I'm fascinating

The more it starts to let me down, the more interesting my body becomes.

Today I visited the physio again to restart my failed effort at getting back to running.

I learned that my knees have a good level of hyperextensibility (they can be bent ever so slightly the wrong way, if that makes sense), that my I’m slightly knocked kneed, and that my ankles are (as I knew) completely fucked. No wait, that wasn’t the term he used at first…

Anyway, I wasn’t there about my ankles – which aren’t all that bad but he said we might have to work on them if I want to get back to running… which doesn’t make sense as I WAS running on the self-same ankles – I was there about my knee.

To be fair it’s been a little better of late, I’ve been a lot more disciplined in doing my exercises but it still feels like someone is pushing a sharp pin into my knee at times, mainly when you push on the really sore bit. Which, frankly, I think he did one more time than was necessary…

He also suggested that I may have had a touch of the Osgood-Schlatters which has contributed to my weak Vastus Lateralis. You can tell this from the knobbly bits below your knees, the last bump before the shinbone starts. The one on my left leg is much larger than the one on my right, which he found odd as, having done an analysis of my mechanics it’s actually my right leg that should be injured and sore as it’s all out of alignment (again, big word for that but can’t recall it).

Anyway, I’ve got new exercises to do, and will be back in a month. I’m determined to see this through this time, so at the weekend I’ll be out to buy some ankle weights.

And just to confirm that all sadists are physios (yes I DO believe that is the correct way round), he said he was giving me an exocentric exercise (I think that’s what he said), which would “be a bit more painful but I think you need some pain”.

So there you have it, it’s almost like going back in time.

Comments

  1. Eccentric contractions, perhaps?

    No shin splints for you? I’ve started running a month ago, and am suffering with those, so I’ve slowed down to walking to the fridge during half time of euro08 matches for the next couple of weeks!

  2. Getting to the physio is a good step to take (if you’ll pardon the pun). I avoided going to one about my knee for ages because I was expecting a “don’t do too much exercise on it” diagnosis and didn’t want to miss any games of 5-a-side before leaving for Italy…

    Only to find out when I finally went that I just needed to do some strengthening exercises for my thighs, and I was pain-free in a week or so with no footie missed. I’d have kicked myself, but that might’ve caused a new injury… 😉

  3. My sympathies, Gordon. After almost 10 years of running without major problems, I developed chondromalacia (beat that for long words!) and had to have a steroid injection in my knee today. Feels as if someone’s poured molten lead into my leg.

    Hope your recovery is swift!

  4. VioletSky – that’s it! Eccentric contractions. Cheers.

    I used to suffer from shin splints, was once told that it was because I was doing too much too soon so be careful.

    Vicky, ouch! (and hi! longtime!) hope it sorts you out.

  5. It’s a total mystery to me why people choose to run, knowing what will happen to them eventually.

    There must be other, less damaging, ways to get those endorphins, surely?

  6. Of course there is BW, but any kind of active exercise has risk of injury, doesn’t matter what it is. Perhaps running injuries seem more prevalent because more people do it?

    You don’t hear many “yeah I had to quit amateur javelin cos I did my elbow in..”

  7. “I think you need some pain” is the most disturbing thing I think a medical professional can say.

    Apart from, possibly, ‘Oops’.

    It’s up there, anyway.

Comments are closed.