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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

How's the old leg?

So glad you asked! It's as impenetrably odd as always.
Whoever heard of such a thing? A leg that never totally heals.
Here's the short and sweet:
- Two doctors and one chiropractor have insisted I'm totally healthy
- X-rays at least are finally normal (I actually have them, I just have to figure out how to take a picture so I can post it).*
- Still have occasional ill-defined pain, either a cold ache in the back of my leg or a hot burn in the front, both mid-thigh.
- Rest doesn't make the pain change from baseline at all
- Sometimes, running makes the pain worse; sometimes, running makes the pain better; but if I have a little pain, it always vanishes once I'm warmed up.
- Squats and lunges always trigger pain later in the day
- I actually went to another chiropractor, despite a terrible experience last time, and this time was much impressed
(More LRC pics...all I have for ya this post!)

So what am I doing? 
1. Basically, back to running, just nothing excessive. I'm doing 40 - 45 MPW, almost my normal level, but I haven't done anything intense just in case (actually, I did do one intense speed session, and it was a mistake: I didn't hurt, but boy was I out of shape). I did some slow races (see photographic heel-striking proof to the right).  I never wake up in pain or feel pain while I run, and I don't think about the injury all the time. But I have good days and bad days. Last Tuesday was a rest day, and my leg kind of ached all day. I went home and did some hip strengthening and stretching, and it improved a lot.
2. So I continue to pay attention to stretching and strengthening. My theory is that muscles are tugging at their insertions, and the bone aches. I have to be careful to avoid that scenario, since it could lead to a stress fracture.
One thing that every healthcare professional has said and agreed upon is that my (very mild) scoliosis plays a part in rotating the hip and putting torsional stress on key muscles. This tells me which muscles to take extra care with: all the adductors, the psoas, the glutes.
3. The other thing I have to keep in mind is that I do have osteitis pubis, the injury that started this all, and it is a chronic condition. While it is self-limiting, I could conceivably alter my running to protect the area, and I need to NOT do that to prevent injury.

So that's where I am now. I've been officially cleared to run since September, but I gave myself a few more months off and started back in November. It has now been nearly three months and, while I have lost ALL THE SPEED, I am just glad to be able to run. Will I ever be 100% healthy, or have a 100% diagnosis? Maybe not, but I'm in a manageable place and I'm happy about it.

*Newish to the blog? I had a stress fracture of the femur that was obvious on MRI and xray. Latest x-rays show the calcification around the sight to be resorbing finally.

15 comments:

  1. Great picture! Sounds like it's improving and you're doing everything right and being cautious.

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  2. So glad you're in a better place with running! I'm sure it's a little stressful because I'd still be wondering if I do this or that will I reaggravate the injury? But I guess that's how it is in reality for all of us -- always something that could happen.

    Best of luck moving forward!

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  3. I'm glad you are running--40-45 MPW isn't anything to sneeze it, either. You've been smart with this and I think that will pay off with healthy running. Fingers crossed everything "holds" for you.

    I found out I have osteitis pubis in my last MRI too. I'm pretty sure I developed it 13 years ago when I first went back to running postpartum. It only flares its head a bit now and again so I'm not too worried about it.

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    1. Yeah, I didn't realize that osteitis pubis is basically a non-issue. Occasional discomfort; self-limiting. Unfortunately I took months off to "heal" it only to injure myself by coming back too vigorously. Silly me.

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  4. Wow, 40-45 MPW is pretty high! That's impressive! Glad you are back at running.

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  5. Yay! Gracie's back!!!! Sounds like you are being smart and doing well. The speed will be back in no time. :)

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  6. Well if a couple of doctors and a chiropractor think you're fine then you must be. (Idiots!) But if you ask me with all my knowledge of being a vet (haven't practised in 25 years), watching too many medical dramas and absorbing information from my physio son, it sounds like neural pain - those hot and cold sensations. But then again I probably don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

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    1. And you're exactly right! That is part of it! Follow-up post to come!

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  7. Have no idea about any of the multi-syllable words you used, but I do agree with Point#2. Also, I've had a lot of aches and pains over the years that subsided once I started running - in fact my self-destructive motto is "Just run through it"! I think it's actually a great sign that in some cases the pain goes away after activity. Glad you're confident about running again and we don't have to read ridiculous posts about you becoming a ballerina or whatever it was.

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    1. My total lack of coordination might have prevented my ballet career from blossoming anyway.

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  8. I agree that 40-45 is pretty high so it's great that you can maintain that level of mileage with no issues for the most part. Hope that continues to be the case!

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    1. That's my usual, but during marathon season it's closer to 50, sometimes 55. In the summer, it's more 35 - 40.

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  9. I'll bet if you switch over to an anti-inflammatory diet of charred kabocha squash smothered in coconut oil, chia pudding, chili flakes and cinnamon all that pain will disappear. The hard part is that you must eat it at every meal every day.

    So fun that you're running again :)

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    1. I tried taking turmeric capsules as my one nod to anti-inflammatories, but all I did was burp up curry all the time.

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    2. Turmeric will never be confused with excrement. Therein lies your problem.

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