Kinections Sports Injury Treatment and updates

 I had four consecutive nights of pain waking me up from my sleep.  Usually around 3A.M.  I have gotten up and massaged, iced, heated, and rearranged the affected body parts, my lower back and hip.  Returning back to sleep has been difficult, and I have resorted to medication and even an ocean sounds CD.  Desperation!  This is a follow up note about sports injury treatment.
Disclaimer:  Your medical concerns should be addressed by a medical professional first and foremost.  Ruling out more serious conditions  should be one's primary focus.  I wrote about a whole process of ruling out, trying recommended treatments, and finally, this measure for relief.  I am a hiker and backpacker and not a medical professional.  Check references and research therapies before choosing your own course. 
Finally my appointment at Kinections, 1221 S Street in downtown Sacramento, with Lino Cedros, arrived.  (The number is(916-441-5094).  In 15 minutes, the knot in my middle back to my left, was gone, completely gone.  The frozen hip that has been pesky for a couple of years despite faithful physical therapy and medication felt better, though not cured.  I can tell it will return in a day or two, but none the less, it is relieved for now. 
My knee is amazing.  No work on it today and despite my hiking the American River Canyon recently, it did not flare up for the first time in over a year and a half!  Not a tiny twinge of pain!  My hiking companions can tell you how much trouble that has been for me and that in the last few months I had to turn back twice because of it acting up!  Not since my visits to Lino began,  (three visits)  have I had any trouble with my knee despite climbing and descending trails and hiking rocky tread. 
My groin muscles tightened up again four days ago for some reason I cannot pinpoint, but today I got relief in just a couple of minutes for that too.  Walking into work the hour after my appointment, I felt so much better.  Not 100%, but better again, than after months of fairly intensive physical therapy and related care.  I drive a stick shift, bummer for hip troubles, and that nagged me on the way to work.  Needle-like pain.  But I am sitting comfortably in a work chair that has been impossible for weeks. 
I am sure I will need more help with the hip.  Lino gave me advise on my climbing technique, and Ken helps me remember to flex my knees when traveling on downhill trails.  Between us, I hope to achieve 100% movement again, but the work for me is to replace poor steep up and downhill habits because my less young body is not as resilient and is more easily injured, and it gets harder to recover. 
I don't typically review products or services, but in this case, I hope hikers seek sources of healing and care that are healthier and in this case, quicker and easier!!!  Kinections is always happy, helpful and respectful. 
If the only accomplishment were my knee being more hill friendly, it would be enough to write home about (or in this case, blog about).
I wish you the best in care and hiking/backpacking!  Happy Trails! 
http://www.kinections.com/

Hiking the Old Rubicon Trail from Ellicott Bridge to the South Fork of the Rubicon River, June 2011.

Thusrday, June 30th, 2011 UPDATE:
I am thrilled to say that all of the activities I have posted (and those not posted), I have been able to complete each without the knee brace or support!  Let me share a tiny pointer that Lino gave me.  He suggested I watch my posture going uphill and downhill.  I sort of snickered to myself as I am not known at all for slumping over, for the backpack or anything else, but since that day, I have paid minute attention to my footfalls and posture while hiking.  I discovered a tiny tendency to lean uphill-ward almost imperceptibly, but minor adjustments on that caused me to feel a very subtle and still noticeable difference in my back, knees and feet feeling good.  I also remembered Lino mentioning that it would be a good idea to be sure I am keeping my core solid and my rear and quads taking the weight (less impact to my knees that way).  I devoted my gait to trying to keep that perfect back position you look for and hopefully find when you are working out or doing yoga, and to firmly planting my feet so that my steps reflected my at home exercises like lunges.  I try to keep those moves very controlled, not just quick bouncy type movements.  So watch your gait on the hills, ladies especially, to avoid inflexible knees, leaning too far into the hill as you hike, and really feel those quads on your hike.  It may feel like more work but at the end of the day, you feel better and ache less!  It is also cheaper to do it all right and avoid medical fees!  haha.  This is the first time I have been able to feel such subtle adjustment needs, so it is a real victory for me!  Thanks again Lino!
Happy Trails!

September 10, 2011 UPDATE
On our trip through the Trinity Alps Coffee Creek area, I did use knee wraps for support on a couple of difficult areas to prevent injury, but I am joyfully reporting that after that 40 miles of steep terrain did not damage or reinjure my knees.  I took it slower than I liked, but wisely.

Today I hiked Training Hill In Auburn, CA, but had to seriously limit my use of my left hiking pole due to a recent shoulder injury.  I realized that another pointer Lino gave me was left out in the notes above.  I mentioned placing my feet firmly on the ground, purposefully, but another hiker bad habit can be to slightly turn your foot one way or another to compensate for steep grades.  This stresses the ligaments and muscles around the knee.  Traversing across steep areas is great rather than turning your toes inward or outward to handle the ascents and descents.  My knee didn't get the use of the knee brace, but with careful steps is fine tonight. You too may notice more and more improvement in your joints following this advice. 
As always, consult a professional for your own fitness management and injury prevention.   Everyone is unique and I hope most that we all hike longer and better!!

Peachy Hiker's Table of Contents

Again, Happy Trails!