To the runners... (and everyone)

[Guest guest]

Hey guys:

I know it is frustrating. Believe me, I was told to give up the

sport and thought I'd never run again. I was worried about how I was

going to keep up with my kids, what I was going to do for exercise,

the whole bit. I'm all better now, and you will be too. You can't

get discouraged, or you'll start a downward spiral.

1) Whatever exercise you can do pain-free is good. If you can run

for 400 meters without pain, do it. The next week, try 500 meters,

then 800. Keep building very, very, very slowly.

READ THIS ARTICLE! It is phenomenal.

http://www.climber.org/eckert/knees.html

2) Start doing your homework. It may take months to figure out what

your problem is, but you've got to put the effort in. The more time

I spend with this Group, the more I realize that, for the most part,

the medical system in this country has failed us.

- Use this Group.

- Use http://www.google.com

- Really get to know your body. Where " exactly " does it hurt? What

makes it hurt? What alleviates the pain?

- Keep a log if you have to of your exercises, your diet, your level

of pain, and anything else that you think may help.

For better or worse, it is YOUR JOB to figure out what is wrong with

you. You can't rely on the docs.

3) Ironically, you still may need a good doctor to help you get

better. Try:

http://www.aaomed.org

Specifically, look for someone who provides prolotherapy in their

practice. Often knee problems are the result of loose or lax

ligaments and tendons, and prolotherapy can help repair the damaged

connective tissues. I'm fairly certain prolotherapy is what helped

me get back to running.

What you are really looking for is a doctor who will spend some time

with you. Call the office and ask what the initial visit is like.

It should be a minimum of one hour. These 10-minute cursory exams

the orthopedic guys give you are a travesty.

4) Take care of yourself. Eat well (plenty of quality sources of

protein and tons of fresh fruits and veggies). Get plenty of sleep.

Get whatever exercise you can. Upper or lower body, aerobic or

anaerobic. Whatever you do will increase the amount of growth

hormone your body releases when you sleep, which will help your body

heal itself naturally. And stay away (as best as you can) from sugar

and other highly refined foods (like white bread, white rice, etc.).

These will weaken your immune system and blunt the release of growth

hormone during sleep, particularly if you eat that stuff late at

night.

Alright... I'm cutting myself off.

HTH,

Doug

dougfromct2002@...