Serious Injuries

[Hman]

I recently sustained a very serious herniated disk in my neck. I have been in excrutiating pain for several weeks. Now that I am starting to come out of the pain a bit, I am wondering when and if I will be able to train again with the same intensity that I am used to.

I have seen several doctors who all seem hesitant to say when and if I will be able to spar and train in shaolin like I used to. To all of us who have commited our lives to the art I am sure you can all sympathize with my concerns, no matter what style you practice.

If anyone has sustained similar injuries and have had to comprimise your training, I am curious to know if there is anyone who can tell me about their experience, and if such injuries like I have sustained, will force me to modify my training so that I dont inflict damage even after I have fully recovered.

I appreciate any constructive comments on the subject you can offer.

[shaolinboxer]

First off, please please listen to your doctor and becareful of so called die hards telling you to train regardless of you condition.

That being said, I have recently discovered that the chrnic pain in my knee is due to a torn meniscus, an injury that never heals and requires arthroscopic surgery. However, I have been able to get the pain under control to the point that 95% of the time I do not notice the injury. Eevntually I will need surgery, but changes in my practice will prevent that for a long time.

The thing that's hard to swallow is that after 10 years of trying to master kicking (and sparring), I have virtualy stopped in favor of other techniques (switching from kickboxing/kung fu to aikido). Also, the need to be careful has forced me to improve my balance, posture, and precision.

Don't be afraid to change your game, and good luck.