This week I went to get muscle testing done. I was not sure what to expect.
I get this done periodically when training and competing by the same therapist (aka "Theraman") who knows my body well.
There was really no need to get it done in the last few months, but now that I am in my base training it's important to get a sense of what's up.
The purpose is to find out if muscles are firing quickly, in the right sequence, if they are bilaterally equal.
On occasion I get tested electronically, with electrodes hooked up to my various muscles groups. But usually it is manual testing, however this manner has to be done by someone who is highly experienced. Accuracy is imperative so you know what to treat.
Theraman lives way east of Oshawa, ON so from the west end it took me 1 hour and 35 minutes to get to his house. I took the 407 too because it was rush hour, I put my Ipod on shuffle mode and I cruised it out. I hadn't' heard "Freak Me" by Silk in so long!
I hadn't seen theraman in a while, though we have been in contact over the summer. I was a bit intimidated to bare my legs, my calves were so relatively teeny...WWTT?!
"What Would Theraman Think?!"
I was certain he would find dormant, misfiring muscles, that were resistant to intervention. They were laid off for seven months and would be leery of change, I just knew it.
The Progress Report
The progress report revealed the usual suspects, my adductor/ hamstring border was tight and there was tension in the area. This makes sense as the adductors are the only muscles in the running cycle that never turn off. I have just resumed normal running, so this can explain the find.
The Good
Theraman said my muscles were in good shape! The right side that has been functioning normally had little to no issues.
Boo Yah!
The Bad
The left side or "leg interrupted" as I've dubbed it, was decent.
Much better than I expected, and nothing dismal like being a candidate for foot replacement surgery.
This was encouraging.
However a few important muscles responsible in my lower leg for dorsiflexion were dormant. They were firing but they were very delayed relative to their twin.
This would explain the funny feeling I would feel when running, my right leg would strike the ground fine. But my left one would plant just a millisecond longer and not produce the same spring on take-off.
Aha!
Another discovery was my mid foot between my 2nd metatarsal and cuneiform were stuck or slightly fused, when they should be able to glide freely. This has been an issue over the summer, but for healing purposes my team said no adjustments. I agreed because since I wasn't running there was no point creating trauma to my foot in the name of alignment.
Got Baby Oil?
But I did develop a manic habit of rubbing my foot every night with Baby Oil and Tiger Balm, attempting to give it a light massage in lieu of chiropractic manipulation. Even enlisting my nieces and nephews and paying them .25 cents per minute that they rubbed aunties toesies.
My sister's spawn never had a gig so sweet.
The Mugly
My calves and soleus were tighter than my father and his wallet. It took some time getting them to release, it was a result of the unnatural movement of my ankle and foot over time. One muscle (forget the name as I type) that runs on my outer lower leg and inserts under my foot was on strike. But as soon as Theraman woke it up the range was back instantly. After nearly two hours I had gained just that tiny bit more movement in my lower leg.
Please "Hold"
The mission now is getting each treatment to hold. Meaning the treated areas will revert back slightly to how they were before the session. The aim is to over time have the corrections become the norm and stay that way without constant intervention, and just occasional maintenance.
I relayed all the findings to coach 'Gdub', and he reinforced the exercises I do to reeducate my foot to work the way it is designed anatomically. These exercises are low impact and will also help with avoiding tightness and stiffness.
Fast Learner
Overall this was another good step forward as I am armed with the knowledge on where to focus my efforts. It is nothing major and just a matter of conditioning and repetition to get my muscle fibers to work optimally.
The average Joe-dita can get away with minute imperfections, but when you are an elite athlete hunting for thousandths of a second, this is big.
One thing going for me is my body reacts nearly instantly when it is re-educated and elements are reinforced. I have great muscle memory as an athlete, and with a ten year base my body is remembering what it is supposed to do.
And it's about time already.
Pdiddi
No comments:
Post a Comment