More of the same as last week – I went to physical therapy and worked.
Knee stuff
My physical therapist continued ASTYM on my LCL this week (thanks to Wendy for reminding me of the official term for the “metal scraper thing”). She also started using it on the IT band on the same leg, which actually felt a lot more sore under the scraper than my LCL did. I am supposed to be foam rolling my IT bands to help, which I have done….once so far. 1 > 0.
We also started using ultrasound on the injury area this week. Honestly, it feels like the biofreeze gel used with the ultrasound might have more effect (or at least a more notable effect) than the ultrasound itself. The biofreeze also has the weird side effect of making my feet cold for several hours afterwards.
At my Friday appointment I got a couple exercises – bridges with an outward knee pulses and side steps (both with a resistance band). The PT also taped my knee, but despite that it’s felt a bit throbby all weekend. I’m not sure if that’s from adding the exercises or going deeper with the ASTYM.
Apart from the PT exercises, I’m still only cleared to do upper body workouts. I did 3 workouts this week, but they reminded me why I stick to full-body workouts. My arms tend to twitch for a while afterwards when I do too much upper body stuff in one workout. (It’s technically a tremor, not a twitch, but to me it looks and feels like a twitch.) I also made it to a restorative yoga class this week – even in restorative there are some common poses that my knee can’t handle yet, but I just adjust to a similar pose that doesn’t hurt.
Other stuff
I’ve been fighting exhaustion/low energy since late last week, so I tried (with mixed results) to stay ahead of it this week. Mostly this meant that once I got home for the night, I tried my best to NOT accomplish anything. Except dinner. Unfortunately, there were several days I woke up way to early and couldn’t get back to sleep, which I think counteracted any progress I made on regaining energy.
So this weekend I finished the errands and chores that piled up over the course of the week, then tried to take it easy the rest of the time. I managed a 2 hour nap yesterday, but talked myself out of doing the same today since I need to get to sleep earlier. If only we could nap at work, right?
How do you recuperate from a low energy week?
Linking up with Meghan for week in review and Holly and Wendy for Weekly Wrap
I’d admit I drink a lot of coffee to counteract my low energy days. But, I don’t recommend it. 😉 I hope the various PT treatments and exercises will have your knee back to normal in no time. I need to try the bridges with outward knee pulses. I never done that exercise. Thanks for linking!
I drink an extra cup of coffee occasionally, but much more than that just makes me shaky.
Sounds like you have a good plan in place for the knee rehab. Hang in there!
Thanks!
Just reading about the “scraping” sounds painful. Does it hurt?
I had a few low energy days this past week and I often wondered if I stopped for an ice coffee on the way home if it would perk me up. I did not get one ( cus I was too lazy..haha). -M
It’s uncomfortable, but not really painful. My PT tries to gradually go deeper with it each session so it won’t hurt.
I wish I was a napper…maybe that can be a learned skill (?). I catch myself feeling tired at work sometimes, but if I take a nap at home (on the odd chance I’ll actually fall asleep), my sleep for the night is shot. I hope you continue to see improvements with your knee recovery!
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I rarely nap – when I do I’m out for multiple hours. Maybe cat-napping is also a learned skill?
Good luck with the knee rehab, it sounds like you are doing all the right things! I hope you’re feeling back to normal quickly!
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Thank you!
Good luck with the knee rehab. Did you get an injury I missed while I’ve been backlogged with blog posts? And you don’t need me to tell you this, but do do your rolling and other exercises, as it will help. I came back really well from my glute and back seizing up after my autumn marathon because I dug down and did the exercises. Now I’m trying to remember that and forcing myself to stretch or roll every day to keep things going!
In low-energy weeks I reach for the sugar (specifically, the chocolate) and then feel worse. We’ve been pushing for a 10-10.30 pm bedtime (lights out, heads on pillows) and unless Morgan the cat has an active night time session (which does happen) are both feeling better and using coffee and sugar less. If I wake early morning I have a good sniff of my lavender roll-on from Neal’s Yard and that sets me back off usually.
I am pretty good about doing the PT-prescribed exercises, but regular foam rolling is still a work in progress. My foam roll is a relatively squishy one, but it still hurts!
I feel as though all my weeks are low energy when the days are this short. And I am not a great sleeper or napper. A 2 hour nap? I can’t even imagine.
You are doing all the work you can to repair things — just keep at it and you will be back running.
Now imagine Thor was 17 . . . actually, Gizmo pees so frequently and wants to eat so much, he might actually be awake more than he was when he was younger. 🙂
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A 2 (or more) hour nap is actually the only kind I can do. I wish I could do cat naps!
Thor wants to eat pretty much whenever he’s not sleeping. I guess napping requires a lot of fuel.
So sorry that you are dealing with both the injury and a low energy week 🙁 I hope that the continued visits to PT help with your injury. You are definitely doing all the right things to recover.
Whenever I have a low energy week I feel like it’s my body telling me to slow down. I embrace it and then I try to get back to doing workouts the following week.
Sometimes workouts give me a temporary energy boosts, but when they don’t I take that as a sign to slow down.
Is it weird that metal scraper thing is something I understand better.
Keep taking care of you.
Nope. I’m still calling it that.
I’m low energy all the time these days! My sister and I were talking about that. I could blame RA but I think it’s more a factor of my age… I have no advice except to take it easy on yourself.
Hang in there!
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I think there are usually multiple factors with low energy. At least I know it’s likely to improve eventually!
Oh you poor thing! Injuries SUCK!
I feel like a closet hippie saying this, but i’ve been all about essential oils on low energy days. My diffuser is constantly running.
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I am just not a fan of diffusers….the scent is always too strong for me. But maybe if I could diffuse the smell of coffee or chai….