Monday Movement Moments

<p>My plan is to start blogging on Mondays about some sort of movement topic. In PNG, I have seen a ton of folks with chronic low back pain. I have never claimed back pain to be my specialty, but this simple little stretch can be helpful for some chronic low back pain conditions. The supine leg stretch involves lying on your back.  Take a rope or any type of strap, perhaps even a belt, place the mid-portion around the ball of the foot. Grab the sides of the rope with both hands keeping your shoulders and head relaxed on the floor. Lift the leg off the ground. Be sure to keep the elevated knee straight and the other leg flat on the ground. As the elevated leg comes farther away from the floor, you will begin to experience a stretch along the entire course of the hamstring muscle at the back of your thigh.  The goal would be to get the elevated leg approximately 90 degrees off the floor while keeping the knee straight and the other leg grounded.  All bodies are different so some may experience no challenge with your leg at a 90 degree position and may continue to pull the leg closer to the chest while others may struggle.  Find your challenge and hold at this position for 8 to10 breaths.  Repeat on the opposite leg.
This stretch has been an easy one to teach here in PNG. Due to the origin of the hamstrings on the pelvis, simply stretching these muscles can be beneficial in relieving some forms of low back pain. This stretch is also calming and can help increase hamstring flexibilty if practiced regularly. Enjoy!

Ship shape

I am back on the Bamu River in the Western Province of PNG. We have just completed 1 week of outreach. It has been super busy. My role has changed. I have moved into the cook assistant role as they already had a physio signed up for this outreach and they really needed someone to help out with all things galley (nautical language for kitchen) and mess hall. It has been a whole new world of cleaning up after and cooking for 50 people everyday. But i have loved getting to know the crew and staff better. In the galley, we try our best to keep all these bellies happy. Which means breakfast,  lunch, dinner AND morning and afternoon tea. The teas usually mean some starchy baked food. We only get one fresh fruit a day, which is definitely what i miss the most besides ice cream and real coffee.  Getting everything in ship shape has been busy but i have still made it to 3 different villages and teach a couple back and knee health classes.  Today was a huge highlight because i was back in a village that we worked in a couple weeks ago.  It was great seeing familiar faces.

Seasons off Stilllness

These last six days in Port Moresby have been sweet and full.   I have had this peace and joy down deep in me that has kept me full on the insides as we have been running around the ship preparing for outreach 6.  It's kindof like when you see the water at sunrise, and it looks like glass because it is so still and peaceful.  I have definitely not been riding this feeling constantly over the last 5 weeks in PNG. The waters have been shaken at times. But since the decision has been made to stay on board still waters at my subterranean levels have been present and steady.  By God's grace I hope to keep steady here as we prepare to leave the harbor.  PNG is known for being the land of the unexpected, so like anywhere else there are many ways that the water can lose its glassy appearance.  Other boats, the change of the tide and wind have all caused the water around the Pacific Link to rock even while docked.   Now is the time for setting sail,  and i have been super thankful for these last few days of being in the harbor. I am hoping and expecting God to do a new work in the Western Province. I will try to keep you posted as much as possible.

Moments of Transformation

Our primary health care team got the opportunity to serve at the Emeti Health Station for 2 days on Outreach 5. The first day a lot of people were being referred to me for their chronic knee and back pain. Knee and back pain are not only common problems in the US. They are also very common here as the villagers' lives depend on manual labor - building their houses, collecting firewood, making sago (still trying to get more info to explain this lengthy process). From day one here in PNG, even in Port Moresby, chronic back and knee pain has been the primary complaint I have treated. Due to the particularly large number of patients in this village, I started small group classes reviewing back and knee health.  This set-up worked really well as working in the small groups helped with communication. The one in the group who knew English the best would naturally translate to the group. Also, seeing other villagers participate encouraged participation within the entire group. We taught 4 small group class and one large group class. Overall, these classes created a lot of laughter and each villager walked away having learned something new. They also got a handy sheet filled with pictures of some the exercises we went over. Towards the end of the second day in Emeti, I had already taught 3 classes and was really tired as I was battling my second bout of stomach issues. An older man was sent to me for his back pain. After I examined him, I began to teach him the exercises. However, he quickly stopped me and eagerly explained that another villager taught him the exercises. He had already practiced his exercises last night and this morning. This news encouraged my heart because just for a moment I caught a glimpse of renewal coming to PNG. In order for there to be long term transformation, locals will need to take part in the process of teaching other locals. This moment was so sweet.  It totally made the  weeks of teaching lifting ergonomics, stretches and abdominal exercises totally worth the it.

Frisbee and PNG

http://instagr.am/p/OQ10x3S7n8/

All Aboard

I’ve been on the YWAM Medical Ship for 11 days now.  Ship life is quite cozy which helps the “getting to know your neighbor” process.  The ship sleeps 50 people in various nooks and crannies.  Virtually every bench, counter and bunk room doubles as a handy storage area.  There is a mess hall and lounge on the main level.  The upper level has the aft deck and medical clinic.  My team, the primary health care team, holds land based clinics, and the dentists use the medical clinic on board.  At times the ship does feel very small.  During last week’s outreach in the capitol city, Port Moresby, we not only had a full ship but also multiple other DTS students (disciple ship training schools)helping us in the clinic.  They were in town from Kona, Hawaii and Swtizerland (Last week we had 14 nations represented and this week we have 11). The total meals served  by the cooking staff last week was over 2000 - which is amazing given the size of the ship’s kitchen. Despite the small space, I have found a couple cubbies that give me not only a quiet space but also great views of the sunrise and sunset.   I usually take advantage of one of those quiet spots each day.  Overall, a ship’s life is suiting me well and bringing back childhood memories of weekend getaways on Encore, our family’s sailboat.

Speaking of sailboats, we do “set sail” around 12 AM Saturday morning (so probably around 10 AM Friday for all you on Eastern Standard time).  They are predicting that it will take 24 - 28 hours to get to the Bamu Area (on the PNG map, look for the Eastern mouth of the Fly River) of the Western Province.  Our ship apparently does not travel at rapid speeds.  Not much activity is planned while we are sailing.  From the sounds of it, seasickness is more the normal for most passenger’s while sailing - so I will be grabbing my bucket, praying for calm winds and waters, and trying to stare at the horizon as much as possible (see GBR post).

Last week, we had 1 day in a nearby village and 4 days in Port Moresby clinics.  On Monday, we loaded up a large flatbed truck - my total count was 29 in the back - and headed to the village as clinics were closed due to the public holiday - Day of Rememberance.  The village clinic was pretty small so I set up my shop under a shady tree.  It was my ideal set-up: great breeze and sunshine.  I worked one on one with 15 villagers that day - mostly treating low back pain and knee pain with various stretching and strengthening exercises.  I felt like I had plenty of time and space to connect with each patient which was definitely a blessing.  None of the patients or healthcare workers have worked with an athletic trainer before.  Education has been a big chunk of each of my consults and trainings.  Education has included anatomy, education about the benefit of the prescribed exercise and how each patient can add these exercises to their daily routine.  My days in the clinics looked fairly similar to my first day at the village - everyday I did get to lead an exercise class or two with exercises focusing on benefiting back and knee pain.  I also got to teach the healthcare workers at the clinics a session on back and knee anatomy/treatment. 

The clinics were super busy, and we provided 962 medical services this week.  I worked one on one with 60 patients.  God provided in so many ways.  Every clinic was filled with moms and babies.  I have never seen so many kids and babies - everywhere.  These kids made me miss Hannah and Charles so much.   Walking through the clinic waiting areas, it is so easy to see that musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction is the least of their worries.  But I am super thankful that I get to play my small part in helping people have a higher quality of life.

I’m so glad I got to take advantage of my clinic leader’s computer and iphone to post today.  I am really, looking forward to our next outreach which starts tonight with the sail and glad I got to touch base with y’all before I go internet free for 2 ½ more weeks.  We will have 2 weeks of clinic in the Western Province and then head back.   Hope that all is well with you.  Holding all of you in my heart.  Send an e-mail to mkmart@gmail.com if you think about it...I would love to hear what you are up to.  Check out www.ywamships.org for updates...also look at Kim Cooper’s blog from last week’s outreach in the Townsville Bulletin.

Moment of the week:  Hard to pick just one...but one of the top ones was teaching moms in the community how to take care of their backs.  One Mom with six kids came up to me after one of my classes and was so thankful.  She had never heard about belly strength contributing to a healthy strong back. 

Movement of the week:  Dead bug - for abdominal strengthening and four-point leg extension.  More to come on those exercises when I have more timeJ

Quote of the week:  “Many small people in many small places doing many small things can alter the face of the world.”