The last post I wrote about my painful tensor fasciae latae muscle (my daughter calls it my mocha latte muscle). Anyway, I won’t reinvent the wheel here, if you want to hear my tale of woe you could read it here.

Painful TFL Progress

It’s been 10 days since writing about the painful muscle. Since then I stopped running, began stretching, visited my chiropractor twice a week, worked on strengthening my core muscles (leg lifts, crunches, etc) and reduced my outdoor exercising to walking.

The pain remained and would intensify every time I came home from walking. I just couldn’t understand it. What was I doing wrong? My hubby told me that I moaned from pain in my sleep.

A few days ago I walked to the mailbox to get the mail and instead decided to go for a mile’s walk. I had on my knock about sneakers instead of my running sneakers. After coming home from the walk, I noticed that I didn’t get the usual intensifying pain in my tensor fasciae latae muscle. Hmmm, I might be on to something. So, for grins, 2 days later I decided to walk a little further in my knock about sneakers. I went for a 4-mile walk.

Pain B Gone

Not only did I not suffer from intensifying pain, I woke up pain-free this morning. I poked around my hip in search of my sore tensor fasciae latae muscle. After a few minutes with enough digging and poking, I found remnants of the pain, but it was nowhere as painful as it was a week or so ago.

Could it be the Sneakers?

I’ve heard that running sneakers have a mileage shelf life. I’m well aware of this but since I’m not much of a runner (in a good week I might log 10 miles on my sneakers) I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. Although I’ve had the sneakers for a while, they didn’t get much use. I only used them for the occasional bouts of running.

My knock about sneakers, although much newer than my running sneakers, are an inexpensive pair of running sneakers that I use daily. I never run in them. They’re comfortable and clean (well, they were clean until I forgot to change them one day while gardening).

Pain Free Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle

I cannot say for sure that the sneakers were the main culprit (although I have a sneaking suspicion they were), but if you do happen to fall prey to an aching tensor fasciae latae muscle, my recommendation is that you address the acute pain with rest and ice. If the pain is really unbearable add in over the counter anti-inflammatory pain medication (that’s only if the pain is real bad). Then, go out and buy a new pair of running sneakers.

Chiropractic adjustments, muscle stretching and muscle strengthening don’t hurt, but in my case, I think the sneakers were the final punch I needed to knock out the painful condition….or maybe not…