[Jonesie13]

Coincidence or just that age? I practice hot yoga regularly for about 6 years and got back into skiing with my teenage daughter and her friends when the back pain started. Too many moguls? Too many forward bends? It all seemed to start at once: cramping of my calves and toes during yoga practice, snapping hip syndrome while walking up or down stairs, knee pain, back pain. Ruptured Achilles while playing with my dog in the back yard last year was putting insult to injury (pun intended).

Had no serious falls skiing, apart from a couple of dives into cushioned powder. However kept up with the teens taking on double black diamonds, moguls and jumps. Was in the best shape of my life when the pain started. Listening to the various doctors telling me to go to yoga and Pilates to build core strength was a bit of a joke. Interestingly, I've since read that strong abs in the absence of similarly strong back muscles can cause problems with posture and result n back pain.

Now four years later, any exercise (including house work) short of walking triggers stiffness and pain. Not gaining weight and keeping fit has become a constant challenge that I am holding on a teeter totter. One of the reasons I have been able to see a surgeon so quickly in Canada is that I have managed to keep reasonably active and weight down.

I think I have a good level of pain tolerance put once it becomes chronic and any little activity sets it off it starts becoming old quickly.

Still working 4 days a week in front of a computer. Taking few pain meds the past couple of years. Limited to Aleve a couple times a week and the odd cyclobenzaprine. Keeping up the motto that as long as I can feel pain I am alive.