What’s up Strong Beach? I hope everyone is off to a strong start of the week. I’m still recovering from a long weekend in the world of Track & Field. I split time between UCLA and Arcadia High School (Arcadia Invitational). I saw many of you out there cheering for your kids and favorite teams. It was an exciting time! I thought I’d sit back and unwind to a Sunday evening Lakers game, only to be disappointed (for the 5th time in a row). I refuse to give up on my team. They will redeem themselves today against the San Antonio Spurs!
Okay, before we get into the questions, I will mention that you should keep your eyes open for my video blog release tomorrow. There was a slight delay . . . what else can I say except that we had technical difficulties beyond our control! I hope you enjoy this next one. I will end my rambling and get down business.
Hey Doc,
I had a question about orthotics. I'm supposed to get custom orthotics in two weeks. I'm heavy into my marathon training. My coach suggested that I not wear them in the race. He said they are too much of a change. He suggested that I wear them on a daily basis walking around and for the race use an over-the-counter one. He said that changes like this when I'm in my hardest part of my training might be bad and not worth the risk.
What are your thoughts?
Moe
Hey Moe,
My thoughts? I think your coach’s advice is ridiculous. It sounds like he isn’t sure about what he is talking about. You can’t know for sure if they will help or hinder you until you test them out for yourself. Everyone is different. Before I explain my viewpoint, let me first mention that there is no evidence that a custom is any better or worse than an OTC (over-the-counter) orthotic. Therefore, his advice to use one instead of the other for your race makes no sense!
If you are fit properly for an orthotic, it is supposed to CORRECT and ENHANCE, not hinder you. If you have a good pair, it should help you. It should take stress off of your joints and back. Your entire biomechanical chain should be enhanced. The catch is that you have to be properly fitted.
Sorry for my irritable tone, but I get annoyed when coaches make generalizations. It is what people do when they have gone outside of the realm of their expertise. I see it daily. “Too much of a change?”, “changes like this?”, “not worth the risk?”. Ask him what changes he is referring to? What are the risks that concern him?
I know you respect him. I’m just saying, if you try on your orthotics and it’s a match made in heaven, test them out. If they feel good, run in them. If they feel like it might take some time to break them in, I can understand you holding off. In this case, you could be concerned with possible blistering or general foot discomfort. I repeat, if you have the right orthotic, you should be just fine.
Hi Doc,
I was in a car accident in January of this year. I have just about completed my physical therapy (two sessions left). I started working out last week for an hour every other day. After that hour, I can barely walk because my sciatic nerve is bothering me so bad.
What can I do about the pain that does not require taking medication? I would like to work out more, but this sciatica is really making it hard for me. Please help!
Deia W.
Hello Deia,
My initial questions would be concerning your physical therapy. What did it entail? Was there a protocol to target your sciatica? Was the sciatica something that arose from the accident? Is the sciatica new? What types of exercises are you doing that tend to flare up the sciatic pain? Unless you give me the answers to these questions, I am limited in what I can tell you.
If your sciatica is “exercise induced” (i.e., it takes an hour to trigger it), you may have some good news coming your way! I think it’s unlikely in this case that your sciatica is a result of a spinal problem (disc herniation). This is good. You can only confirm this with a neurological evaluation, but I believe your issue is more muscular. What I will do is give you two options to consider. You can test my theories and if they work for you, BOOM!!!! If they don’t, go get some help!
One common muscle that can cause a mocking of sciatica is your piriformis muscle. If this muscle is shortened or tight, it can directly pinch the sciatic nerve as it travels underneath the piriformis. Another scenario that can mock sciatica-like symptoms is the gluteus medius muscle. Myofascial trigger points can form here and an active trigger point can refer pain down into the leg. I need to keep this column short and sweet, but I want you to do an Internet search on the location of these possible culprits.
Massage to these areas should give you relief. Personally, I would get softball or a foam roller as my massage tool. Your spouse’s elbow is always another option! If you find any change in the intensity of your symptoms after a few treatments, just keep massaging until it all goes away! Hope this helps. If not, answer my starter questions and email me again!
Hey Doc!
As you know, I attend Cal Poly SLO. I am majoring in Journalism. This quarter I am enrolled in a web-based journalism class. This means that I have to make a blog and keep up with it. The topics I am choosing to cover are Fitness, Health, and Beauty. I recently asked a bunch of girls what they would like to read about on these three topics. One girl asked how she could prevent injuries during exercise. Now I am assuming, with all the lectures you have given me, the answer is probably stretching, but I really want to answer this question in depth for any potential readers I have because getting hurt is not fun. Plus, not everyone gets to hang out with someone as cool as you when they get injured!
I was wondering if I could interview you on the topic. With this, I could also refer people to your website and such! I can either send you a list of questions this way or we can do it over the phone. It is completely up to you, how much time you have, and if you even want to do it! I would super appreciate it if you would let me interview you! People in San Luis Obispo need to know about Doc!
Thanks,
Erica D.
Erica!
So nice to hear from you! I’d love to help you out! Just let me know your deadline. We can coordinate our schedules. I’d rather do it over the phone. I can probably talk to you via Bluetooth while driving to a game or track meet. You can keep me company on the road! Give us a call at the office and we will figure this out!
Another week down! Wow! That was my 27th week. This has been great fun! Let’s keep this thing going! Keep your questions coming. I look forward to helping you as much as I can from behind a keyboard. Take it easy, Strong Beach! Have a blessed week!
To visit Doc’s website,click here, and buy his book, What I’ve Learned From Your Kids. Email questions to Doc at askdoc@docdossman.com.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment