Tooth Troubles

Root canals are terrible! And, I’d like to share a personal experience about what’s been happening to me the last few weeks.

Just over a year ago, I had a root canal done on one of my lower back teeth.  Four months later, the tooth split in half. I went back to the dentist who capped it, hoping this would be a permanent solution.  Over 12 months later, the capping has broken off, exposing a split loose tooth.  If you’re thinking, “Ugh!” and “Ouch!” you’re thinking along the right lines.

Over the course of the past 3 weeks since the capping broke off, the tooth has been very annoying: it hurts steadily and makes it hard to eat. Unfortunately, my dentist’s next available appointment was not possible until a few days ago.

The Effects of Pain on Movement

Because of these tooth pains and general discomfort, I have been in a real, not-in-the-mood-to-do-too-much place for the last three weeks.  In addition, I’ve not been at my usual 200% happiness levels.

I’ve found it rather interesting that such a small part of the body can influence our bodies’ overall movement, disposition and actions so much.

I wanted to act on my discomfort and get to the dentist right away but had to wait for an appointment.

Acting Fast on Physical Discomfort

This begs the question, why would anyone wait to get pains addressed (outside of these circumstances) when they can have such a detrimental impact on our lives?

A common answer to this question amongst bigger-bodied people is that their doctors are not always fat-friendly, which makes issues always about their size and weight and not resolving their pain. I recommend you check out my post on Jon Robison’s doctoral advice if this is the case in your life.

The dentist said to me yesterday that if I had told the reception that it was a dental procedure requiring urgent attention, they would have found me an earlier appointment.  Why don’t they tell you this when you ring making an appointment mentioning that your capping has broken off and your tooth is split in half? For goodness sake, it would have saved me 3 weeks of pain which is equivalent to 504 hours of discomfort!

The Connection to Fitness

What does this have to do with fitness? We can’t move our bodies happily when we’re in pain. My word of advice here is, do not let bodily discomfort stay with you for as long as I did; don’t let it impede your life and ability to move with joy.

Maybe next week I’ll tell you more about the crazy experience I had at the dentist, but I’ve got to get my head around it first. For now, share your experiences about pain with me. Do you have any regular pains that impede your movement and sour your mood? Are you doing anything about them? How do you see yourself living differently without these pains?

Check out the other fabulous tips and blogs by the More of Me to Love experts.

As a personal trainer who's always loved her body, Sue Bary was tired of being classified as 'mildly obese' and wanted to help others experience Enjoyable Body Movement without being subject to the usual verbiage of weight loss and dieting. Thus, she created enarji, a personal training practice steeped in the Health at Every Size approach and attitude. To learn more about Sue, click here. Because you are a special More of Me to Love member, Sue wants you to enjoy a FREE consultation through enarji's Virtual Health Coach services. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to schedule your free consultation today!