PT progress and other things

Holy cow it's been a while since I've updated here. I know I was getting back into talking about my training and how that was all developing, but then I hit a wall...a big one. Let me explain.


So I've been going to PT since July, I've been seeing the same therapist and we have been working through my hip and plantar fasciitis issues. I saw immediate and lasting results with my hips when I started going to PT and I would experience short bouts of temporary pain relief in my heels, but the pain/irritation would not completely go away. It was dismaying but I was also still in training for my Dumbo weekend at the time, so I couldn't expect that pain would completely go away until after the race weekend when I could rest my legs and feet from running regularly.

Well when I started running again after the race weekend, I was only allowed to do so on the Alter G. Even though I was able to use that machine and it helped take a lot of stress and pressure off my feet, my heels would still ache afterwards and couldn't hardly walk the next morning due to PF flair up.


The last three weeks I have hit a wall in all things with my body. I have had three Alter G appointments that I have had to cancel due to heel pain, scheduling conflict or sickness. We had our first family wide cold that knocked us all out for a week, so in addition to nursing myself to health, I was caring for a sick kiddo. Poor little guy.


In addition to that, my hip pain and lower back weakness is back with a vengeance, despite me doing my exercises regularly. The hips/lower back trouble coupled with the fact that my heels are hurting/aching on a regular basis now (more so now than when I first started PT), I have become increasingly frustrated and upset. On top of all of this, I haven't run in three weeks, which means that I haven't put any additional pressure or strain on my muscles, joints, ligaments and the like. So even after I completely abstain from exercise for a total of 3 weeks, I am STILL experiencing pain/discomfort and it has actually gotten worse!


What. The. Hell.


I am so frustrated beyond belief and I am just tired of being in pain all. the. time. I need relief and I need to fix these issues and I just don't know what to do.


My PT and I finally talked about this at my appointment yesterday. She asked if I've been seeing improvement or if I feel we have plateaued and I told her we have plateaued for sure. To which she agreed. She gave me a couple of suggestions on next steps, she actually encouraged me to see a Sports Med physician to see if there are issues that we may be missing or if they feel that the current course of treatment is appropriate for me to continue.


So now today I get to talk to my insurance to see if they will cover this type of medical appointment and see if I can get into see a Sports Med doctor within the next week or so. I'm frustrated that it has come to this, but I'm also anxious to see if maybe my issue is something bigger and we have just missed it. Though I don't know what I will do if they say that I just need more time. I mean, I've been going to PT for 4 months working on these issues and I haven't had any relief yet. I'm just feeling desperate and I HATE that feeling. Luckily, because Seattle is such an active city, there are lots of GREAT Sports Med docs to choose from and the ones with the most recommendations seem to be located at the UW Sports Med Clinic on the college campus, I know that I have people who deal with athletes and ailments that come from those specific sports. So in short, I know I'll get someone with good experience...I just hope my insurance will cover it.


So that's it, that's my update. I'm not running, I have 11 weeks until my big race weekend and I'm still in pain. ::shaking head:: I feel like I'm back at the beginning again. This has been such a trying year for me and I'm just so frustrated I could scream! Sigh... Hope all is well for all of you!


Now it's your turn: Have you had training that just hasn't worked out for you? Have you seen professionals about physical ailments that didn't work out to help you?