My Story
In 2004 I neither knew nor cared much about biomechanics. I joined a local kung fu school, and it didn’t take long to realize just how weak and uncoordinated my body was. This got better with time and practice, of course. Then I started hurting myself.
Ow.
I think the first injury was my knee. The lateral side of my left knee got more and more sore until I could no longer squat down to do leg sweeps in class. I started researching knee pain online and learned for the first time about trigger points. I went in for physical therapy.
Diagnosis: IT Band Syndrome.
Treatment: soft tissue work and strength exercises for the glutes and external hip rotators.
A few weeks I was pain-free and had developed extra ROM in my quads with my newfound knowledge of self massage. I also learned that letting the knee jut past the toes while squatting down places makes the quads do all the work and is just begging for a knee injury. I resolved to stop doing the floor sweeps until I had gained the strength and hip mobility to do them properly.
I had been troubleshooting and fixing computers for a long time. Now I was troubleshooting and fixing my body. Cool!
Back for more…
A few months later I managed to hurt my shoulder while holding a focus mitt for a fellow student to kick. Note to self: never put your shoulder into near-maximal external rotation and extension and have someone kick your hand in a direction that externally rotates it further. Time to go back to PT.
Diagnosis: Glenohumeral subluxation resulting in inflammation of the rotator cuff.
Treatment: iontophoresis, soft tissue work, and strength exercises for rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers
…and so on. Understandably, I’ve come to respect and admire the profession of physical therapy. At present I’m what you could call an “armchair PT”… just as enthusiastic and hopefully as knowledgeable as the average “armchair quarterback,” and just as qualified to step on the field and play: not in the least.
It’s 2008 and I’m starting this blog to collect my thoughts and research. I might someday get the degree, change careers, and become a PT. This site will do for now.