Seriously… after talking to my Physical Therapist and she pointed out all my leg issues the idea of how exactly is it that I'm able to dance crossed my mind a LOT! This week brought on THE MASSAGE FROM HELL to boot.
Massages are supposed to be relaxing… at least the few I've had have been relaxing… unless you have Tendinitis in your muscles I guess. It has been discovered that I have a SEVERE case of Tendinitis in both my calves... which is important to work out because of the way the muscles connect to the ankle and foot.
I have tight muscles in my right hip, and my knees both go in towards center when I bend them instead of straight forward, (based on knee surgeries I've had in the past, this is the way they've healed). Also when I walk both of my feet whip in, again probably because of the Tendinitis, although that was a known issue before I started Physical therapy.
So this week my Physical Therapist had the onsite masseuse gal work on my calf…
We've established that I experience some level of pain in my legs all the time right? So pain threshold there is especially high… Well ya'll… I almost needed a bite stick to keep from cracking my teeth!
Every single touch felt like razor blades from knee to ankle, I was able to carry on a conversation through most of it, but there were moments where I just about lost my mind. Then I learn it's gonna have to happen again. *sigh*
So allow me to diagram it out for you… this is how my body from the hips down along with a description of the common issue of Tendinitis:
Tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon, a thick cord that attaches bone to muscle. Tendinitis is most often caused by repetitive, minor impact on the affected area, or from a sudden more serious injury. Incorrect posture at work or home or poor stretching or conditioning before exercise or playing sports also increases a person's risk.
Treatment of tendinitis includes:
- Avoiding activities that aggravate the problem
- Resting the injured area
- Icing the area the day of the injury
- Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs
- Treating the area with a heating pad
Prevention of Tendinitis is as simple as including a good solid warm up and cool down of all muscle groups and avoiding repetitive movements.
Well… I'm guilty of all of that… I usually used to stretch at the end of my workout sessions and very rarely before or after dancing. I also do not currently own any heating elements for treatment.
SO… I'm sidelined a little more seriously than I thought… and for a bit longer than planned. I was informed that I can return to the gym this week, as long as I PROMISE to include long stretching periods before and after each session. (I promise!).
Although I woke up this morning with every major muscle group from my shoulders down felt tight and frozen, and I haven't done ANYTHING major since Physical Therapy on Thursday. I did have a stretching session at about 7 this evening and my right quad (front of thigh) locked up on me.
That's ok.. I'm more determined than ever… I am not an underdog, I just have some challenges ahead… and I have to rebuild my strength the right way instead of what I was doing before and just pushing through.
