Look at me I'm a pin cushion!

I've been having trouble with my knee. Starting about last fall, it was harder and harder to run every day. When it comes to body aches and pains, I never know whether to rest it or grit my teeth through the pain. I'm never sure whether to apply ice or heat. So I did what everyone in my position would do. I ignored it.

So fast forward to this spring when I couldn't walk without a limp and running was completely impossible. With dragonboat season looming, something had to be done. I made an appointment with a physiotherapist and she started treatment right away.

When I say I was poked and prodded, I'm not exaggerating. She gave me a great and thorough (each appointment was an hour) exam and diagnosed me with IT band syndrome. Supposedly it's a muscle or tendon or some such thing that extends on the outside of your thigh from your knee to your hip and if it gets stiff it wrecks your gait which wrecks everything which is why my knee was so sore. 

After just 5 appointments I'm nearly normal. She gave me acupuncture (see photo above), massage (you'd think that would be soothing but if you saw me holding back the tears, you'd know different) and a whole bunch of exercises to follow (did you know that working on your core muscles helps your, well, everything?). Oh and apparently the way I've been walking for 43 years is wrong wrong wrong so she had me correct that as well. 

Anyway, the short version is that physio = good. She's got me running again (but only 3 times a week) and I have been fit as a fiddle for dragonboat practices. Yes, it's a bit expensive but it's completely worth it. 

kxx