Parts Is Parts, Even If There's A Goal Set

Exactly how many body parts can one person have that need physical therapy?

I'm really curious. This year I have had physical therapy on both knees, my neck, my shoulder, and now we are working on my hip bursar and IT Band, plus my thighs. I've never even heard of the IT Band. When my physical therapist said it was an IT issue, my first thought it was something with computers ... Information Technology. Then I thought she was talking about some musical group. However, I knew we were talking about my body and none of those things made sense, but those were my first thoughts.

Then came an explanation of the IT issue. Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners/walkers. It occurs when the iliotibial band, the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, is tight or inflamed. The IT band attaches to the knee and helps stabilize and move the joint. When the IT band isn’t working properly, movement of the knee (and, therefore, running/walking) becomes painful. IT band pain can be severe enough to completely sideline a runner/walker for weeks, or even longer.

That's just great. I'm trying to prepare for a six mile walk, and that preparation is causing some of the issues. I think I sort of tuned out as this was being explained. She's a great physical therapist and I appreciate her work, but I just tuned out ... until she started using a roller on my very sore right thigh. I didn't see it coming, and about jumped off that mat. She now had my undivided attention. Even with my renewed focus, it was obvious PT was not where I wanted to be.

The decision was made to return next week to begin more rehab, and to stop walking until the new year. I'm happy to know what is wrong, that it's fixable without surgery, and "resting" the lower portion of my body will give the inflammation time to subside. But, that means I have lost a full month of training, and don't know if I have to start from the beginning, or pick up where I was a few weeks ago. Wearing my Fitbit watch almost seems useless right now because I'm using it only as a watch, and that's not why I have it attached to my body.

There's no time to dwell on this because it does no good. I'm also not in the mood for trying to be entertaining in the post. The upper portion of my body is pissed that I'm not out pounding the pavement, while the lower portion is silently screaming in great delight with the postponement of another week off before starting again to train.

It's time for the IT Band to tune its instruments, because I BELIEVE this will pass and I'll be stronger very soon.

So, it’s one foot in front of the other to the finish line!