June 2023

Feeling pretty good.

We’re looking at the external rotation of my right leg and continuing to get my muscles to work as a cohesive team. Structurally, I’m adding in counter stretches and range of motion movements for my neck, spine, and shoulders, focusing on when and what things move (similar to the novel movements of the neck).

On vacation.

Trying to fit in the physical therapy exercises when I can. The transverse plane slouch and toe abductions are the easiest.

The upper mid back still feels weird, but the pain moves to different spots and is only present when performing movement; unfortunately, I never know what movement will cause the pain.

My left hand is also particularly painful. The middle digit has a throbbing pain when bent from the first joint; lateral movements also cause pain. Lateral movement of the index finger comes with pain as well. Inside of the thumb as well.

My right hand has thumb pain as well.

With most of these pain points, I don’t know when the pain will happen. For example, I went to adjust the covers with my right hand, and my thumb experienced a sharp, stabbing pain. I immediately stopped what I was doing, wiggled my thumb, and continued adjusting the blanket no pain.

The middle finger of the left hand is the most consistent. It feels like a jam. I can pull it, which is sometimes accompanied by what I can only describe as a release; no popping sounds, but something moves. After the massage-pull combination, it feels better for an hour or two, all the way up to 12 hours.

The right great toe has constant low-grade pain. Raising my toes into dorsiflexion on the right foot is accompanied by pain as well, almost like the muscles are overworked.

All of these are odd sensations, and I’m hoping to keep feeling that way as opposed to falling into the “This is just my life now“ trap because I fear that will lead to darker days.

Continuing the exercises from June 2. I’m adapting to them about as quickly as I did the previous set. This has me a little concerned as we’re planning to head out of town this week and won’t be back until July. Therefore, won’t be able to get a more difficult set of exercises until July. More on what I’m doing there below.

I did the week 1-day MovNat fundamentals warmup for 3 days. On June 17th I tried the full routine.

I ascribe to the tenants that two things can hide all sorts of inefficiencies in your movement:

• speed (or momentum) and
• being able to see (being able-bodied in general).

The human body can barrel through or compensate quickly.

So, as I adapt to new physical therapy movements, I’ve decided to increase complexity and intensity. (Especially since I won’t be able to see my therapist for a while.)

The first is to pause between repetitions and slow down where movement is involved (compared to static holds). Give it a try some time. Pick an activity like sitting down. Instead of flopping into whatever seat you’re using, go slow (count to four, maybe) and try to maintain a relaxed breathing cadence. Do the same thing to stand up, and don’t swing your upper body to gain momentum; just gently lean forward a little and slowly stand.

The second increase is to allow my head to go upside down. When I do the slouching exercises I would typically stare at the floor, not behind me. My brain is accustomed to my head being vertical or horizontal, therefore, it’s relatively easy for the inner ear orientation (coupled with my eyesight) to deal. Allowing my head to be upside in positions that allow for it is an interesting balance and fear component.

The third is to close my eyes. If you are sighted, try this. Make sure you’re in a safe place; falling won’t hurt you. Put yourself in a position where you are balancing in some way; standing on one leg, for example. Now, close your eyes. Hold it for a few seconds. If it seems too easy, put yourself in a stable position (both feet on the floor), then go back to the balancing position (standing on one leg), all while you’re eyes are closed. If you feel yourself falling or becoming too unstable, open your eyes. (Opening and closing your eyes can be a fun experiment in general to see how quickly you can stabilize while “cheating.”)

I used to do stuff like this a lot when I was younger. I never thought of it as a way to become more of my body and its orientation in space.

Continuing the exercises from June 2.

I purchased a MovNat bundle when they were on sale. I appreciated the week 1 progressions. I’ve decided to incorporate the day 1 warmup movements on top of my daily physical therapy exercises every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. By doing this I’m hoping to get back in the habit of blocking time for a more regular and intense routine in the future. I’m hoping to be able to complete the full week 1 day 1 MovNat routine by June 17 or 18.

On the 13th I had some discomfort in my:

• left hand,
• right foot arch (feels like fasciitis),
• top of my right foot,
• the exterior muscles and ligaments around my right ankle, and
• lower back just above right hip.

The good news here though is that it’s not, “Boy, you better lay down and stop doing stuff,” levels of pain or discomfort. With that said, it’s odd how inconsistent the discomfort is; it comes and goes, and rarely in the same areas of my body.

The description I can give to how I feel is imagine trying to rehydrate beef jerky, only the beef is your muscles and soft tissues. My back muscles for the longest time had only one setting; tense. Now they’re at least starting to relax or have levels of tension.

I’m not straining to complete any of the movements, but I definitely feel worked. Further, I find myself becoming tired quickly from the exertion, at least for the first few days after increasing the type, number, and complexity of movements.

Continued the exercises and stretches from May 15 to 26. (More on that below.)

MRI on the thoracic spine. Apparently it’s pretty much perfect.

I started incorporating more stretches. It’s not quite a warmup routine, but muscles are definitely reengaging instead of two or three trying to do the job of everyone else.

I went to a float tank while Becca and I were in Nashville visiting friends. I want to do as much as possible to relax my back and reduce inflammation. It was a one hour session and I had lights off and earplugs in. For the first little bit I just layer there with arms over head.

Once I settled in to a point where I wasn’t drifting into the walls, I started bringing my arms toward my sides. Think downward motion of a jumping jack or the second novel movement for the shoulders. Three main differences. First, I wanted to move slow enough to not propel myself through the epsom salt laden water. Second, I didn’t straighten my arms; wanted to make sure I was ready if I ran into the side of the tank. Third, I focused on rotating from the shoulders using my back muscles. The odd sensation was my lats (latissimus dorsi) had a slight tremor.

I normally associate this sensation when I would intentionally train to almost failure. However, in those instances, the shaking was accompanied by loads of stress and exertion. This was more like the sensation I felt when I first did the wall press and co-contraction slouch.

After the float I had interesting burning (no heat) in right deltoid for a few days.

Had my second session with the physical therapist. I’ve made a lot of progress. We’re changing the routine.

• Rock back breathing.
• Toe-spreading abduction.
• Pectoral corner stretch, followed by posterior wall presses (I couldn’t locate video, images, or articles; let me know if you’d like me to try and describe).
• Couch quad stretch.
• Transverse plane slouch. The video that came up in search for me was not the same thing; let me know if you’d like me to describe.
• Heel raise, ball between heels. Considered going one leg without the ball, but the calves were having none of it.
• Upper back extension. Again, video that came up for me in search was not the same thing.

Right now, what seems to be helping most is:

1. Alignment things: Making sure I’m stacking joints properly for me.
2. Relaxation things: I’m not sure when my body forgot how to relax, but that’s what it feels like. (Massage therapy and float tanks.)
3. Mobility things: Ensuring I can maintain (or progress into) full range of motion with all the things.

When it comes to neck movements, the problem child is lower neck mobility. I’m “facing the demons,” though.

I had an MRI done on my right foot. The follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon went well. I appreciate that he essentially said, “I don’t know. And that’s not to say it isn’t happening.” He added that I should stop taking the uric acid reduction therapy as he didn’t see any indication of arthritis or uric acid crystals.

That same week I visited a physical therapist who seems amazing so far.

We looked at my walking patterns and I felt reaffirmed that the way I used to walk was actually better suited for me. She gave me some exercises to do as well, and they are kicking my ass, literally.

The problem child for my foot, we believe, is weakness in the abductor hallucis. My gait was a bit wide, and we believe this was causing me to roll off my big toe at an angle (pushing it toward the center of my foot), instead of straight on.

I’ve started paying more attention to how I walk and trying to do it the way I used to. More mid- and front-strike, a bit more narrow, and ensuring the feet are pointed straight. Consider walking on a balance beam only slightly wider.

For the upper body, some of my muscles are taking a vacation. Specifically the triceps and forearms. This is leaving most of the work up to the back muscles; not good.

I’m still doing the exercises and stretches from May 15 to 26.

I started looking into MovNat and Parkour Generations. Both have a philosophy and approach I believe in; even if not stated outright:

1. Start low and slow.
2. Build from foundations.
3. If it hurts, don’t do it; scale back and progress into it.

I purchased the complete bundle from MovNat as I tried some of their foundation movements and found I could still do many of them without pain or negative side effect.

My general approach to coaching is find what feels natural and build from there; incorporating outside resources whenever possible to reduce chance of injury from experimentation.

MovNat reminded me of a lot of movements I used to do, and they emphasize efficiency, not power and momentum.

I walked through the campus of a university and found some nice rails going down the center of some stairs. We also went to a large extreme sport public park in the neighborhood where I found some nice obstacles and environments to mess around on.

I had another MRI performed on my cervical spine. Disc desiccation, minor hernias, and a little bulging. I don’t know to what degree, except for the bulge, which 1–2 millimeters. And straightening of the spine.

I decided to visit a massage therapist for a couple of hours. That was amazing. It was another situation where I didn’t realize how bad it was until it wasn’t anymore. Not sure how long it’ll last, but I’m enjoying it while I can.

This is how you know I’m over it, whatever is feeling like it’s holding me back. I’m going to do some small things, call in all the professionals, and request as many tests as necessary to convince myself it’s okay.

• 5 repetitions of a single arm wall press; 3 times per day. This is to help with engaging my arm muscles; primarily the right arm.
• 5 repetitions, for 3 sets of rock back breathing; 1 time per day. This is to help my back muscles relax and lengthen.
• 5 repetitions of a co-contraction slouch; 3 times per day. This is to help with engaging my hamstring and hips; primarily the right leg.
• 10 repetitions of toe-spreading abduction; 3 times per day.

I’ve also started doing some stretching and massage every day in the morning.

Starting with the upper body.

Imagine standing with your shoulder to a door that closes automatically; we’ll start with the left. Place your left palm on the door, thumb down. Now try and push the door open. The forearm, tricep, and deltoid should be working to help. For me, my back muscles tried to engage while the others basically went on holiday. Hence the wall press.

I typically stand all day at my desk for work. Shoulders back and all that. The hypothesis is I’ve been doing this for so long (almost 20 years) that my back has forgotten how to sit, relax, and chill out (this is my phrasing of what’s happening). This where the rock back breathing comes in.

Let’s move to lower body, specifically the right leg.

Around 2020 I had severe pain my right big toe. I treated it as turf toe. In early 2022 I had similar symptoms and the hypothesis from my doctor was hyperuricemia and gout. In short, I became concerned about moving that joint, and started babying that whole kinetic chain; choosing pause over pushing. In early 2023 I had similar symptoms and became exceedingly frustrated when I sprained my toe or induced a gout flare by doing push-ups and planks. More on that below.

Just before and after the MRI, I decided to push a little bit rather than pause.

The hypothesis regarding the big toe is that there is weakness in the abductor hallucis, this is where the toe abduction exercises come into play. We also discovered weakness in my ability to engage that hamstring, hence the co-contraction slouch.

I visited the physical therapist on Friday. The previous day I visited the orthopedic surgeon, who didn’t see any signs of uric acid crystals or arthritis from an MRI of my foot. (More on that below.)

I started feeling better to the point I decided to scope out a park (Saturday) and a parkour gym (Monday). I also started doing calf raises to try and regain foot and lower leg strength that I might have lost due to not walking as much compared to when I’d walk to and from an office every day.

My body is sore in all the expected places after the gym. My right foot is struggling to keep up, but I’m not pushing it too hard. And, the physical therapy exercises are easy to incorporate into my daily routine.

I can’t move my toe into dorsiflexion as much as my left big toe, but it doesn’t hurt and isn’t swollen into immobility.

One interesting piece is how much soreness and fatigue is in my hands and feet. Not in the odd sense but in the sense I was expecting so much.