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June 20, 2006
the psoas -- very deep 
After the histronic post of yesterday, I feel like I need to give you an update.
Yesterday afternoon, I went to the masseuse at the sport medicine clinic . I started telling her about the fact that the only tender spot was on my hip, though I was having pain that got my entire low back. She said, I wonder if it's your psoas (pronounced soaz)? She started asking questions, and asking more questions and finally she said, yep, I think it's your psoas.
The psoas is your hip flexor. It can compensate for a quite a few different things: weak abdominals, weak quads, weak glutes, weak hamstrings.
I started noticing that the range of motion for my left leg was compromised maybe a month and a half ago... which would be about the time I quit going to pilates. Hmm.
So, she spent the entire session working on it. It's down deep, stretching between your inner thigh and connecting the spine at your inner back, so the massage was very intense, and I had to stop her a couple of times. It didn't feel any better afterwards, but I did. I had a name, I had a stretch, and I had a better idea of what had caused it.
Anyhow, my bicycling home, with its slight uphill grade, had aggravated it, because I had worked other muscles to exhaustion. It got markedly worse once Sweetie had leant his bike to a friend (who's had it now for over a month), and I started riding Pinky the three speed almost every day rather than the 24 speed. It's not surprising that it finally said when after a week of bike commuting, and riding all over creation, me pushing myself and pushing myself and pushing myself.
I went home afterwards and was prone for the rest of the day. Today, I feel hugely better—even brief periods of being pain and ache free.
I feel significantly more optimistic today as well. While things aren't as I want them to be, and I feel like there's a lot of examination that needs to happen on my part, I feel like the road to better things isn't entirely barracaded.
Yesterday, I felt stuck. I was annoyed that I was in pain, and I was annoyed that I was a whiner. Today, I have a little more compassion for myself, and hopefully for others. When I hurt, I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I'm changing positions, I'm stretching, and I'm recognizing that I need a little more rest than I'd like.
I'm making a baby blanket for a coworker. Today was the shower, and the baby blanket is undone. But I'm almost 2/3 done. It's not how I would have it in a perfect world—but this isn't a perfect world, and the baby blanket will be as good when I deliver it to her in a couple of days.
Posted at June 20, 2006
Comments
I had psoas problems last fall and the PT had me doing hip flexor stretches and leg lifts every two hours during the day! It was a pain to find the time but it ultimately did help. I'm glad you were able to find out the problem and learn some tools for dealing with it. Pain so sucks. It sounds like you need to get that 24 speed back soon so you can ride those hills with less aggravation!
Posted by: Lara at June 21, 2006 3:33 AM
Glad you know what's going on. I am so good at ignoring my own needs - glad you are listening to yours.
Posted by: neca at June 21, 2006 7:47 AM