Physical Therapy - Week 2

This week, I've been "promoted" to the next level in one of my core exercises and one of my glute exercises. I guess that's a good thing, but boy, are my abs killing me.

The one thing that hasn't changed since Day 1 is the Astym® treatment. The purpose of the treatment is to help regenerate tissue that may have gotten scarred from injury or overuse. Since scar tissue can end up restricting movement, the breakdown of scar tissue can hopefully improve the movement in my glutes, which will hopefully "cure" the gluteal amnesia, which in turn will make it hurt less to run, regardless of the femoral acetabular impingement or the sacroiliitis or bursitis or whatever it really is that's making me want to live with a heating pad on my hip (while the ortho TOLD me it's FAI, that wasn't on the PT prescription; bursitis was, so we'll have a little mystery on our hands when I go in for a follow-up).

BOSU, my arch-nemesis. I've named him Moriarty.

If you've never heard of Astym® treatment, imagine this: a foam roller, but instead of foam, it's made of acrylic. And smaller than even a travel foam roller - like a hand held device. And instead of rolling smoothly over the muscles, which anyone who's ever used a foam roller knows can be OMGHURTSSOGOOD in itself, the Astym® instrument of torture is run along those same muscles, but said instrument actually will make the muscles crunch underneath them. That's the scar tissue being…dismantled.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I wanted to run, screaming, out the door the first time I heard that sound. It's horrifying.

Then you bruise. Because bruising is your body's way of healing itself. #sixthgradescience

Since I only can go two days a week, I've made sure that I schedule my sessions with enough time between sessions to allow Stephanie to give me the Atsym® treatment each time.
The treatment is not...fun. Like, how can something that makes your muscles go crunch be "fun." But, like the foam roller and a deep tissue massage, I'm always glad that it's done, when it's done. And I can tell that it's working; the bruising isn't as deep as it was two weeks ago, and it doesn't hurt so much as cause extreme discomfort.
I get the Astym® treatment at the beginning of my PT session, and then I am guided through my table and floor exercises, some of which are getting better, and some of which make me want to cry.

Hello, Band. Wanna go for a walk?

I admit; I haven't done my exercises at home every day. Like every other busy mom out there, some nights I am so tired that I'm lucky *I* make it to HRH's bedtime. Last night was one of those nights. I was just exhausted, and I fell into bed with my heating pad before falling asleep almost immediately (Husband knows to come upstairs and turn off my heating pad because I fall asleep so easily). But for the most part, I've been almost religious about following a daily routine. I desperately want to run and cycle again, even with the heat of the Arizona summer looming. I mean, walking is great and all, and I love yoga, but the feeling I have when I'm able to hit the road for a run or a ride is irreplaceable.
It's so funny - for years after I graduated high school, I swore up and down that running was The Worst and that I hated it. Even in high school, I was a sprinter and a jumper, so it was rare for me to do anything much farther than a (very slow) 800 meters, and I regularly did whatever I could to do as little "distance" running as possible. And now, I can't even run to the neighbor's house, and I'm just aching that I can't.
So….away I go, to make mysterious and concerning grunting noises as I contort and stretch in the hopes of heading back down the canal, this time with a booty like Bey.