“My dear, it’s not your body that’s broken. It’s your brain.”That’s just what I wanted to hear during the first consult with my new physical therapist. There’s nothing like hearing a medical professional tell you your brain isn’t working right, especially when you walked into the office thinking the pain was in your hip.
I didn’t want to believe him. But he told me to lay on my stomach and lift one leg using my glute muscles.
“Nope. Try it again,” he told me.
Whatever! I thought. I can do this, my stubborn mind said. So I tried again, and failed again. I failed all the tests he threw at me that day.
“How do you think you can run properly if you can’t do something as simple as lifting your leg?” The new PT said. It was a rhetorical question. So we started retraining my brain.
A couple weeks ago I wrote about Platelet Rich Plasma therapy (PRP) for chronic injuries. In that post, I explained that short-term recovery means no activity for at least two weeks after the injection. Doctors also tell patients to stay away from anti-inflammatory over-the-counter drugs (like ibuprofen or naproxen) and no icing the injection spot for six to eight weeks. So once patients clear those hurdles, what comes next? If you’re considering undergoing a PRP injection, here’s what you can expect during your recovery...
“Smile, breathe and go slowly."
-Thich Nhat Hanh Nothing's a more fun surprise for a runner than realizing they've developed asthma. Adult-Onset Asthma is definitely a bummer, but it doesn't have to be a career-ending “injury” by any stretch of the imagination. If Jackie Joyner-Kersey can do it, why not the rest of us? If an athlete over 20 develops asthma, this is considered Adult-Onset Asthma. According to WebMD, adults who develop asthma typically fall into one of these categories: - Women who take estrogen following menopause for 10 years or longer
- People who have just had certain viruses or illnesses, such as a cold or flu
- People with allergies, especially to cats
- People who are exposed to environmental irritants, such as tobacco smoke, mold, dust, feather beds, or perfume.
I’ve struggled with the same injury since I was 25. My left hip area would simply “go dead” on me after squats, lunges, running uphill, or wearing shoes with any sort of heel. The injury came and went every nine to twelve months. Sometimes I could run through it, which I’m sure wasn’t bright on my part. Other times it would hit, I’d have to stop running for weeks. It was really, really frustrating.
It took three doctors, half a dozen wrong diagnosis, and five years before someone finally figured out what wrong. Last fall I was diagnosed with tendinopathy of the left gluteus medius, which is basically chronic tendonitis... My choicesMy doctor gave me three choices: either return to physical therapy, have cortisone injections, or undergo a treatment called platelet rich plasma therapy – or PRP. Physical therapy wasn’t my first choice because I’d been through a couple rounds of PT for the same injury, so obviously it wasn’t helping me avoid it. There was no way I was doing cortisone shots. It’s purely a personal preference, but I’m dead set against them. I have this lovey-dovey hippy hope that my body has the power to heal itself , and cortisone shots go against that. That left me with one option: PRP.
 source: Christopher McDougall The hottest trend in running right now is barefoot running. The success of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall has created a huge interest in alternatives to modern running shoes. As a coach, a runner who enjoys running barefoot, and a running store employee I have mixed feelings about this latest trend.
I cringe to think of how I was taught to stretch back in middle school gym class. We’d run around the gym a few times, gather in a circle, and then push and pull on our muscles until they hurt a little. That’s how we knew we had a good stretch. Eek! The number one rule of stretching is it shouldn’t hurt! As a runner, I’ve learned a few different methods. Most physical therapists I know use a static stretch, where you hold your muscle in a set position for as much as thirty seconds. But static stretching isn’t the only technique. Atlanta-area message therapist Robin Rogers relies on Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) to help his clients, which range from the regular joe runners like me to professional athletes competing on the world field...
We runners are a committed bunch when it comes to putting in the miles. But when the run ends, most of us aren’t as dedicated when it comes to strengthening. I promise I’m not judging you. I’m guilty, too. But we all know that without strengthening, we run the risk of injury, or just plain plateauing.
So here’s a question: think of something you can do in 15 minutes. Maybe shower, get dressed, and brush your teeth. How about run a mile or two – maybe three if you’re a stud. Or maybe scan your three favorite blogs. Today, let’s add increasing your strength to that 15 minute list....
Knowing how to tape an ankle is a great skill for every runner to develop. We've all stepped off a sidewalk wrong, stepped down funny, or worse. Taping your ankle can help to stabilize it after spraining, straining, or rolling it. Ankle taping can be far more supportive and effective than wearing a lot of the flimsy ankle braces on the market. Although ankle taping can be more time consuming, it is easy to learn, and you can customize the tape job to suit your own personal needs fairly easily...
 source: wikimedia “To prevent plantar fasciitis...keep mileage increases to less than 10% per week.”
—Runner's WorldSadly, many of us involved in running—short and long distances—develop Plantar Fasciitis at some point. I wanted to discuss Plantar Fasciitis (pronounced plant-er fay-shee-eye-tis) treatments for running because this persistent heel pain is so terribly debilitating and painful. According to Plantar-Fasciitis.org, “Athletes are particularly prone to plantar fasciitis and commonly suffer from it. Excessive running, jumping, or other activities can easily place repetitive or excessive stress on the tissue and lead to tears and inflammation, resulting in moderate to severe pain....”
I’ve been through traditional physical therapy so much in the last six years, I feel like I’m close to earning my PT certification without stepping foot in a classroom. I can walk you through typical therapy routines off the top of my head.
So when my reoccurring hip injury cropped up last summer, my doctor suggested I take a new route and try trigger point therapy.
“Some people hate it and swear they’ll never do it again.” I remember my doc saying to me the day he suggested it. “But some people love it. I have a feeling you’ll be one of those people....”
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