I’m Spinning

I have never been able to spin in circles. I get sick when I spin in a circle. I will puke if I spin in circles.

Scratch that.

I used to not be able to spin in circles. I used to get sick if I spun in a circle. I would puke if I did so. Not any more.

I have been a firm believer in massage therapy for years now. Ten years ago I suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. I could no longer lift my coffee cup with one hand and not spill it. My hands ached all the time. They burned. They woke me up at night. I worked in surgery and knew what the surgical intervention was. I knew the recovery. I opted to have a try at massage for a cure. In two sessions, my hands were no longer burning. I could hold my coffee cup. I have no scars.

I take a water aerobics class. I go three times a week. Twice a week is the same instructor. She runs a great class. She pushes us to work hard. She watches to make sure that we are doing the exercises correctly both for body mechanics and for a better workout. My stamina has increased, my power has improved, and my balance is better. Part of her exercise routine involves spinning in half- or quarter-circles. I tried. I got nauseous. I stopped that part.

After class one day she mentioned that she could fix my problem through massage. My previous massage therapist had problems with his calendar and kept double booking appointments and I was looking for a new person anyway. I was intrigued. Not overly optimistic. But intrigued. I figured what the heck, it couldn’t hurt.

Even after the first treatment, I was spinning. Not like a top, but enough to do the exercises without getting sick. I couldn’t believe it. I was spinning. Without puking. But I was still a little dizzy, a little off balance.

Today I had my third massage. My head feels less woozy. I can spin and turn. Moving my head rapidly from side to side doesn’t make me have any vertigo. I am amazed. I am cured after decades, and more decades of being unable to do this.

I am a firm believer in massage therapy.