layton

I always love hard core bands that try and act tough....by playing music and wearing makeup and costumes. "Hey guys, let's play some songs and dress up" Real tough.

Carob? Why don't you ban sex, drug, rock n' roll, and everything else in life that's worth livigng for. Carob! Fuck that shit.

Southwest? How about the one with the convienent location on Hawthorn in SE?

go observe each in practice, they should let you. Ask around 1st to see who's good, who's bad

Thanks Muffy! That's a perfect day for me. I finish my board exams that afternoon/evening and leave for Seattle on Tuesday. If folks are climbing, I can do it monday night. Hell, I drink every night. Pub club right now, party of one.

WHAT?!?

Hey, i have a question. HOWS DA WEDDER

The problem with climbing is that it makes your life interesting while you are climbing, and shitty while you are not...just like drugs or being in a relationship. We'd all be more socially acceptable people if we all quit climbing...maybe even happier. But our souls would suffer.

Yes, it's allowed. And all the other ones should be soon (how soon I don't know)

Yeah, massage. Have someone dig around for trigger points, tightness, or sore spots and rub and press on them real good (advanced massage therapists can roll your eyes...now).

Sometimes it works in the short term, usualy there is a concominant inflammation, which the cortisone stops. But then you're left with the real problem, the weakening and decay of the plantar fascia. And what does cortison do? It weakens and decays tissue? It's like stopping an oil leak in your car by filling the tank with sand. (i just made that up)

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced! Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

It's not treated successfully with cortisone.

Pup, ditto on the wrist guards at night and during wrist intensive activities -like driving, typing, and climbing for 4 weeks. Get the kind that go up over your hand, but find the most low profile one you can...I forget the brand but there's a flesh colored (for yellow people) brand that's soft and comfy. Ditto on the bromelain for the inflammation, and ice massages. Maybe chondoitin or glucosamine SULFATE (not HCL) for the synovium and cartilage. Work your wrist with weights or tubing and rubber bands for the fingers in PAIN FREE directions focusing on very high reps, low weight. You probably don't need to focus on the flexors. I'd adjust the carpal bones and the radius and ulna, but I'm a chiropractor. It helps a lot in tough cases. Have someone work on the soft tissues around the area-in your hand, wrist and forearm. If bugger all doesn't work, then get it x-rayed (which will probably show nothing). Then they're gonna want to MRI it, which will be excruciatingly painful. Or maybe they'll give you a cortisone injection which could help, but the wrist is not a place you want to make unstable! Then if that doesn't work, surgery. So yeah, you have to do those things if nothing else fixes it, but it'd suggest trying to fix it before it gets to the MRI/Injection/Surgery stage.

Boring, yes....but better than nothing. Cold Laser is the latest "big thing" in the conservative treatment of injuries. The laser penetrates 5cm in depth below the skin where is reacts with your cells to stimulate repair. It's too late and I'm too busy at the moment to find the research. So far it's shown amazing results and is replacing ultrasound as the deep penetrating modality of choice. I've used it on my own shoulder labral tear and noticed a HUGE improvement. My patients have also noted a huge improvement in plantar fascitis and meniscus tears. There are a few types of cold laser out there so bear that in mind if reading the research. One company, "Arconia" claims that their cold lasers (which operate just above a laser pointer frequency) are the best, but I'm very skeptical. The ones that have the best research are the medical grade lasers that can blind your ass. They cost roughly 5grand, so you won't see many clinics with them. I'm trying to get one.

Ok, I found it. I'm designing a protocol for this, so this is just off the cuff shit. -write the alphabet with your big toe...gradually add ankle weights. -try to active mold you foot into an arch. start by passively forcing you foot into this position, and work your way up to being able to do it while weight bearing. this is called the "short foot" exercise -do a 1-leg stand, then close eyes...all the while doing the "short foot". Progress to a rocker, then a wobble board-eyes open, then closed. -with your heel on the ground, sitting in a chair, curl your toes. Put a towel on the ground and curl it up...then spread it back out. Add challenge by putting a weight on the end of a towel. -Stretch your big toe out (abduction) by pulling towards your other foot on your big toe, and adding counter resistance by pressing in the other way on the head of your 1st metatarsal (the base of your big toe). -Grab things like golf balls with your feet. -strengthen your tibialis anterior muscle. Place your toes under a dumbell or weight, and lift your foot up. This should burn. -Stretch your calfs. Stand on the edge of the stairs facing uphill and drop your heel down. -Likewise, hold some weights and stand at the edge of the stairs as mentioned above, and SLOWLY lower yourself down. -walk around the house barefoot. progress to walking outside in a safe (no glass!) environment barefoot. If you can do ALL these exercises, you will not only fix a lot of foot,hip,leg,knee,back issues, you'll be a ninja master.

Catbird's description was incorrect (sorry) of fallen arches causing, and also the etiology and condition of plantar fascitis. I don't have time to get into it right now, but plantar fascitis is not an inflammation, but NECROSIS of the fascia due to inadequate blood supply. This can come from LOTS of reasons...bad shoes, over-use, poor biomechanics, etc. Your fallen arches and foot pain are not cause and effect of each other, but really two symptoms of an underlying issue. In your case, it's most likely underdeveloped intrinsic foot muscles and poorly fitted shoes. Just a guess. I posted an exercise regime for fixing your flat feet. Lemme try and find it. Standby....

Pup, I'm still not clear if it hurts on the pink (ulnar) side or your thumb (radial) side of your wrist? Assuming these questions are no: You didn't fall on an outstretched hand. You don't have point tenderness over your scaphoid. There is no excessive popping and clunking in your wrist. Then these are my two major diagnosis (re:guesses over the internet) depending on where it hurts. If it's your ulnar side then it sounds like you've injured your Triangular Fibrocartilage between your distal ulnar, and your triquetrum. Think of it as your "wrist menisus" With no direct blood supply, and injury to that can take a long time to heal without the right treatment approach. If it is on your radial side, do this: Make a fist with your thumb tucked inside. Hold your arm straight out with the thumb side up (Still tucked in). Now ulnar deviate your wrist to the floor (flex your wrist sideways toward your pinky finger). Does that cause severe pain? If so, then it could be de Quervain's Disease...which is basically a tendinopathy of your thumb muscles...also a bitch to heal without proper Tx. So...which is it? Thumb or pinky side pain?

Yeah, pretty much that's the story there Dru. Anyway, Kurt's letting me crash in a spare bedroom. Thanks Kurt. I'll be buying padlocks and motion sensors for possible late night rapings.

I'm moving up in 2 weeks (May 21or22) and my lease doesn't start until June 2. Anyone got a spare bedroom where I can crash and can store my stuff until my apt opens up? Gracias -Mike

I'll have to kill me one next time I see it and stuff it for my mantel.

There are PT procedures that can be done EARLY. Cold Laser, Microcurrent, KinesioTape, and low amplitude mobilization. I'd highly reccomend the cold laser to drastically speed up the healing time.

Get the surgery done faster, and don't miss a one of your rehab appointments. Start the rehab the DAY after surgery, yes there is a lot you can do the day after.

hell yeah post em!

Get a Nettie Pot. It's basically a teapot you use to pour salt water up your nose. Sounds awful, and it is...but damn if it doesn't work! Other sinus options include Argyrol, a from of silver nitrate. The end of a LONG q-tip is dipped in the solution and shoved up your nose wicked far. Then you sit over a bucket and make a snot mobile. Sound fun? Better than a sinus infection. I won't even get into the nasal specific technique in which a finger cot (finger tip latex glove) is inflated in your nose with a blood pressure bulb. Not many people go for that one. there's plenty of supplements, like Eccnasea (sp?), but i'm sure you're aware of those. Sweating it out always helped me, but keep hydrated with plent of electrolytes.