Yuan Weizhou, who followed up, anxiously asked, "Will this really work?"
Luo Qiao, while helping to position her correctly, replied, "By doing this, the physiological lordosis of the lumbar spine will straighten out gradually as the lower legs are raised. As the curvature straightens, the capacity of the spinal canal increases, thereby reducing the pressure of the protruding intervertebral disc on the nerves."
Before long, Song Huizhen said, "It really does feel a lot better."
Only then did Luo Qiao continue, "Your condition isn’t just a lumbar disc protrusion; it’s also affecting the sciatic nerve. By doing this exercise, the protrusion’s pressure on the nerve is lessened, which reduces the stimulation of the nerve and quickly alleviates the symptoms of sciatic nerve pain."
Song Huizhen expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much, Qiaoqiao."
Luo Qiao patted her hand, "No need to be so formal with me. You still have to be careful in the future not to overexert yourself. Once you’re feeling a bit better, I will help you with a full-body massage."
Lv Yanyang, the daughter-in-law, came over, "Mom, from now on, just call us to come over and help; don’t overwork yourself again."
Ning Lingyu quickly agreed, "Mom, big sister is right."
Song Huizhen felt quite embarrassed, worrying everyone during the New Year, "I’m fine, there’s not much to do at home usually; don’t worry about me. Go down and be with the kids, and check on the progress in the kitchen."
Yuan Jianing quietly asked Luo Qiao, "Qiaoqiao, this illness of my mom’s won’t just flare up from time to time, will it? She seems to be in a lot of pain."
Luo Qiao replied, "It’s difficult to say for sure, as there are many possible causes for the condition. We need to pay more attention in the future. After sitting for an extended period, one should stand up and move around to avoid fatigue-induced injuries. It’s also important to keep the back warm and to avoid excessive bending and lifting. Squatting to lift heavy items is best practice."
Song Huizhen listened attentively, thinking she needed to be more careful not to cause trouble for the family in the future.
Yuan Jianing stayed upstairs to keep Song Huizhen company, while Luo Qiao went downstairs to check on the children.
After descending the stairs, she saw a few little ones eating fruit. Lu Yichen made room for her, "How is it going? Is everything alright?"
The Yuan family gathered around as well, each showing a face brimming with concern.
"It’s fine. It’s just a lumbar disc protrusion. Once your aunt is feeling a bit better, I will give her a massage, and as long as she takes care in the future, there shouldn’t be any problems."
Tiong Shulan asked, "So as long as she avoids strenuous activities in the future, the condition won’t flare up, right?"
Luo Qiao took the water handed to her by Lu Yichen and took a few sips, "Regularly, it’s important to avoid bending and carrying heavy loads excessively, to prevent speeding up the degeneration of the intervertebral discs."
Lv Yanyang, the eldest daughter-in-law, spoke up, "So, in essence, she just can’t overexert herself, that’s what you mean?"
Luo Qiao nodded, "Pretty much. Also, try to avoid sitting for long periods and get up to stretch periodically."
Everyone felt reassured after hearing Luo Qiao’s advice. Lv Yanyang said, "In the future, Lingyu and I will come back home more often to help mom with work."
Ning Lingyu also nodded, "Okay."
Watching the three little ones finish their fruit, Luo Qiao took them to wash their hands.
Yuan Jiadong ran over, "I’ll play with my little brothers."
Xu Yuqing laughed and said, "Jiale, you’ve forgotten again. These aren’t your little brothers; they’re your little nephews."
Yuan Jiale frowned, "But I don’t want to be called uncle; I want to be called brother."
Yuan Weicheng walked over, "Son, there’s nothing you can do about it. With your seniority, you can only be called little uncle or little uncle."
At this moment, Yanyan and Yueyue also ran over, "Little uncle, why don’t you want to be called little uncle again?"
Yuan Jiale pouted, "No other kids in my kindergarten are uncles or uncles."
This remark made everyone in the room laugh, dispelling the gloomy atmosphere that had settled because of Song Huizhen’s illness.
The three little ones made a fuss about playing in the yard, and a few younger members of the Yuan family wanted to follow, leading everyone to move to the courtyard.
Yuan Jiale, being resilient, led a few of the older kids out of the yard, while Luo Qiao, Ning Lingyu, and Xu Yuqing followed them out, mainly because only part of the snow in the large courtyard had been cleared, and they were afraid the kids might fall.
Unexpectedly, around the corner, they encountered Zhong Zhaowei and Zou Lina, both of whom had grim expressions, as if they had just had a quarrel.