[at-l] Cho-Pat and knee issues

[Sloetoe]

--- Teresa French <AT03Wench at comcast.net> wrote:
> Of those that have used Cho-Pat (with or without
> good results), can you give me some info?
### I know plenty of people who swear by their Cho-Pat
straps, but it did nothing for me. FWIW, other little
gizmos or stretches have done *wonders* for me, so you
may just have to

### 1) be patient (know that it is one COMPLEX system,
from big toe to belt line, and that ANYTHING out of
whack will drag other stuff *with* it, to the degree
that your complaint will look like all *kinds* of
maladies, when in fact it MAY boil down to
"out-of-adjustment")

### 2) experiment (be your own{!} therapist)

### 3) get educated (be your own SMART therapist)

### (It sounds like you're well on your way; I just
figured I'd cheer you on. Without the runners' list I
was on when I was having problems (and the
encouragement and knowledge I got there), I would've
quit my serious running soon after I started -- barely
a decade ago. And I'd be 33% heavier again, and none
of it "lean." The doctors all said {insert long
harrange on itbfs/vmo-itis/pat-fem
"syndrome"/chondromalatia/blahblahblah} would put me
down permanently}. But none could *point* to a cause.)

> Will you describe the knee issue(s) you were having,
> including type and location of pain, any diagnosis
> you received, which Cho-Pat product you used, and
> how the Cho-Pat helped or didn't help?
### As I know now, I had proto-typical ITB pain --
which can come in many guises, but I always tell my
kids "show me where it hurts with one finger", so:
right in that two-inch indentation right above the
outside of the knee bend, just like (I eventually
learned) they show in those "itb pain locus" shots on
the web. But it would *radiate*!!!! On one run, it
felt like it went from my outside forefoot, up the
outside of my ankle, right over my shins (like classic
shin splints), right up my knee, ripping my quad/ham
region in two, and right up my hip. BOY was that a bad
day. But what it was IN ORIGIN was a way-too-tight itb
-- which can be bizarre that stretching what feels
like your back/hip is going to help your knee.

### VMO stuff too? FWIW, whenever I feel I've P-O-ed
my VMO, I can point to either old shoes (and lack of
interiour/medial support) or too-little miles (and in
particular, too little speed or stability
(soccer/frisbie) or downhill/hiking miles. Although
bikers typically have great VMOs, runners are
notoriously weak-legged -- and one way I know I've
been hiking truly well is when my VMO stands out like
an extra finger around my knee. That's a great
feeling. So, bikers and throughhikers tend to have
great VMOs -- soccer players, too...

 
> I had knee pain at the end of my thruhike, and was
> first diagnosed with tight quads.  At PT, they
> thought I had patellofemoral syndrome, perhaps
> brought on by tight quads and iliotibial band and
> weak VMO muscle.  One PT recommended McConnell
> taping, which seemed to work, but is such a pain in
> the arse to do.  So, I'm looking for an easier
> alternative.
### Jeez, it sounds like they're clueless. The PTs
I've been to (3) have spoken with certainty within 10
minutes, had me dialed in, and set up with stretches
and such that had me good in a few weeks/months (with
patient, consistent application). Keep with their
diagnoses and stretches if your continuing
self-education doesn't contradict them, but keep
looking, too.
 
> I had been doing well (as far as the knee issues),
> even including some jogging (2-3 days/wk), but after
> playing 2 games of softball last night, the ol'
> knees are sore today!
### Take an anti-inflammatory! (I am sometimes the
absolute last one to follow my own advice, but...) If
you're asking something of your knees, give them time
to respond. And since our legs are the most powerful
muscle complexes on our bodies, give them PLENTY of
time -- like a year -- of stress, rest, and
stretching.

> Thank you!
> :-)
> Wench
### I wrote this fast -- and I know it rambles, but I
hope it helps.
sloetoe

Spatior! Nitor! Nitor! Tempero!
   Pro Pondera Et Meliora.