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Downtown Temple,NH

Monday, April 27, 2009

Riddle me this Batman...

Let's start with some good news first. The vertigo is finally gone (or at least gone enough). I can't tell you how or why but but it was my chiropractor that made the single biggest improvement in my condition. He believes pretty much any ailment can be cured with chiropractic care. I'm much more of a skeptic but I still enjoy my visits. He's a runner and cyclist and understands how some of us need to get back in the game as soon as possible. If nothing else, he's very informative, more so than any doctor I see. So for vertigo he gets a thumbs up.

Onto running...and one of the strangest injuries I think I've ever had.
  • I can walk pain-free, up or down stairs.
  • I can use the Eliptical machine pain-free.
  • I can ride a bike pain-free. I rode 22 miles on Friday and 41 miles on Sunday with NO issues.
  • I can hike a mountain pain-free. I hiked Mt Monadnock with my kids on Saturday with NO issues.
  • I can rake, I can shovel dirt, I can lift 50lb bags of fertilizer.
  • I can do sit ups.
  • I can't run more than a couple of steps without stopping.
It's been 2 weeks since I last went for a run. Other than knee surgery, I can't remember any injury that has prevented me from running longer than this one. The pain feels the same today than it did 2 weeks ago when I stopped running.

I've been to two doctors (including a sports medicine doctor), a chiropractor and a physical therapist. According to them it's a:
  • hip flexor strain
  • SI Joint Dysfunction
  • ab strain
  • tensor fascia lata strain
In other words, not a single one agrees what the problem is. Each does some test that identifies a weakness somewhere, and they all might be right. I may have all the above problems. BUT, I'm not convinced any of these are the root cause of my pain while running.

So if anyone wants to play 'name that pain' here's the summary of my symptoms:
  • The pain is on my right side, either right in the middle of my side or slightly to the rear.
  • It's right above my waistline, just above the iliac crest, sort of in the 'love handle' area.
  • It feels deep. I have to push pretty hard to find it.
  • It is somehow related to rotation. If I plant my foot and then rotate (getting up from my desk and going to the right) it hurts.
  • When I try to run it hurts on each foot strike with my right foot.
Other than that I feel great!

9 comments:

Laurel said...

Are you sure it is musculoskeletal in nature, and not something like kidney stones? Just a thought.

Michael said...

I think the technical term for what you have is called: "dealwiththedevilitis". It's in the fine print of the contract that you signed with him back in 2008. "Run like a banshee for one calendar year. Run whatever races you want as fast as you want. Road, Trail, Mtn. & Snowshoe. Set all kinds of PR's including a sub 3:00 marathon. But, after a just one year you can never ever run again. You can do everything else. Just not run.

How many of us would sign that deal? Hmmm.

Jedi Dadi said...

I don't need deals to set PR's, I just need to train harder.
Some day I'll look back at all of this and I'll still see you behind me :-)

Scott Mason said...

Piriformis Syndrome?

Sounds somewhat similar to that, which i had even though i could run, just not easily. My massage therapist took care of it, but it took some time to rid myself of it fully.

Jedi Dadi said...

I went to the gym this morning and tried to find something that tweaked my side (besides running). I tried crunches, pull ups, one legged squats, cable hip adductors and cable hip abductors, leg press and probably something else I can't remember. Nothing I tried had any affect on my side.

I've been stretching the heck out of every muscle in the general area from my ITB, TFL, piriformis and hamstring. Did I mention I HATE stretching...

Scotty "PHAT" Graham said...

I'll give you an answer in one word...Olditis. Your body needs more time to recover. You've been hammering yourself for the last year. Take a break, smell the roses...I want to beat you next time we meet up. Like that will ever happen!! Take care buddy. Hope to see you at Big Lake Half where you can put a beating on me.

Jedi Dadi said...

and what do you call taking two weeks off from running??? I thought I WAS resting.

Jim Hansen said...

Hey Steve,
Let me know if you want to borrow one of my Z-Health joint mobility DVDs or one of my DVDs on The Malalignment Syndrome. There may be something useful for you in either of these.
Jim

http://www.zhealth.net/

http://www.backhealthworks.ca/index.php?p=home

Trish said...

hi steve, enjoyed reading your blog and understand your frustration. I've had kidney stones and thats a much sharper pain that's unbearable. best of luck figuring it out,
trish
buttercupberet.blogspot.com