Over two weeks ago I did something to my knee to make walking painful. I took ibuprofen and applied a cold pack frequently. I avoided walking or even sitting for a long time. The pain slowly got less but I still didn't want to ski on it.
But, we have hotel reservations for a ski trip in a few weeks. If I don't ski the week before we leave, there is no point in skiing all day without being in shape.
When I saw a massage flyer at the SMDC Fitness Center, I decided I should give that a try, especially when the pain diagram included knee pain. I made an appointment on Sunday for yesterday.
Boy oh boy! Did Arch Salyards give my knee a workout. He kneaded and he rubbed and we chatted. I didn't know I had so many sore spots. But as he worked, the sore spots weren't so sore. He said I shouldn't ski today but I could on Saturday and that I should be in shape to ski in Montana.
He recommended that I alternate between hot and cold packs, which I did yesterday and am continuing today. My knee slowly felt better.
However, this morning when I woke up I had a really sore spot above my knee that I didn't have before. It must have been from the pressure on a spot that didn't need it. I do think it will go away.
Being a glutton for punishment, I did schedule a follow-up session for next week. That will really be the go-no go day.
My final thought is if you have muscle pain that is not going away with ibuprofen and hot or cold packs, see a massage therapist as soon as you can. It's worth it, especially if the pain is distracting or limiting your activities.
