9/13/2011

41 days post injury, 8 days since last attempt to run

Excerpt from diary:
"It all started 6 weeks ago with a small pain in the ass. I ran through it for 10 days, running two 5K races and a 16 mile long run. That was the beginning of what spiraled out of control with my body.

2 days after the long run I ran 4 miles, and the run was cut short because of the severe pain. I rested for 4 days, got ART (active release therapy) on Saturday morning, and tried to run a flat 4 miles. A very painful 4 miles. So then I rested for 2 weeks (meaning no running or any aerobic activity). During that time the dull ache in my right hip/butt/side got worse. I finally went to the doctor. An MRI was done 9 days after my last attempt at running and showed absolutely nothing wrong with my hamstring, pelvis, femoral neck, etc. It did show DDD at L4-L5 but that's not new news to me. It also showed mild cartilage loss in the hip joint, but that is expected with age. Diagnosis: hamstring sprain at right ischium.

It has now been 3 weeks that I have had the dull ache. The sharp pain in my ass is still present. I have seen the PT twice, first was an evaluation and yesterday was the 'therapy'. Half of the time I waited around for her while she was working on other patients. I did simple core exercises that I could do anywhere on my own. After I left the PT yesterday, the dull ache worsened in the 5-10 min it took for me to get to the gym. While walking into the gym I noticed some relief, and after I was finished with 40 minutes on the elliptical I had no hip pain.

Today I have a slight ache. I took the heating pad to work to sit on (for the hamstring). I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the elliptical and 5 minutes on the bike, noticing the return of the hip pain. In the shower at home after the gym, I bent over and experienced a sharp pain in my lower back, with a sudden sharp pain down my outer left hip and leg and also into the groin area. The dull ache on my right side was completely gone.

I am at my wit's end. I was in great shape 6 weeks ago. I am usually smart enough to back off when I feel pain. Well, I didn't back off enough or soon enough. And here I am, a bum hamstring and a shitty back.