Hi Y'all!  How was your weekend?  Mine is going great.  I've been stopping at the store randomly so I don't really have a grocery shopping picture but here is what is on the meal plan.

Breakfast Options

-  I got a Starbucks gift card from my reward points on my credit card, so I see many feta wraps in my future.

-  Pumpkin Green Protein Smoothie or Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie

-  Coconut Almond Banana Bread (recipe coming soon!)

Lunch Options

-  smoothies

-  leftovers

-  salads

Dinner Plan

Honestly, I've been deviating from my meal plan but I'm still always thankful to have a plan for those nights that I'm like crap what are we going to have????

Sunday- wing it

Monday- Chile Verde Shrimp Tacos

Tuesday- Mac and Cheese with black beans and green beans

Wednesday- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sausages with Spicy Quinoa (From freezer)

Thursday- Chicken Chorizo and Butternut Squash Enchilada Skillet

Friday- wing it

Saturday- out

Looking for more sample meals plans?  Check out THIS page, I redesigned it so all my meal plans are in one easily accessible place!

Prolotherapy

So I'm usually the wait it out and post about what works type person, but I decided maybe I should go ahead a record this one for the books now.  Warning this post is long and maybe boring for you but I'm throwing it out there, feel free to skip over it!

What is prolotherapy? According to the Mayo Clinic “Prolotherapy is a complementary treatment for muscle and joint pain. The treatment involves repeated injections of an irritant solution into part of a joint — the joint's interior, for example, or a supporting tendon or ligament. The irritant, usually a sugar solution, is thought to trigger growth in the connective tissue of the joint, eventually leading to reduced pain.” (Source)

So, basically the goal is to alert the body’s immune system to the injury by causing microtrauma. In theory, those immune responses then begin rebuilding new tissue. I first read about it on STUFT Mama Blog and then I did a TON of research. I found this article and this article which helped me understand what prolotherapy was and the chances of it working on SI joint pain/piriformis pain. I asked my PT about it and he was very supportive and gave me the green light to try it out. What I didn’t do was research prolotherapists well.

The first appointment was on 10/24 at a local office by a NMD (naturpathic medical doctor.) He had told me on the phone prolotherapy is good for pain, ANY kind of pain. I went in, he talked to me about how I should wear less supportive running shoes, gave me two shots in my SI joint region and one in my hip region and sent me on my way. I had researched enough about prolotherapy to know this was not a legit treatment, it didn’t hurt at all. The idea is to recreate inflammation and pain and let the body do its healing thing. I didn’t have a reaction AT ALL, so I knew it was bogus. $250 dollars wasted.

I kept researching and FINALLY found a chiropractor/NMD that performed the injections. I would have preferred a MD, but beggars can’t be too choosy. This time he looked at my MRI’s on my low back and hip. He was convinced that the slight bulging disk in the lower part of my back is the root cause of my pain. Since I wasn’t having pain there I told him I could only afford to treat the pain. He agreed to treat all areas for the price of one, ha ha that included back, SI joint, and hip. He didn’t say it but I think he agreed for two reasons: one we discussed my previous round of bad prolotherapy and he mentioned that he can’t stand when bad prolotherapy is administered. Two, he knew I had been told repeatedly that the slight bulges should not be an issue by multiple doctors so it was hard for me to pay to get that treated. I received I don't even know how many injections maybe 5-6 in my lower back 2-3 in my SI joint, 2 directly into my butt and the evil one to the hip.

The injections aren’t anything nice, let me tell you, they HURT. He warned me one injection would come close to a nerve and I may feel a shock if he comes in contact with it. I felt it radiate to my groin, it was more scary then painful and that is when the tears started. The last injection was in the hip since I have a history of hip pain that accompanies my SI joint dysfunction/pelvic instability. Apparently lidocaine (a pain killer in the injection) is not good for cartilage so the hip injections has no lidocaine in it. Wonderful.

To be honest the hour and half it took me to get home (in rush hour) was the worse part of the whole thing. I was tired emotionally and physically and in a ton of pain, again, emotionally and physically. Anyone into sports/athletics that’s ever had a chronic injury can probably relate to this, it just sucks.

The day after the injection I felt sore in the back and EXHAUSTED, like I had just been in a car accident is the best way to explain it. I took it easy, light walking, lots of protein, and sleeping. For the first two days my lower back was very sore, but I could only feel pressure in the SI joint, not pain. By day three the irritation in the SI joint was back (when driving) and so was the accompanying soreness in the glutes/IT band (aka piriformis syndrome). I’m trying to be patient, I know that it takes up to 10 days for the ligaments to strengthen and even longer for that to lead to reduced irritation and pain. Trying to eat lots of protein, limit inflammatory foods and simple sugars (okay except puffins, protein cereal = puffins + Formulx Recovery Protein Shake w/ Almond Milk = amazing), keep my pelvic alignment with exercises my PT taught me, and heat. Lots of heat to stimulate blood flow and nutrient delivery to the newly “injured” ligaments. I’m not allowed to run for at least two weeks and have to keep exercise to a minimum for a week and half, oh joy. What’s two more weeks after 10 months of on and off injury though?

I also read on some forum that this guy cured his piriformis syndrome (which for me is symptom of poor pelvic alignment) by doing self massage on it every day for an hour in the shower.  So I'm upping my time spent rolling on that little torture ball that Missy thinks is a toy, from 5 minutes to 30-40 minutes (okay one whole episode of whatever Mr. Hungry is watching) DAILY.  I did this last night and it seems to have really helped!

Note: The information in this post is not intended to provide advice or suggest treatment for anyone elses injury.  I know it's helpful to see how others handle their injuries but I am only sharing my personal experience with my personal injury.  If you are injured please seek advice of a qualified medical professional.

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Have you had prolotherapy, acupuncture or other alternative treatments?