Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Don't forget the Psoas Stretch

I've had a nice string of weeks without ~any hip psoas pain! Very gratifying. I think the problem with earlier this Fall was this - while I've been practicing the altered running form recommended by my PT Jeff Moreno, and strengthening my glutes, his recommendation was that I had plenty of flexibility in my psoas and it wasn't going to help with my problem.... and so I just stopped doing those one-legged psoas standing stretches, at the beach or anywhere. Big mistake! It's the total package that seems to minimize my pains. I resumed those stretches, while keeping the rest of the good advice, and have now done 4 weeks straight of long weekend hilly runs and NO hip psoas issues! Ferrell and I are now signed up for the Walnut Creek Half Marathon this coming Saturday, and the goal is to qualify for the Pikes Peak Half Marathon for 2020 (I have all of '19 to get in a qualifying half marathon, as well). So, we'll see how this Saturday goes... I did the waterfalls loop in Big Basin this past Sunday, and that went well; my longest run since the Double Dipsea this past June.

Monday, September 3, 2018

Update on post PT progress


Had a couple of visits with respected running expert physical therapist Jeff Moreno, and gave me a good exercise for strengthening my left side glutes, and also he corrected my distance/trail running form. This was back in late Spring. Since then my ability to run has improved. I still get sore psoas but not as much. Some highlights since then - the Double Dipsea 14 mile, 4,000 ft of climbing. June Lake Tri, Donner Lake Tri, White Mtn (to my right, in picture above) from the locked gate, and able to do Mt Barcroft the next day. A couple of Fall Creek Loop runs, both with minimal psoas pain. I'm not feeling FAST, energy level not great, but that may be chronic sleeplessness. Anyway, I'm hopeful given my hip pain has not gotten worse from early this year but instead gotten a bit better.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Back to Square One

Well, I'm back to frustrated soreness. I haven't run for 2 weeks. Psoas inflamed, and won't go away. Stretching, ice, ibuprofen... Talked with Dr. Gross, he thinks it's probably psoas tendon rubbing on the edge of the metal acetabular cup, from listening to my symptoms. Looked at my records and says my cup angle is 56 degrees, although I recall him saying it was 54 degrees a few years ago when I sent him that last standing AP X-ray. I may get another. Says only 50% odds that the tendon release will help. The tendon release still leaves strength for raising the leg using the muscles which are part of the illiopsoas mass. It's not all connected to that tendon. I'm less kean on that surgery after that conversation. I don't have a good strategy at the moment, but i have an appt to see PT Jeff Moreno on May 3 and hopefully will know more by then. Very tough.... I am not a happy man when I can't run or even hike.