I had been having a lot of pain in my knees. It was an odd pain. On again, off again, mostly on after a lot of activity. I stopped running agility. For the most part, I stopped the daily one-milers with my dogs. Walking on the unstable gravel was painful.
Knowing that my muscles were tight, I was pretty sure the pain was more related to muscle than to bone. I lost some weight. I tried stretching, which was nothing new, I'd been doing it for years. Then more stretching this summer, from a regimen I found on You Tube. The result was that I really hurt my left knee. Ouch, talk about painful! It even kept me from going to the Michigan field trials.
Early this month, with a free coupon for a first visit to a chiropractor in town, I went, he twisted my leg around and told me that I should schedule an MRI. I mentioned this to my regular doctor who said forget the MRI, it's very expensive and I don't think you need one, call the fitness center and get in to see an exercise physiologist. So I went to the fitness center and saw the fitness guru who specializes in stretching. I have have had one session with him so far. Tam gave me a 15 minute totally painless stretching routine to do each day until the next time I see him. It is so easy you wouldn't believe it could be so effective. But the pain in my knee has been gone for more than two weeks!
Tam explained that I had always been stretching the same muscle groups - so actually over stretching them - and said that I needed to also stretch the antagonists of those muscles which I had not been doing. He said that the over-stretched muscles on the back side and the under-stretched muscles on the front side were putting relentless pressure on my knees and no wonder I was having knee pain! I am back to walking every day. A few days ago, I spent more than two hours tromping the woods trying to find a deer. No knee pain! I am posting this for the benefit of someone else who may be having a similar problem.
Also to say that my doctor is smart and I am THANKFUL for her.
Knowing that my muscles were tight, I was pretty sure the pain was more related to muscle than to bone. I lost some weight. I tried stretching, which was nothing new, I'd been doing it for years. Then more stretching this summer, from a regimen I found on You Tube. The result was that I really hurt my left knee. Ouch, talk about painful! It even kept me from going to the Michigan field trials.
Early this month, with a free coupon for a first visit to a chiropractor in town, I went, he twisted my leg around and told me that I should schedule an MRI. I mentioned this to my regular doctor who said forget the MRI, it's very expensive and I don't think you need one, call the fitness center and get in to see an exercise physiologist. So I went to the fitness center and saw the fitness guru who specializes in stretching. I have have had one session with him so far. Tam gave me a 15 minute totally painless stretching routine to do each day until the next time I see him. It is so easy you wouldn't believe it could be so effective. But the pain in my knee has been gone for more than two weeks!
Tam explained that I had always been stretching the same muscle groups - so actually over stretching them - and said that I needed to also stretch the antagonists of those muscles which I had not been doing. He said that the over-stretched muscles on the back side and the under-stretched muscles on the front side were putting relentless pressure on my knees and no wonder I was having knee pain! I am back to walking every day. A few days ago, I spent more than two hours tromping the woods trying to find a deer. No knee pain! I am posting this for the benefit of someone else who may be having a similar problem.
Also to say that my doctor is smart and I am THANKFUL for her.
