I had planned to run this weekend, a short, flat run. After all, I have been side lined since early September when the onset of pain in my hip and butt hobbled me. At first I blamed the pain on an inflamed piriformis. I rolled, medicated with Advil and waited for the inflammation to subside.
As Italy loomed closer, I realized the pain was not subsiding. With two weeks of hiking and all day walking ahead, I finally consulted my doctor and PT. The diagnosis, hip and butt bursitis (I will spare you the medical terms) , a particularly painful reoccurrence of an issue I had several years ago. The inflammation was determined to be directly related to running, a cause and effect that frustrated me because running is an important part of my mental and physical health.
I struggled through Italy, hiking, walking and step climbing (about 11 miles a day). By the time I returned home, I was ready to resume PT and move beyond the pain. So, in the first session back, my PT and I began a discussion on the old lady affliction, bursitis. I casually mentioned that I sat on a wooden stool when I get on the computer and wondered if that could possibly aggravate the issue. “WHAT??!!” PT came to an immediate halt, “you didn’t tell me that! What are you thinking, how long are you sitting???”
The answer is hours, many hours a week. The truth is, I love to get on the computer and get hopelessly lost in blogs, trip research and dreams. I also love my computer location, at the kitchen counter with my wooden stool positioning me at just the right height. Never occurred to me the stool would cause a problem. And then there is the wooden stool at my dressing table and the cane bottom dining chair I prefer. There is a theme here……
My makeup and computer stool, now bursitis proof
I was sent home with exercises and instructions to avoid hard surfaces… at all possible costs. I have padded my stools (I am told bed pillows are preferable to decorative pillows), I stand a lot more (I am standing and typing) and stretch. The pain is subsiding but not gone. My PT warned me about diligence to prevent a chronic issue and I am totally on board with that.
Meanwhile, I didn’t get to run yesterday. I laid on the coach, surfed the web on my cell and napped. Turns out I came down with a cold around Thursday, a stuffy head, scratchy throat, low energy thing. Running was not to be yesterday, nor will it be today. I will be reading blogs and planning winter hikes for the next few months….
Hope you have a great weekend and have a chance to get out and do whatever you love…
I’ve had a lovely weekend, with the chance to stay in and do what I love. . . . glad to hear that your PT’s recognition of the wooden seat problem might lead to a quicker healing. I’ve been monitoring a few areas lately and being a bit careful about distances and frequency in my running. Sometimes the down-time is important!