Session Three

I feel like the first two sessions (which were definitely rough) were the feeling out sessions before we really got down to business today.  We definitely went longer than the first two sessions, with a lot of work going down on both my ankle and my knee.

Ankle:

Measured at a relatively easy 3", with 3.5" almost achievable with some push.  Lots of work on the fibula side - there were some particularly tough spots up by my knee, and then down by my malleolus, but this side was not nearly as bad.  When we switched to my tibia side, it felt like being repeatedly jabbed in a bruise down by my malleolus and that side in general was more of a fight to get through.

Re-tested again with a tough but doable 3.5" and he thinks that this may just be the reality of my ankle.  I feel like tension through the anterior of my ankle and at this point we may be looking at how my bones sit/healed/are as opposed to clearing up adhesions.  I asked if 4" would be a cause for celebration and he said that it would be pretty hard for me to get there.  In terms ideal movement, my doctor (and a lot of functional movement assessments) considers 5" is considered to be a pass.  If I could get 4", I think I'd consider that a major victory.  We'll see if continued focus on my Bulletproof Ankles programming makes any difference.

Knee:

Now here is where we are seeing some serious improvement.  My initial test felt way less restricted, and was 6".  This is an inch of improvement from where we started in session two, and the sensation of where I feel tension/restriction is starting to change.  It's no longer just all back of the knee/hamstring area.  I'm feeling it there (but way less), and actually starting to feel quad tightness.  This is exciting.

He went grinding along my joint line again, which did not feel as bad as last week.  There's some places over my medial meniscus that are more uncomfortable, but definitely better than last time.  He then started in on some manual work on my quads, which again wasn't too bad.  Then shit got real and he did instrument assisted release along my VMO and my rectus femoris.  This was insane.  First off, apparently muscle should feel smooth - mine felt like a rumble roller.  Sweet grindy noise too.  VMO was bad, but rectus femoris was worse.  He did six passes over the one spot and it was the longest thirty seconds of my life.  Purposeful pain though - I re-tested at 5" and barely felt any restriction in the back of my knee - it was way more in the quad, which is where I would expect it to be.

Next Session:  Thursday.  He said he may start moving into my left ankle and both my shins.  I know how much I hate it when my RMT does my shins, so I'm sure this will be quite the treat.