For whatever reason, the pain in my left leg came back with a vengeance this past week, and I've finally bought myself an el-cheapo walking stick to take some of the pressure off my hip. What's worse is that the ache seems to have migrated down to my left knee as well, thus creating two loci of extreme discomfort.
Strangely enough, the pain doesn't seem to have much, if anything, to do with a re-popped joint this time. If anything, it appears to have been caused by simple wear and tear: last Tuesday, April 1, I walked far more than my mandated 10,000 daily steps. According to my cell phone's pedometer, I did 14,050 steps, crossing the campus back and forth like a plump, lumbering, aimless ghost. I was definitely feeling the pain that night, and I'm pretty sure I've been paying for it ever since. When my femur popped back into place (or seemed to), the pain didn't go away completely. My current assumption is that that lingering pain, the pain-echo from the popping-back-in, is what's been exacerbated by all the walking.
A solution to this newest problem may be in the offing: a coworker of mine has told me about the physical therapist he visits regularly. For him, the visits are only W4000 a pop, which is the price of a small meal. He seems to trust the people working on him, and I've had decent experiences with medical professionals who've been recommended to me by fellow expats. I'll give this PT place a visit sometime over the next few weeks.
Meantime, I've got my new walking stick, so I can do my Dr. House impression. Many people complained, over the eight-season course of the show, that House had been using his cane incorrectly: actor Hugh Laurie, as House, would swing the cane in perfect tandem with his bum leg, which rubbed some prickly viewers the wrong way. Laurie responded to this critique by saying that House's idiosyncratic use of his cane was a conscious choice on the actor's part (and, by extension, on House's part); for myself, I've found that moving the cane in tandem certainly relieves the pressure that one has to place on the painful leg, so I see no problem with House's method. Now if only I possessed House's wit and cynicism...
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Friday, April 04, 2014
my Dr. House impression
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Addofio here.
ReplyDeleteI thought the first time you mentioned your hip pain that it might be sciatica or some such--not that I know much except experientially, but since the pain now encompasses both hip and knee, some such might be the culprit. In any case, getting an accurate diagnosis would help guide your therapy/coping mechanisms--if you can find a medical facility you trust.
By all means see a competent PT. But bear in mind that the most effective treatment of the symptoms is going yo involve active participation in PT - not just gettiing a painful massage - and that means exercise. I hate sounding like a broken record, but if you want to get beyond symptomatic relief, you've got to start controlling your nutrition and losing the weight.
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