Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

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Updates from these key body parts!

Head

Got some highlights and a trim!! A nice fall refresher.

Shoulders

I’ve been having issues with my left side upper back, shoulder, and neck for almost a year now. It started as a knot in my shoulder blade (rhomboids for those of you familiar with back anatomy!). This knot would ache and throb for a few hours each morning.

Last fall, it would come and go so I figured it was just something I was doing in my lifestyle that was irritating it, perhaps pushing the stroller or leaning forward on the Peloton too much.

I never wanted to go to a doctor because the pain wasn’t from an injury or a one-time thing that I could pinpoint. I assumed a doctor would send me to physical therapy, which is eventually what I ended up doing. And MRIs are expensive.

K tape trial

Here’s what I’ve tried:

Massage

The throbbing knot came and went for a few months. My massage therapist, Ainslee, was helpful in making it better temporarily. Ainslee is a godsend and the best massage therapist ever! She knows a ton about soft tissue anatomy and helped me brainstorm what could be causing the pain. I always felt better after a massage, but the pain would return in time.

Acupuncture

I tried acupuncture which was TERRIBLE. I hate needles, so it was a big deal for me to even make the appointment, but I really wanted someone to shove a needle in the pain. However, with acupuncture, you target the chi and so my acupuncturist shoved a needle in me palm.

It was very painful as I laid there for 45 minutes with a throbbing thumb. It also didn’t work (perhaps with repeated visits it would have so I don’t want to knock acupuncture in general). Around this time the pain shifted from my shoulder blade to my neck, so the acupuncture might have done something. I just couldn’t go back because it was such a bad experience.

Dry Needling

An old friend from soccer was recommended for dry needling, so I went to see Dr. Jacob”Getty” Goedken, DC. Dr. Getty knows a ton about the body and his scope of practice includes dry needling, chiropractic, manual therapies, and active care rehab.

I bravely tried the dry needling which has helped a lot. It’s not pleasant AT ALL but if you have needling in an area where there is pain, it is almost welcome, if that makes sense. They needle makes the tissue like swiss cheese so the body can send healing to the area and reset. I’ve gotten a little more used to it over time, although getting my rotator cuff done was quite the experience!

Rehab

Probably the most effective thing I’ve done is rehab, also part of my treatment with Dr. Getty. I’ve been diagnosed with scapula dyskinesia due to weakness in the tiny stabilizing muscles around the shoulder blade.

I strengthen all the big muscles in my workouts and lifestyle, but they get overworked and then strained from a lack of stability from the smaller muscles, especially the serratus which moves the shoulder blade forward and back around the ribs.

My rehab exercises, which I’ve been doing twice a day, are to help build shoulder stability.

My Rehab Exercises

Low Row – using a band, felt in the serratus/ribs
Serratus Punch – first with no weight, then 3 lbs., and now 8 lbs.
Diamond Hands – hands over head in diamond while I’m lying on my stomach
Neck Isometrics – finger on forehead and pressure; felt in the deep neck flexors
Foam Roller – pec stretch
Lacrosse Ball – rhomboid massage

Results

I’m happy to say that my daily throbbing is much improved. The issue isn’t totally gone, though. I’ll report back in a few months with an update!

Knees

As someone who has used Stitch Fix for years now, I was excited to discover a company for petite sizes called A Short Story.

If you didn’t know, I’m only 5’2″ tall, so I can only buy pants in petite or short sizes. I don’t really have a long torso or arms either, so I knew this could be a great fit (pun intended)! Anyone know if there are companies for tall women?!

The company is so much like Stitch Fix, so if you’ve used it before you’ll feel at home. Even the fonts are similar! You pay a styling fee to get a box delivered, and the fee is applied to your order if you make a purchase.

If you’re a shortie too and want to try it, my link will get your styling fee waived!

My Box

I got 5 pieces and kept 2. The three I returned were just a bit out of my style in colors and/or similar to something I already owned, but the two I kept were great.

This jewel tone green top and a pair of flare jeans that fit me so well! Perfect outfit for transition season.

Toes

My toes are happy again after some shoe drama! My old Brooks Ghosts were literally busting out the seams from all the side-to-side action I do in my workout classes.

So I started looking around for a shoe specifically designed for cross training classes. I asked friends and looked around my classes and noticed that most people had either On Running or Hoka brand shoes.

On Cloud X

I ordered the On Cloud X to try first because I liked the look. They were so cute, but they didn’t feel very good to me! There was minimal padding, especially in the ball of the foot. I wear custom orthotics, so I replaced the standard insole with my orthotics and gave them about 2 weeks. I felt like I was wearing plastic and they didn’t feel very supportive! Luckily I was able to return them for a refund after wearing.

Hoka Rincons

So many people had described Hokas as “cushiony” that I knew they were probably where I’d go next. Interesting I had never heard of this brand! (I don’t really look at people’s feet that often, though.)

I drove to Dick’s Sporting Goods and tried on a few pairs. I really wanted the uber cushiony Gaviotas but felt that they were just a little too bulky. I settled on the Rincons – they are so comfortable!! I feel like I have a nice trampoline between me and the hard gym floor, which is exactly what I needed to protect my joints from all the high-impact jumping we do.

I love them! Thomas got a pair of Hokas too!