So, the trifecta hits in one day! I must say that I truly do have some of the BEST doctors here in Seattle working for me and my high maintenance body.
This morning I went to Travis Orth, my awesome physical therapist, to report on my exercises. Lo and behold it is NOT my piriformis muscles because all that piriformis work did not do a whole lot. He said that he really thought it was my back, which was fortunate because I had a chiropractor appointment this evening. So, I have a whole new set of exercises to work on the multifidus muscles, which function to move the spine as a whole.
Fun Fact: according to Dr. Larry, my chiropractor, the multifidus muscles are unique in that each section works independently of the other sections both up and down the spine as well as the left and right. This means that the right lower multifidus can fire independently of the upper or left multifidus. Cool, huh!
Back to Travis, since it is my back, I am no longer allowed to do any exercises with flexion (meaning bending over). So, the dead lifts are out; the balancing bends, out; lunges, out (for good measure; biking, out (sitting in flexion); etc. However, I can walk (on treadmill or outside) and use the elliptical machine.I also have to sit in the neutral spine position at all times.
Fun Fact: To find neutral spine, lay on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent. First lift your lower back in as high of an arch as possible. Then, press your lower back down as much as possible. Neutral spine is the position in between these two positions. Thanks, Travis!
So, I then head over to Dr. Larry’s office where he says that he thought he was my back all along 🙂 Anyway, the L5 adjustment was just the same as my lower back adjustment, but more focused on the specific vertebrae. I also requested a set up on the shoulder, which did the trick, and he pulled my left hip and ankle to pop them both. It was a fantastic adjustment day.
I then head into my massage therapist, Linda this week (“Where’s my jello?”). So, I’m explaining the sciatic and how it’s not piriformis, etc. Somehow I tell her my hip flexor (the ilopsoas) is really tight on my right side. She says that it is connected to the L5 vertebrae, and that she has to go in from the front to get to it since it is a deep muscle. Wow!!! I had never had anything like that done. Plus, if the hip flexor is pulling the vertebrae to the right, then no wonder it is the left sciatic nerve with issues.
This is getting better and better! I’m feeling like we’re about to figure some major stuff out.
Well, this massage was simply wonderful and very needed. I had knots in my right and especially my left quadriceps and my left hamstring was really, really sensitive. Linda said that my IT bands felt way better because they were moving rather than just stuck together! Yay!!! That is awesome because I have been working on them for a very long time, and, finally, I have confirmation of progress! Yippee!!!
Also, she worked on the left and right ankles. Well, that left ankle hurt me and apparently her as well because it was so tight. Then, she moved to the really weird iliopsoas muscles. She basically pushed down through the hip bone to the back where she just kind of pushed on the hip flexor. My left side was super easy, but my right side (the tight one) was incredibly painful.
I also asked Dr. Larry if I needed to sleep a certain way, and he said no. Just sleeping on different sides is good enough, and my husband confirmed that I am definitely sleeping on multiple sides with the fact that I always end up with the covers on my side or wrapped around me as proof. Dr. Larry also said that if my hip flexor was tight he would do some activation on it next time.
So, in summary, no running and no exercises with flexion until I have had a chance to further strengthen my back and get the sciatic inflammation down. Still a work in progress….
Tags: chiropractor, flexion, hip flexor, massage, multifidus muscles, neutral spine, physical therapy, sciatic, sleeping
#1 written by Aihanh June 3rd, 2010 at 23:30
Girl–don’t you think you’re still a bit too young for that mess? It’s funny…your hubby and I had a brief IM moment and I mentioned something about getting to a certain age and really feeling mortality slap you in the face. I am taking my 7 weeks off and being productive. I am working on new recipes (with low glycemic index) and hope to get more active. My joints need lubrication. I’m also paring down the nicotine intake. I really thought I would miss it, but so far it’s limited to the occasional drive and social smoking. One of these days, I’ll be an Adam-type smoker and have to keep cloves in the freezer.
I’m so glad you are spending so much time and energy and care on yourself. Good friends are extremely hard to come by (being an “angry Asian” and all), and it’s good to know you’ll be around for many more decades. 🙂 <3 🙂
Good luck with everything. We should definitely chit chat more often. xox
#2 written by admin June 8th, 2010 at 03:54
Hooray for you!!! I second that motion that good friends are hard to come by, and I’m so glad you’re working on yourself, too! I can’t wait to find the cloves in your freezer 🙂 Plus, decades from now, we can still go to the Grand Canyon and hike it! Oh, yeah.
Miss you bunches! Good luck with your 7 weeks off. xoxox