Coincidence or causation?

Monday I took my first Yoga/Pilates class at the Y. This is not a real Yoga class, nor a real Pilates class. The instructor said nothing about breathing. She just took us through a mix of Yoga and Pilates poses, with a focus on core work. This is good for me because I need core work. This is also potentially bad for me because it was mostly lower ab work.

Here's the thing. About 12 years ago I had a serious of issues which resulted in 2 surgeries. Things were cut out. Things were sewn back together. Scar tissue formed. If you think about it, sewing things back together involves pulling and slightly overlapping the edges. The edges have to touch to heal, right?

Soon after the first surgery, I started having lower back issues. I developed arthritis in the same hip the surgery was on. Coincidence? Maybe yes, maybe no. The back issues could be related to falling from the top of the pine tree in our back yard as a child. I landed on my ass on a root, and walked funny for several weeks after. That tree was as big as our house and it's astonishing to me that I walked away with no lasting damage. I do blame the arthritis on the surgery. I believe things got pulled, then things started rubbing where they hadn't...

I'm jumping all over the place here, aren't I? Stay with me now. The 2nd surgery was a direct result of the back pain. In addition to the tree incident, I also fell down at least 2 flights of stairs and popped something doing a throw at Tae Kwon Do. After years of doctor's visits, Xrays, scans, and several prescription drugs, they finally thought they figured out what was wrong with me and decided to operate. They didn't find what they thought, the back pain didn't go away, but I now have more scar tissue across my lower abdominal area.

What does all this have to do with my Yoga/Pilates class? Not much really, because the Yoga/Pilates class is the means to the end I'm trying to reach. In class we did a lot of lower ab work. Yesterday my knee hurt, which means my IT band was inflamed again. I rolled it out, which helped some. Later, I stretched on my Pilates ball and the pain went away. Want to know what I stretched? That's right, my lower abdominal area. Coincidence, or causation? I'm beginning to think this is where my problem lies. I'm not yet sure what to do about it except keep stretching and working the area. The scar tissue will never go away, but I understand it is possible to make it stronger and more pliable.

Oh, and by the way:

I still have to scrub the grout stains off the tile, then seal the grout. I also have not actually INSTALLED the sink faucet, but otherwise I am effectively done. Now to put my house back together and start thinking about how and when to do the kitchen...