Not to post more and more about pain, but

[ritaxis]

I had got to the point where I was not only pain-free but it felt actively good to use my legs. I forgot the exercises for less than a week. Weeks and weeks of exercising again later the pain was still getting worse to the point where it was about as bad as it was before physical therapy. So I went back. The wonderful physical therapist did a new assessment, and says I have "myofascial adhesions" and demonstrated that the skin doesn't slide over my lower legs or much of my upper legs at all -- it's like a solid block of material. He gave me a freview of my exercises -- I was certain that I was doing something wrong, and I was, but it wasn't causing my situation, just failing to alleviate it as much as if I was doing it right. Next time he's going to teach me how to walk right and do some deep-tissue massage.

Pain makes a person tired and gloomy, but I perked uop when I recalled that actually this is the state my arms were in twenty years ago or so and the things the first physical therapist did, and taught me to do, for that, have resulted in permanent improvement. Even though I don't always do all the right things. And ditto the things the other physical therapist did and taught me to do for my shoulders.

I think this is about to devolve into advice for the young: go to the physical therapist early and often and do what they tell you to do. I have had this kind of ridiculous "oh it must be in my head so I'll ignore it" pain all of my life. If I had been going to the physical therapist every time it persisted more than a month, starting at an early age, who knows what all would have been better in my life. In any case, I'm looking forward to losing this latest round of ridiculous sleep-destroying, distracting, annoying pain.

On another front: it rained again this morning, which is good for the land and destroys my plan of riding the bike to the workshop on preschool physical development I am going to in fifteen minutes.

Comments

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you have a good therapist. I'll add something else: if you have any kind of injury or trauma, treat yourself like an athlete and seek out professionals whose job it is to return athletes to full functionality.

Most athletes have severe injuries in the cause of their careers. Occasionally they have a really bad one or one too many - but most of the time, they will tear ligaments or break bones *and go back to perform at top levels*. (And yes, they're considerably fitter - but they also expect a lot more. It balances out.)

Those who treat the general population are often happy when their patients regain a modicum of mobility. You can hobble, you can raise your arm - that's enough. No athlete would settle for that; they'd keep seeking out professionals until they found one and found the exercises and programmes that helped them. I've seen a lot of people settle for bad treatment plans (or no treatment plans at all) and I've experienced the power of sports medicine twice - I came out of my shattered collarbone with 98% mobility - when I left the hospital, it was about 60%, but it was 'good enough' and they told me I'd always have problems, too bad.