I've had two PT (physical therapy) sessions this week. I also went to the gym twice. Going to the gym was less painful. Well, the first PT session was more a consultation with me doing a number of movements to confirm that the issue is inflammation concerning the
L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae. Yep, that's a lower back issue. It's good to know that the
sciatic nerve is actually more like a giant thruway with many lines of traffic. While strength hasn't been impacted at all, the nerves that convey pain are wide awake.
The therapist suggested some forward bending movements to alleviate the pain and numbness, akin to toe touching. Except there's no way in hell I'm gonna be doing 10 toe touches in the middle of the grocery aisle when my calf seizes up and my butt feels like I've been kicked by a horse. The second appointment saw me in an actual therapy session with a different guy who explained that the 6-8 movements they had me do were to strengthen weak areas, and to increase my pain threshold. Lovely.
Also, since my hamstring have been unusually sore lately, he remarked that they were too tight and needed to do a
hamstring stretch daily. It's relatively simple but requires a belt or length of rope to slip over the foot and then the leg is straightened and the foot is pulled toward the chest. Of course, you need to be laying down to do this. I left that second appointment really sore and achy. I guess that means it's working?
I got to the gym later than I'd like but at least I made it. It wasn't busy and Wind Breaker was pedaling elliptical #1, preferring the clunking to the ambiguity of machine #3. I don't have a problem with #3 and was glad that there wasn't an OOO (out of order) sign on it. Those signs tend to stick around for months because parts and services are really expensive and hard to come by. I have a place to put my phone and since the programs are unaffected, I'm able to do a cardio routine. I'm not as fast as I used to be: the sciatica slows me down a lot. Pedaling slower means I don't get the distance. Now I'm happy I made it to 2.7. I get a set of pull-ups done. Kids are starting to trickle in from the HS.
The yesterday's therapist encouraged me to lift weights again. I think he's had too many clients lose muscle strength through inactivity due to pain. I admit that I haven't pushed any
DBs around for a few months now! But unlike most people, I haven't really lost any strength. I don't have time for the 3 heavy sets today. I got to the gym late and the day is short. (It's dusk by the time I drive home and there are deer standing at the road's edge. I hate driving at night because the headlamps of oncoming cars blind me and this is very stressful.)
The Aerobics Room is icy cold and I have it all to myself. People occasionally pop in for a quick stretch. I grab an elastic rope off the wall where there are dozens of varying colors and lengths. Some people use them as jump ropes. Others attend classes where these stretchy ropes are part of the routine. The hamstring stretches are easier today, probably because I'm a lot more warmed up than I was at yesterday's appointment. I do everything in my routine plus the ham stretches and butterfly hip opens (those use a band but I don't have one). Everything except for those
hip bridges. Because I'm not ready to deal with that kind of pain yet.
Someone mentioned their spouse was seeing a doc for their lower back pain. It's been several years now since a tree limb caused major damage. Now they're scheduled to have a nerve ablation. I had no idea that was a treatment for sciatic pain; I'm only familiar with nerve ablation for cardiac issues (someone from the dog park had it done recently). I guess if this therapy thing doesn't work, there are other procedures that aren't surgery. Whew!
12 Dec 2025 1:14-3:06
Frigid Friday Cardio etc
Pushing thru Sciatica — EZ pacing
(needs a hard reboot)
Program 1 — right ft numb
Time: 30 + 5 (5164)
Distance: 2.71
Cal: 293
Avg Hr: 148, 188-77
New FB: 39-129 (?!)
(1:52)
HGPU 18
Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys (slow & super EZ)
10 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:09)
15 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:16)
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 reps (2:25)
Skip Hip Bridges
20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
3 x 30 sec Belted hamstring stretches
Skip hip bridges
Child’s Pose
Arm rotations 20
Push-Ups 25 (sciatic pain)
Air Squats 25
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