Tri season cut short?!?!

Oh man, my knee has been hurting. Sorry to say that unlike my business partner, Dr. Taylor Lee, who had a 24 hour "miraculous recovery" from his debilitating shoulder pain a few weeks back (check out Taylor's blog- www.jatofitness.blogspot.com), I am still suffering...3 months later. Oh, Lordyyyy.

Yes, even the most invincible and careful DPTs may succumb to injuries. During my first 15k last November, I felt a little stiffness/pain in my knee during the last 3 miles of the race, but of course, I was stubborn and decided to bite the bullet and persevere....well, I was rewarded for my tenacity; let's just say that my L knee has not been the same since. I'm my own best patient.

My symptoms? Pain on the outside of the knee when I run...and only when I run! I can skip, jump off of a plyo box, perform deep squats, jump in place on one leg, do knee extensions, heel raises, BUT, running more than 1/2 a mile causes my knee to really, really hurt. Yeah, I guess Runner's knee (IT band syndrome) may be the working diagnosis, but I'm not so convinced that it is. I'm gonna have my associate, Dr. Murphy, and my graduate student Bhairvi, take a closer look. As good as I am a physical therapist, I can't always treat my own body!

Knee injuries are rampant among runners. Meniscus injuries, patellofemoral syndrome, muscle strains, Achilles tendonitis and tears are just a few of my favorite things to treat. Most of these are biomechanically-driven, ie., the way you run is causing stress to structures over time.

I feel thwarted, and frankly, a bit frustrated, as even with active rest, I have not been able to run without pain...I hope it's not a sign that I'm actually getting...OLDer or WORSE yet, that I won't be able to complete, let alone just compete in my triathlons this year. = (

What a way to start of the new year.....Stay tuned.

Medicare or MediCUT?

Maybe you're still under the age of 65 and things regarding Medicare are an afterthought and don't really concern you...yet. Maybe you ARE a bonafide senior and have Medicare and wondering how Mr. Obama and his administration have been "reforming" our healthcare system....or, perhaps you have a parent or grandparent who has Medicare and may need a medical service, like physical therapy. How does the Medicare CAP affect you and your loved ones?
Well, for starters, $1,860/year (regardless of how many body parts need to be treated at any given time) is simply NOT ENOUGH. You really can't expect the best quality care or enough of the best care to be covered under less than $2,000 per year!

Case in point, I knew of a Medicare patient with a knee replacement who was discharged (though he needed the therapy) from out-patient physical therapy because his CAP amount was met for the year. Unfortunately, this poor chap, a few months later, fell and broke both his wrists and needed rehab...but guess what, because his CAP ran out, he was unable to afford rehab for this new problem(s). Sad, but true.

"APTA is discouraged and disappointed that Congress is allowing an arbitrary annual cap on outpatient rehabilitation services to be placed on Medicare beneficiaries on January 1, 2010. This is clearly inconsistent with efforts by President Obama's administration and the Democratic majority to reform health care by eliminating arbitrary limits imposed by private insurance companies. (www.apta.org)"

Need I say more? Well, ok, maybe just one more question to pose- Can someone explain to me why our beloved senators, congresspeople, etc are not subject to the same restrictions for their own healthcare?!?! For cryin' out loud, Mr. Obama, gimme THAT plan!

Jan 9, 2010- Back to Tri-training!

In a previous blog, I wrote that I would be setting my goal of completing a 1/2 Ironman and several other triathlon races this year, and I intend on doing so. So, how's my training going? Well, I had a shoulder injury from swimming in late November, which proved to be a longer-than-expected set-back to my training (yeah, can you believe it?! The irony....), then I hurt my left knee (IT band pain, if you're curious) last month. I felt somewhat defeated, and searched for a good divine reason as to why my joints were falling apart when I've been injury-free for the past few years. I decided to listen to my body and rested (at the expense of my formerly trim waistline).

FINALLY, last week, I started up in the pool, I fixed up my knee and shoulder during the rest time, and now I'm getting back on my training schedule.

So far, I'm scheduled for a 1/2 marathon in Asbury Park this coming April. Wyckoff is coming up again in June as well as the NJ State olympic distance triathlons. Hoping to get into the Eagleman 1/2 Ironman as a charity participant, but not guaranteed. Thankfully, the sport is growing and more and more races are popping up each year.

More on tri-training next time....

"Always keep in mind what's really important"

Of all the things I could do on Christmas morn', the Yoo clan decided to check out, "The Princess and the Frog". Man, what a heart-felt flick. Didn't expect the Adam's apple flutter while watching a cartoon! Anyway, the one line that moved me was when Tiana's (the heroine) late father emphasized in a loving way to "always keep in mind what's really important." It was obvious that he was alluding to the fact that while life may be busy as we pursue our all-consuming ambitious endeavors, we cannot and must not discount the relationships we have in our lives and, of course, love. The last three years were truly a blur for me when I think out my family life.

Working part-time jobs to make ends meet in the first year of business and doing my best to accommodate patients at wee-early and way-late hours were trying times back then. Fast forward two years and here I am, two practices later, working on getting the patient to get our two locations flowing and growing, yet not seeing my kids and wife for days at a time had become a source of conflict in my personal life- wanting the professional and financial success, but sacrificing the quality life with the fam, is not a path I desire to take any further. 2010 is starting off on the right foot. Learning to be more efficient at work while making a conscious effort to be present (mentally, physically, spiritually) at home is the plan for this year.

Now, how exactly do we fit in triathlon training?!?!