Sunday, April 27, 2008

It's not what you think!

You know that knee I’ve been telling you about? Yea…it’s not getting any better. In fact, it’s been getting a lot worse. And it’s one of those pains that's kind of indescribable or hard to pinpoint the exact cause and therefore the proper treatment. I thought I might be able to combat the problem with some good deep tissue work because all the stuff that connects to my knee was super tight and pulling on it… or so I thought… but thus far it hasn’t helped and seems to be getting worse so I’ve been seeking out some alternative treatments.

I’ve decided to try Chinese. Medicine, that is. Acupuncture can supposedly help a whole host of problems and so I figured I might as well see if they could sort some of mine out. So I go to the guy and not really knowing what to expect or what types of things he could assist me with, I just begin to rattle off all the things that hurt. Well it turns out that the things that are bothering me are all connected in some way. They are on the same meridian lines, or energy wavelengths, or connect the dot puzzle...you know, something ‘easternly’. And I remember something that had to do with my kidneys. And to be honest, I really don’t know what that means but I was optimistic nonetheless. It sounded smart. Unfortunately, my first treatment didn’t cure my knee but I plan on going back once I am back in town for an extended period of time. I suppose it can’t hurt and I really need to figure out this knee problem because it has started to affect my training.

In the meantime, my Chinese medicine guy gives me something called a moxa stick to use on my own to help alleviate the pain in my knee and facilitate healing. It’s some sort of herb rolled up into a large cigar shape and you light it up and hold it about an inch from your skin until it gets unbearably hot, remove, and repeat. He told me that I should probably use it outside because of the strong odor. It totally smells like weed. Like the strongest pot ever.

And so I’ve used it a couple times already sitting in my living room with the door and windows open and now my neighbors are giving me weird looks. And this guy totally walked by and tried to peek his head in. I’m not sure if it was curiosity or if he was hoping for an invite. And it doesn’t really go away either. So now my neighbors think I’ve gone Rasta and if you are anywhere in the vicinity of my apartment you would swear I’m hittin’ the ganja super hard. But I’m not. I just hope they ask questions before they call the DEA on me.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally can relate to your knee dilemma. You are smart too seek alternative treatments. This being an Olympic year, you'll want to avoid MDs at all costs unless your looking purely for a diagnosis as to whether you have torn something in the knee. Those quacks are usually way too eager to put you under the knife.

I have had chronic pain in my left knee for about a year and a half. Since it is on my jump off leg(basketball) and serving leg (tennis), the knee has been a source of much frustration. It probably doesnt't help that I continue to heavy squat, power clean and leg press, but you know how it is when you're training. Sometimes we're way too stubborn for our own good.:-) With the Trials and the Olympics being so close, I know you probably don't want to allow anything to curtail your training. I tried a prescription orthotic to help facilitate my knee alignment and it gave me some relief. You might want to try that option if you haven't already.

An older friend of mine, who's a former distance runner, does the acupunture thing for a bum knee and has given it good reviews. So, I think you should definitely receive a few more treatments to determine if it is a viable solution for you.

Also, please let us know the efficacy of the moxa "blunt". :-) I really hope it is good for more than just making your neighbors think you are getting lifted. LOL

BG in Beijing '08!

anonymousnupe said...

Don't worry. It proly just contains dried yak semen or dehydrated monkey sphincter. Nothing the DEA could put you away for. For long.

Anonymous said...

I'm hearin' Rick James and "Mary Jane" runnin' through my mind after this blog...hittin' the blunts with the guys in the car... anybody got some Cheetos?
Daniel

Brianna said...

so this "moxa blunt" does not extinguish very easily and you ruin it if you try to run it under water. it's suggested that you put it out in sand so i have this patch of dirt off of my patio that i stuck it in last night. i guess it fell over...or something. but i almost burned down my apartment. my fence is all burned at the bottom and luckily a neighbor noticed and threw water on it this morning. then i got a visit from management. so i suppose i didn't get in trouble for my extracurricular activities, but i did get in trouble for arson--and now they are making me pay to repair my fence. what a day...

anonymousnupe said...

What?! Don't they know who you are?!

ktizzle said...

Bri: i know when i was running in college i had issues with both knees but mainly my take off knee. after trying patella straps and different take jobs that did nothing i finally pleaded to the trainers to look at my feet. it wasn't till my junior year that they decided they would humor me and have the doc look at my feet and to their surprise i was right. my feet were flattened by the pounding from take off from Pole Vault and Triple. they sent me to the specialist, i got casts of my feet and fitted me for orthodics cause my feet pronated messing up my knee alignment giving me chronic patella tendinitis. i got my orthodics and they fixed my knee pain immediately. i'm not saying this would be the case for you but it's definitely something to look at if its on your take off knee. my left foot is a 1/2 size longer because how much flatter it is from jumping.

LOL @ the Moxa Blunt

they say that stuff is a gateway drug i just didn't know it was a gateway to burning your apartment down.

puff puff pass B!

CapCity said...

Uh, i know it's only my second time here & i don't know u that well, but, er, ummm - does it "feel" like weed? I mean is everythang funny az hayl after u're done & u feel NO pain! LOL!

i really do hope it helps & that your knee feels better!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I wouldn't want that scent in my house either. Hope it does the trick though.

Keep us posted on the Acupuncture. I'm looking for alternatives for my back.