repairing and strengthening my back. I’ve met incredible physical therapists, doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, gone to synaptic treatment, alternated between ice baths and Saunas, religiously took cold showers and got my diet clean (mostly plant based) along with a whole jungles’ worth of herbs.
On Nov 28th I walk my first Highline, grateful.
(Pt. 1)
#slackline #slackers #highline #joshuatree | Posted on 01/Dec/2022 10:55:46
