Wellness & Prevention

The air in the garage was stale, smelling of old cardboard and packing tape. I grabbed the ‘kitchen’ box—the one filled with cast iron—and gave it a confident tug. Snap. That was the sound of my weekend plans evaporating into a cloud of ibuprofen and heating pads. I’ve been there, staring at the ceiling, wondering … Read more

I vividly remember the morning I couldn’t put on my own socks. I was 32 weeks pregnant, and every time I leaned forward, it felt like a bolt of lightning was shooting straight through my tailbone. I sat on the edge of my bed, crying over a pair of maternity leggings, wondering how I was … Read more

I stood in the middle of a wedding reception three years ago, desperately trying to look elegant while my lower back felt like it was being compressed by a hydraulic press. I blamed the dancing. I blamed the lack of sleep. I even blamed the champagne. But the truth was right there on my feet—those … Read more

I’ll never forget the morning I tried to reach for the coffee beans on the top shelf and felt a sharp, stubborn tug in my right shoulder that simply wasn’t there on my left. It was like one half of my body was made of springy rubber and the other half was carved out of … Read more

I remember standing in the middle of the grocery store, my three-year-old clinging to my side like a frantic koala, and feeling that sharp, familiar zing right in my left hip socket. It wasn’t the first time. But it was the time I realized I couldn’t keep “hitching” my hip out to create a makeshift … Read more

Three years ago, I found myself literally crawling across a bed of fresh mulch because my lower back had seized into a rigid, agonizing knot. I’d spent six hours planting Heirloom tomatoes, feeling like a champion of the earth, until I tried to stand up. I couldn’t. I was stuck in a semi-permanent “L” shape, … Read more

I was sitting at my kitchen table, nursing a cup of peppermint tea and wondering why my stomach felt like it was in a vice grip. I’d eaten a simple salad. I’d walked. I’d done everything “right.” Then, I adjusted my seat, sat up straight to reach for a napkin, and felt an immediate, audible … Read more

I remember hobbling out of bed three years ago after a personal best on my deadlift. My back didn’t just hurt; it felt like someone had poured concrete into my joints while I slept. I blamed the volume. I blamed the weights. I even blamed my age. But the truth was staring me in the … Read more

I remember the Tuesday morning I couldn’t reach for my coffee mug without a sharp, stabbing pain between my shoulder blades. It felt like someone had driven a tent stake into my rhomboids while I slept. I’d spent hundreds on massages and even tried those weird foam rollers, but the relief lasted exactly twenty minutes. … Read more