On Sunday I opted for a double shot of back to back yoga and power pilates classes. I loved the yoga instructor, except the fellow next to me in class was so chatty it was getting in the way of me getting my om on. The power pilates class was amazing. We did a bunch of great moves for abs, followed by a pretty serious hip and leg work out. My piriformis was letting me know that it still existed during those moves despite some massage work the day before.
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I talked to Instructor S about my piriformis issues at BBC on Thursday, and she was able to notice my tight hips while running that day. This was again confirmed by my massage therapist on Saturday. S recommended a guy to me, Dr. A, who would supposedly “help me work out my hips.” Not knowing exactly what this meant of course I called and made an appointment right away. Turns out Dr. A specializes in Active Release therapy. He’s a pretty serious athlete as I was able to admire his Ironman medals hanging on the walls as I waited. We chatted about what was going on and he was able to pin point the painful spots and helped to stretch them out. He believes my piriformis issues stem from a weak lower back, and my hips work to compensate instead. Pain is coming from scar tissue that has formed within the muscle that is lying on top of my sciatica. The good news is the scar tissue can be broken down, and with some specific exercises I can strengthen the lower back muscles to avoid this, and running won’t make it worse. So….if that means I can run then I’m shooting for between 5 and 6 miles tonight.
Wow…. back to back pilates and yoga! That is pretty cool!
You’re a lot more pro-active than I am in terms of getting medical attention. I usually wait until the pain is unbearable. I hope it works out.