So it's been about three months of physical therapy, and although I have been making progress, the progress has been slow going. Part of that reason is that the source of all of my hip immobility is a mystery. For some reason, none of the exercises I have done sets up my hips to pass an Ober test right away in the morning, and I have yet to pass the test with my left (never-been-in-pain) hip. This has been the sticking point for like two months now. Once the PT can get my hips to pass that test we can start doing more real-world type of exercises (read, exercises done standing up). Until then, we need to figure out what is going on, what is making my hips immobile.
Well, they seemed to make a bit of a breakthrough last week. Having two PT's work on me at the same time last week (because I'm oh so special), the idea came up that maybe my upper body is driving the show. Mike had previously noticed that my shoulder internal rotation was atrocious, so they decided to work on that.
The odd thing is, after each exercise done to mobilize my shoulder, my hips became more mobile.
Even odder, the first three days after PT my hip was pretty much pain free. Sometimes I would experience some pain, but it was definitely in the minority of time and was less severe. So I really think this is the answer.
I have also started seeing a chiropractor again, thinking the two different therapies will help out each other, so perhaps that is working as well.
This is all very interesting because this could mean that the huge knot next to my left shoulder blade is part of the reason my left hip isn't moving correctly. I've almost always had the two issues, it wouldn't be that unreasonable to think they are intertwined.
In order to try to fix my back they've given me some exercises that stretch my back. It's kind of like doing a plank but instead of trying to pinch your shoulder blades together you do the exact opposite, you try to extend your shoulders forward as far as possible, spreading your back. This stretches out the muscle some.
...When I was training for the Oly competition, I was front squatting all the time. Two or three times, when I was squatting, I felt this brief, very sudden, stab of pain where my knot is. The pain felt like I was being stabbed by a hot poker, but just for a split second. Right after the sensation I felt completely normal. I was asking Bobby what this could mean and he said it was an adhesion tearing. In front squatting I have my shoulders shifted forward in the same manner as this plank exercise, but when squatting they are also being flexed at the same time for stability sake. That summer was also the most normal my left back/shoulder area has ever felt. So I think we're really on to something here, at least to treat my back/shoulder pain.
Unfortunately, I did have a bit of a setback later in the week. I was at the gym with a friend, and I was helping him out with his deadlift form. I was demonstrating how he should approach the bar, and when I lowered my hips to the proper depth, while holding my spine in what I think is a straight posture, I felt my groin get tweaked. It feels like it's the pectineus/psoas. So at least that other pain that I've been experiencing, the one that seemed to be from the rectus femoris, has still disappeared and has not resurfaced its ugly head.
Still, now I'm experiencing some slight groin pain during some different times throughout the day.
...That is one thing that is absolutely maddening for me about this hip pain: I can not figure out what causes it and what helps it go away. Sometimes I wake up with it, sometimes not. Sometimes doing my PT exercises helps, sometimes not. Sometimes working on it with a softball helps, sometimes not. All this does is confuse me and irritates me. I pride myself on listening to my body and figuring out what is making it respond the way that it does. This groin pain, however, never seems to go away. When I saw the chiro he noticed my pubic bone was out of place, but I can't remember if putting it back in helped or not.
Speaking of groins, I feel like my left adductors, previously completely turned off/hard to use, have gotten significantly stronger. Once I actually thought I tweaked my left groin pushing off of my left foot to go around a corner. I feel like I've gotten much, much stronger in that area, hopefully it means that it is no longer an issue.
I will be seeing three physical therapists tomorrow. Feel a bit like a lab rat but hey the more brains the better. Last week it seems like we've reached a turning point, and barring any stupidity on my part (won't even think about deadlifts) this week might be the first week I've been pain free in a long, long time.
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