Interoception skills is something that I focus on daily with my self-regulation work with kids. But recently I realized that mine needed work too!
Background history
Most of you don’t know that the past few years I dealt with having my kidneys fail. As I result, I spent 10 months on dialysis (sitting immobile in a recliner for 3.5 hours at a time, 5 days per week) before thankfully getting a kidney transplant in March of 2021. Due to minor complications, I had decreased mobility for about 3 months.
As I recovered more and gained more energy, I noticed that my back was starting to hurt more. Finally, I went to the doctor for testing and got a PT referral.
The interoception connection
I am lucky to have two amazing PTs. The first one I saw immediately noticed that my (huge, 8-inch) scar from my surgery was adhering to my muscles and making them unable to work correctly. The second one that I saw noticed that my posture was a major issue due to all the tightness in my core. This is embarrassing to share, but check out the “before and after” photos. The “before” photo was my normal posture. My new kidney was placed on my left side in front of my pelvis so some of the belly sticking out is from that. The “after” picture was taken the same day and was me standing the way that she taught me.
Relearning how to use my muscles
As I was doing my prescribed exercises last week, it occurred to me that my interoception in my muscles was way off. I certainly did not realize that I was putting all my weight on my heels, and tilting my body backwards! My PTs have me doing “simple” exercises like marching while seated. I have to sit with good posture, engage my core, then lift my leg up then to the side. The first few days were so hard because I had to concentrate just to use the right muscles! For some of my other exercises, I have to do them in front of a mirror to make sure that my hips are bent to 90 degrees.
Interoception impacts everything!
I am definitely improving in all areas, especially my posture. I notice that I still struggle with back pain when I am walking and I have to really concentrate on using the correct muscles so I don’t revert to my bad posture habits.
Learning how to use our interoceptive skills can be a long, ongoing process. Keep this in mind when addressing it with kids (or adults). It can take longer than you think to clue in to your body’s sensations and a multisensory approach can work best. In my case, one of my PTs verbally told me how to stand but that is not my learning style. It took putting her hands on me and placing me into the uncomfortable, but correct, position plus lots of practice on my part to improve. I took the photos to give myself a visual. Everyday I stand in front of the mirror and try to stand correctly before I look. Most of the time now I got it!
What role has interoception played in your life?
I am curious if you ever stop and do body checks or notice different body sensations? Do any of you have back pain like me and had to work with a PT to learn how to use your muscles correctly?
