Crap from the barn

     I am confident that I have identified my topic of research. I am going to research to what extent exercises both mentally and physically can help reduce lower back pain for Equestrian athletes. I am not going to consider those athletes that have structural deviations related to their back such as scoliosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis just to name a few.

     My head is still swimming with ideas, how to organize and be specific. I have notes every where. Ideas will surface while I am riding horses, cleaning the barn or house, and driving down the road. I do not want to loose the thoughts so they are written down and hopefully are significant enough to remember later in the writing and construction process.

     I think I have a solid start on where I am headed with my action research. The ideas are flowing as expressed earlier in this bog but also others. After discussion with my professor, it seems my ideas are collecting in a category called Mixed Methods for both the Qualitative and Quantitative Research. It also appears that my research questions may fall into what is called triangulation which uses multiple sources of data as explained on pages 56-57 in our text Action Research by Geoffrey Mills.

     To this point, my reading research has strictly focused on the physical exercises and familiarizing myself with back and abdominal anatomy. A thorough understanding of how the muscles work and how they influence one another is of utmost importance to know which exercises will be most beneficial for my students and their progress.

     I am struggling to find information about how the back muscles influence the abdominal muscles and visa versa. An example would be, if a rider has underdeveloped abdominal muscles can that cause stress and ultimately lower back pain? Any additional suggestions from my professor or classmates in pinpointing this cause and effect relationship would be most helpful.

     I have yet to research the mental exercises and impact on lower back pain. Honestly, this may be an area that may be deleted as my research continues. I do know that mental stress is definitely reflected in both the performance of the horse and rider. I am just not certain that the tension it brings to the body plays a role in lower back pain

    Additional resources are always an asset. I am lacking quality journal articles. Most of my research is in books, therefore, it takes me a while to complete each reading. I know my topic is quite unique from others in my class and it is unlikely my classmates would uncover any information related to lower back pain in equestrian athletes. However, any additional resources would be welcome.