Thoughts on Physical Therapy

Off Day

This morning I went to Physical Therapy. For the third time. I liked it. And yet, I couldn't really understand what was different about the exercises they had me doing there verses the ones I do at home.

I stretched. I did calf raises. I did my rubber band exercises. I bounced a ball against a trampoline while standing on one foot (always nerve wracking, as if I missed the ball it could go careening into the rest of the room and hit someone with a fake knee or broken leg). Then they strapped me into an ice boot for ten minutes. In terms of actual stuff, I couldn't see how it was worth the half-price-since-I-paid-by-check charge of 84$.

Other people were doing similar things. A room full of limping, hobbled people stretching and strengthening.

At the same time, though, people were talking. As did I. What about my future running plans? Why could I not get my ankle to go past a certain point in my stretches? Did I have to worry about my ankle hurting after standing on it at work while it did not hurt after my run? When can I start to run on trails again? How much running should I do during the week to prep for the marathon?

Answers:
1) I need to start running again and get my mileage up. Don't worry about soreness, it will be sore, just go through it.
2) My ankle was too weak to move past that point, it didn't have to do with range of motion, because it can be physically manipulated past the point where I could get it myself.
3) No, I didn't have to worry about my ankle getting sore at work even though it didn't hurt after my run. In an extension of #1, it's going to be sore, but I'm not going to reinjure it or do more damage. I just have to be sure to run in my brace for sure for the next week, and then play it by ear (though I think I'm going to be wearing that brace at least through the marathon for my own piece of mind).
4) I can start to run on the trails again next week.
5) I should do three 6-8 mile runs in addition to my long weekend run to get ready for the marathon.

That list above, to me, is more than worth $84. And I think that's a large part of what PT is for many people. Yes, there's the physical. But more importantly, there's the THERAPY. So many questions about our injuries, what they mean to our athletic and everyday life, what we can do to make things go smoother, what pain is pain to look out for and what pain is normal and to be expected. Just being around experts who make us feel like we have legitimate reasons to worry, and that our questions have answers, is worth the appointment.

Of all the people who I've talked to about my future training plans, these experts remain my most staunch supporters of getting back in the game. Tomorrow morning is my first back-to-normal route: The Greenway, 7.2 miles. See ya then!