A week had passed since I completed the St. George Marathon and my right hamstring was still extremely sore so I decided to see a doctor about it to see if I could get some physical therapy. Even after a week of rest, ice, stretching, massage stick, and taking Ibuprofen, I was unable to even run more than a 1/2 mile without hobbling. I am still waiting for the PT to call, but the anti-inflammatory,Vimovo, the doctor prescribed seems to be doing the job. I took one, waited an hour and after feeling considerable relieve I tried going for a run. The first day I was able to run 3 miles, the next two days 6 miles each and today I completed 9 miles all relatively pain free. (Vimovo contains a combination of esomeprazole and naproxen. Naproxen is a
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by reducing
substances in the body that cause inflammation, pain, and fever.
Esomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor. It decreases the amount of acid
produced in the stomach.)
At the same time I happen to catch a TV show of Dr. Oz where he was interviewing one of my favorites, Dr. Andrew Weil and they were talking about inflammation and pain. “Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.” (Dr. Weil) Look under march 2011 of his Balanced living anual for more information on as anti-inflammatory diet tips. http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/downloads/BalancedLivingAnnual_2011.pdf . Dr. Weil explains that inflammation is our bodies reaction to injury. Injured parts of the body become inflamed and therefore receive increased blood supply for healing. When that inflammation becomes prolonged, chronic pain can result. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-andrew-weil-anti-inflammatory-diet . We have been enjoying the curried cauliflower soup made with cahsew milk here the past few days
Dr. OZ also has a few good tips for reducing pain. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/7-natural-pain-solutions. I hadn't heard of Capsaicin before, so I tried it on a couple of sore spots I have been having simultaneously on my quads and it seems to help. It could be the my hamstring and quad pains are related as weakness in one area causes pain in the opposing muscle.
Anyways, I am just glad that I am making progress and running better again.
Ultrarunning, hiking, climbing mountains, essentially "traveling by foot" to the wild pure places still left on the Earth has become a means for many to stay connected to life’s fundamental aspects. John Muir said, “Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”
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