All Blacks veteran Sam Whitelock has joined up with the squad in Japan after recovering from an ear issue that affected his balance.
The second-row suffered the problem after playing with his children on the trampoline and soon felt out of it with his balance and vision being influenced.
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Slow recovery
Whitelock admits it took some time to come right and spent most of the five days bedbound as he recovered. Now that he is back, the All Black is looking forward to joining up with the team again.
“Long story short, there are some little crystals in your ears, in your inner ear, and they all got into a little bit of a weird funk. That’s why I lost a little bit of balance, my vision was pretty blurred, and it took a little time to get right,” Whitelock told the All Blacks‘ official website.
“But I had some amazing people help me get it right, people in Christchurch, people in Auckland. Everyone’s given me some space to get it right, and now I’m looking forward to getting back to the team environment and getting into some contact.”
There are exercises to help the ear concern, but it is important to identify which of the ear canals has been affected and then do the required activities that help balance and sight recover.
“From my little bit of knowledge, there are three inner ear canals and each of them affect your balance and sight differently,” the second-row added.
“You have to work out which one it is, and then go through different protocols and exercises to get it right.”
Preparing for a exciting Test window
Whitelock is delighted to have rejoined the squad and is looking forward to the exciting string of Test matches ahead.
The All Blacks face Japan in Tokyo on Saturday before travelling to the United Kingdom, where they take on Wales on November 5, then Scotland on November 13 before a blockbuster clash against England at Twickenham on November 19.