Oggi ho fatto il primo bagno a mare del 2012. L’acqua non era per niente calda… ma ho deciso di nuotare ugualmente. Forse spinto in parte dallo scoramento e dal malumore di quest’ultimo periodo. Nel mio paese, infatti, pur essendoci una piscina coperta, non sono ancora riuscito ad ottenere il permesso di accedervi poiché alcuni intoppi burocratici (a me, sinceramente, incomprensibili) mi negano tale possibilità. Pare che ci sia una certa resistenza ad assumersi la responsabilità di farmi nuotare in una piscina. Per questo si assumono quella di costringermi a nuotare a mare, in pieno inverno!
Tant’è. Stamattina, vista la buona giornata, ho deciso di mettere costume e occhialini e ho nuotato per una buona mezz’ora. I primi dieci minuti le mie gambe erano rigide come il ferro, complice anche il gelo dell’acqua. Inizialmente le punte dei piedi rimanevano rigidamente orientate in allungamento e mi risultava impossibile (come sempre) flettere l’anca richiamando le ginocchia verso il busto. Mi sono imposto di respirare ogni due bracciate e forzare l’andatura (in stile libero) in modo da raggiungere presto l’affanno.
Dopo 10 minuti ho iniziato a flettere le caviglie e richiamare le punte dei piedi con estrema libertà. Dopo altri cinque minuti di bracciate le ginocchia e le anche hanno iniziato a rispondere ai miei ordini. E’ stato incredibile riuscire, improvvisamente, a nuotare a rana, richiamando entrambe le gambe perfettamente a martello. Non mi succedeva da circa un anno e mezzo.
Al ritorno a riva mi sono alzato in piedi e sono uscito tranquillamente dall’acqua (dove ero entrato a quattro zampe…). Mi sono asciugato, ho fatto qualche minuto di allungamenti e poi ho passeggiato per la solita mezz’ora. Nel frattempo ho sperimentato che anche la forza nella mano sinistra, “normalmente” molto ridotta, è tornata a consentirmi di stringere cento volte (per tre ripetizioni) la mia pallina di gomma che “normalmente” non riesco a stringere per più di dieci volte…
Un miracolo? No, non credo proprio. Ritengo, invece, che tutto ciò abbia a che fare con quanto sostenuto dal Prof. Zamboni e dai suoi collaboratori in uno dei suoi più recenti articoli dedicati al drenaggio venoso del cervello.
DOES THORACIC PUMP INFLUENCE THE CEREBRAL VENOUS RETURN?
pubblicato lo scorso 15 dicembre dalla prestigiosa rivista medica Journal of Applied Physiology.
Tuttavia al mondo medico non sembra interessare molto che io riprendo a camminare dopo cinque anni di disabilità, così come appare (in gran parte) infastidito dalle intuizioni e dalle ricerche del Prof. Zamboni.
Siamo tutti sicuri che vogliamo lasciarci trattare così?
English version
First swim in the sea and first “miracle” of 2012
Today I did my first 2012 swim in the sea. The water was not warm.. but I decided to swim anyway. Maybe pushed by the sadness and the difficulties of this past period of time
The swimming pool our town has cannot be accessed by me for some bureaucratic issues (to me completely incomprehensible). It seems no one is bold enough to take responsibility of me swimming in the pool. In this way, the responsibility they take is that of forcing me to swim in the sea, in full winter!
That’s that. This morning, given the good weather, I decided to wear my bathing suit, goggles and swam for a good half hour. The first 10 minutes my legs were rigid as iron, possibly also given the freezing temperature of the water. Initially the tips of my toes were stiff and straight, as a consequence, it was almost impossible for me (as usual) to bend my hips and push my knees towards my chest.
I imposed on myself to breathe every two arm strokes and to force a free style swim so that I could quickly reach breathlessness.
After 10 minutes I started to bend the ankles and to move the tips of my toes. After other 5 minutes the knees and the hips started moving at my orders. It has been incredible to also be able to swim breast stroke style moving both legs in the correct manner. The last time this happened to me was probably one year and a half ago.
As I returned ashore, I stood up and walked out of the water (when otherwise I would be crawling…) I dried myself up, stretched and walked around for half an hour. In the meanwhile I also noticed a regain of strength on my left hand which is usually reduced. I could tighten my fist 100 times (in 3 repetitions) using my rubber ball which I usually cannot squeeze more than ten times…
A miracle? No , I really don’t think so. I believe all this has to do with what Prof. Zamboni postulated in one of his most recent articles dedicated to blood circulation in the brain: “DOES THORACIC PUMP INFLUENCE THE CEREBRAL VENOUS RETURN?” , published last 15 December in the prestigious Journal of Applied Physiology.
Nevertheless, it seems the medical world is not interested in my achievements after 5 years of disability. Same world which seems bothered by Prof. Zamboni’s research and intuitions.
Are we all sure we want to be treated this way?
English version
First swim in the sea and first “miracle” of 2012
Today I did my first 2012 swim in the sea. The water was not warm.. but I decided to swim anyway. Maybe pushed by the sadness and the difficulties of this past period of time
The swimming pool our town has cannot be accessed by me for some bureaucratic issues (to me completely incomprehensible). It seems no one is bold enough to take responsibility of me swimming in the pool. In this way, the responsibility they take is that of forcing me to swim in the sea, in full winter!
That’s that. This morning, given the good weather, I decided to wear my bathing suit, goggles and swam for a good half hour. The first 10 minutes my legs were rigid as iron, possibly also given the freezing temperature of the water. Initially the tips of my toes were stiff and straight, as a consequence, it was almost impossible for me (as usual) to bend my hips and push my knees towards my chest.
I imposed on myself to breathe every two arm strokes and to force a free style swim so that I could quickly reach breathlessness.
After 10 minutes I started to bend the ankles and to move the tips of my toes. After other 5 minutes the knees and the hips started moving at my orders. It has been incredible to also be able to swim breast stroke style moving both legs in the correct manner. The last time this happened to me was probably one year and a half ago.
As I returned ashore, I stood up and walked out of the water (when otherwise I would be crawling…) I dried myself up, stretched and walked around for half an hour. In the meanwhile I also noticed a regain of strength on my left hand which is usually reduced. I could tighten my fist 100 times (in 3 repetitions) using my rubber ball which I usually cannot squeeze more than ten times…
A miracle? No , I really don’t think so. I believe all this has to do with what Prof. Zamboni postulated in one of his most recent articles dedicated to blood circulation in the brain: “DOES THORACIC PUMP INFLUENCE THE CEREBRAL VENOUS RETURN?” , published last 15 December in the prestigious Journal of Applied Physiology.
Nevertheless, it seems the medical world is not interested in my achievements after 5 years of disability. Same world which seems bothered by Prof. Zamboni’s research and intuitions.
Are we all sure we want to be treated this way?