PT

Now, you might be asking yourself what a sassy lady wears to Physical Therapy. The answer is posted at left. Yes, that's right, I wore short shorts and knee high socks, and a very fetching hoodie from Carrie.

I figured, if the problem is in my leg, I might as well make my leg...available, you know?

The trouble is, not a lot happened with my leg, and that was the really frustrating part.

At my first appointment, last week, I was analyzed and evaluated; the therapist gave me a few upper back stretches and signed me up to see someone else about my pelvic structure. I arrived to that 9:30 appointment on time. They couldn't find me at first on the sheet. The reason? They'd marked me down for 9 am and given me a no-show. I showed them my slip, given to me by whomever made the appointment, and they kindly reworked the schedule so that I could see the person I was supposed to see.

So, I was in. And spent another forty minutes being analyzed and evaluated. So long, that the therapist's NEXT appointment was already in and ushered to the gym (Said the intercom), and before I'd left the therapist's NEXT appointment was in (a touch early, but still).

Now, let me tell you what it feels like to take more than the usual appointment time while a person tries to figure out what the heck is wrong with your structure. It feels awful. Especially when about five minutes of that time is spent addressing the immediate problem that brought you to that place, the soreness and lack of flexibility in the back of your leg. I know better than most that problems elsewhere in the body might aggravate an injury, and I do want my pelvis straightened back out if possible. But what I really want is for my right leg to heal and quit hurting so that I can stretch and kick properly again.

I'm hoping they're still planning to do the ultrasound therapy, and I am signed up for three weeks of three-times-a-week therapy, sometimes being double-treated by the two PTs I've seen. On Monday, I'm getting the "to be continued" part of my session today, i.e. the answers. An upslip was mentioned. It was questioned whether my left leg is actually longer, or if it's really all in the hips. I was also called out for standing with my knees locked and chest too far back, which is funny because everyone is always telling me to straighten up. The posture I was given to try sucks. I really am going to have to work with these people on not ruining my dance posture in exchange for...whatever.

The best part is both PTs pointed out to me that my back muscles are unusually tight...which I could have told them. Yes, I know I'm compensating for things in dance that my body can't do because I'm not as naturally flexible as I'd like to be. I store tension. It's what I'm good at. I'm like a poised cat almost all the time, ready to jet. I don't relax. I'm type A, what do you want from me? It will be interesting to see what they want to do about that. Again, I have things I need to be able to do in dance, and I don't have time to get completely demolished and rebuilt, so they're going to have to work with me so I can be functional normally and dancefully.

I just hope I'm fixable.