I have a messy track record with this running injury. It started out of nowhere during a beautiful, spring morning run back in '06. I came to a screeching hault, literally, as I was sure I had just taken a bullet through the side of my knee out of the blue. I walked the rest of the way home, wincing at every point of contact my left leg came with the pavement. It got progressively worse, to the point where I couldn't walk down stairs or get in and out of the car comfortably, and if I sat, I had to extend my legs straight out. To the chiropractor I went. After just TWO sessions, a list of stretches, instructions to ice, ice, ice.. I felt pretty good. Good actually for another 12 months. Then, again out of the blue, came the pain. Chiropractic care: round 2. Same positive results for another 18 months. At this point, my running consistency flew out the window and I was hit and miss for about a year, so no real strain or pain on the band.
Enter - now, May 2010. I went to a new chiropractor yesterday because of some lower back pain. [self diagnosis--I've never had an "office" job of sitting 7-8 hours of my day and I am pretty sure my desk chair is the culprit]. He did a standard adjustment, then asked about any other aches and pains. I gave him my speal on the IT band history. He barely touched the band by my left knee and I nearly fell over from the pain. He proceeded to deep tissue massage (get down into the belly of the muscle, he said--which really means, rip apart muscle and nerve endings, I think) the outer part of my lower left leg. I had tears in my eyes. He just kept repeating as he massaged, "Whoa. Wow. Oh, oww. Yeah, that's crazy!" (Things you never want to hear your doctor say). Then he asked if I'd ever had surgery on the band; he said it felt like scar tissue all the way from my knee to my ankle. Apparently, back in '06, I had done more damage than I realized. He had me ice for 20 minutes, then said not to be alarmed if I had bruises the following day. Lovely. And, he is right; I'm definitely black and blue.
I am instructed to now ice BEFORE AND AFTER I run, do multiple band stretches and visit again next Thursday. I guess I am back on the journey of recovery and hopefully, a full healing from this band pain!
2 comments:
B, Crazy that he massaged it and you were black and blue!! I've been just researching about my IT band as well. I've let off running for a month now (since the marathon) and it still hurts! Let me know if his adjustments work!
Amazing what a good chiropractor can figure out..I had shin splints & nearly died from the deep tissue massage he did..but he fixed what 3 months of physio could not!
BTW..found your blog on twee poppets!
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