Joint syzygy

I went to see Dr. Mike Tarr today at Ideal Health Chiropractic. He was a friendly, easygoing guy who explained things very thoroughly. He was very familiar with my type of IT-band syndrome and said the runner's version is almost invariably caused by misalignments in the foot, knee and/or hip joints. He pointed out that the calluses on the bottom of my left foot are thicker on the medial side, and pointed out a pronounced bunion on my left foot – common symptoms of overpronation. It was likely not the sole result of overexertion since my right IT band had no similar problems. Bracing the joint last Saturday probably made it even worse since it caused the ligament to rub against my knee even more. Dr. Mike recommended Powerstep orthotics for extra arch support if I could find them, as a step above Superfeet. He particularly recommended wearing orthotics in my street shoes, so that I'd always have arch support wherever I went.

Dr. Mike adjusted all the joints in my left leg, from my knee to my hip. He also stretched the IT band and hamstring to make sure they were good and loose. My leg was a little tingly afterwards as I felt a rush of biochemicals streaming through.

I'll be running again tomorrow and Thursday to see how my leg fares. On Friday I'll be visiting Dr. Mike again for one more adjustment before my Saturday run. If his assessment is right I should be able to run further than I did last weekend. I'm crossing my fingers!