When my IT Band started to bother me at the end of the run yesterday, I was pretty worried. It often gets stiff or sore, but since I received the Graston treatment last June, it has not really been painful. During the last mile yesterday, I felt a stabbing pain in the side of my knee. Not a good thing. If I focused on my form, engaging my core, I could get rid of most of the pain, but after we got home, it did not go away. Before bed, I was hobbling around depressed. My main worry was, "I can't let down my running partner!"
I'm happy I woke up with it feeling much better, but the pain did shake my confidence a bit. If it hurts at mile 13, what will it do at mile 16 next week, and what about mile 25 in July? With that in mind, I decided to go back to the torture chamber. If you are not familiar with the Graston Technique, it is where they rub an instrument (this one looks a bit like a butter knife) over a certain spot (my outer knee) very hard and quick. It is excruciating. Honestly, I think the 30 seconds in that chair was much more painful than the last few miles of the run yesterday, even suffering with exhaustion and everything else.
In any case, I'm going to be optimistic and expect the same results as I saw last summer. Most people receive the treatment 6-8 times before they feel results, but I was essentially cured after one treatment. That quick "cure" (I should call it relief, not cure) came after trying EVERYTHING. I tried it all...from doctors to yoga, new shoes to ice baths, the foam roller to physical therapists. It felt like a miracle when something finally worked.
I suppose I don't mind a few more sessions of torture, if it means I can cross that finish line with Pete!
***One side note...if you are curious about the treatment for an injury of your own, there is some great information at www.grastontechnique.com. I was quite pleased to see it say swelling and bruising are a good thing, as my leg is already showing quite a bit of that!
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