I have spent 6 of the most excruciating days of my life, ever since I came in from last Saturday's easy 5-miler, stretched, plotted out my July training on my big Dry-Erase board and went upstairs to shower. I noticed that a piece of clothing had fallen off the drying rack in the laundry room, bent to pick it up and -WHAM - I felt the twinge which has felled countless folks who - like me - find themselves staring head on at a new decade of life, the big 4-0.
So, not only have I not run since Saturday, I can barely walk without pain. While my back seems a little better, I appear to have sciatica, given the pain in my left hip and thigh, coupled with numbness and tingling around my left knee.. This is a colossal drag because I'm just about technically "on vacation" for 2 weeks, and I'm not sure I can help my wife pack the van to go away. My online research says that sciatica strikes people between ages 30-50 (dead center, I am) and that it usually resolves itself in 3 weeks to 3 months! I'm trying not to panic about my fitness and training, but qualifying for Boston does seem to be getting further and further away.
At this point, treatment has been 3 chiropractic sessions, along with 800 mg ibuprofen (prescription strength) and Flexeril (a useless muscle relaxer). I'm desperately hoping that I feel better by Sunday so that I can say I only missed 1 week and can try to get an 8+-miler in. If I'm better, I plan to ease back into Pfitzinger, but I'll have to hyper-cautious about even the slightest niggle in my back. The other risk, of course, is the development of new aches and pains as a result of compensation for the back.
Well, enough complaining. Happy Independence Day everyone, and I hope to be joining you on the roads again very soon.
-ESG
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3 comments:
You should also add in some stretches at home, some techniques to free your lower back joints and to rebalance your pelvis. This way you will need less Chiropractic treatment and heal faster.
This is what I teach my patients, so that they can help them self a lot more.
Great article. All the best
Dr Graeme Teague
The Back Pain Advisor
www.back-pain-advisor.com
www.backpainadvisor.wordpress.com
Bummer dude - You're based in New England somewhere right? I go to the doctors that treat the Celtics in Waltham, Ma. "ProSports" - very good. Have helped me through torn achiles, broken ankle and smashed patela (and that's all since I turned 40) Age is irrelevant unless you let it be relevant.
C-,
ChrisRunner@runrunlive.com
Man!! That suxx!! Dont we all wish we could be 20something and bounce back like nothing from an injury like that. Looking at your times, you have good leg speed, now you have to work on your long distance endurance. Good luck in your Mod-Pfitz program!!
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