Fun & Fitness over 50

OK. Arthritis is NOT the problem according to the physical therapist. After a lengthy evaluation, he said the problem is a nerve in my neck that is getting pinched by a vertebra.

He put me in traction for 15 minutes to open up the space between neck vertebrae and gave me some exercises to do.

Also he nailed the bloody eye (i woke up this AM with a broken blood vessel in my right eye)! He asked if I've been taking ibuprofen. In fact, I've been eating it like candy. That's it! Good call.

He is also a cyclist so he was able to discuss what I was doing on the bike that might help or hinder my healing.

He suggested using the camelbak to drink rather than throwing back my head and chugging from the water bottle which pinches the nerve. Also suggested an exercise I can do while riding: If I'm on a straightaway with no traffic and a white line on the shoulder to keep me on the road, I can look down while in the drops and tuck my chin in toward my chest for a few seconds. Then look up and repeat. This should help open up some space in the neck vertebrae. Cool, huh?

I always love going to the PT. It's so informative. Plus they've got all these high-tech PT toys that I've never seen before, like the neck traction machine.

So, no I didn't ride the bike or go to the gym after work, I went to the PT. That was my "movement" for the day.