Medical Help

[GrantT]

Can anyone recommend any good back Doctors in Tokyo/ Saitama? I need to get an MRI and re assessment….??

If you are still looking for answers or help maybe try Jikei Iidai in Shimabashi. Not been there myself though.

Edit: The sports department web site is here:
http://www.jikeiseikei.com/orthopedics/sports/index.html#sports_wellness
Looks like they have MRI. Can't find the English-speaking 'Dr. Kono' in the current list of doctors.

 

[theBlob]

Thanks John.

 

[bawbag]

I've been diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome for my neck/back woes. Took him all of five minutes to diagnose me, annoyingly. Seems I have a pretty awful range of motion in my left shoulder, so I need to work on that. Been instructed to stay off the bike for a fair wee while anyway, or I'll just make things worse - the worst position for aggravating the issue is holding your arms out for extended periods of time. Grrreat.

@theBlob - I went here and saw Dr Yokoyama (横山) - he's the guy who did surgery on my collarbone a couple of years ago, and I'd completely forgotten he's an orthopaedic surgeon. He can speak a bit of English up to a point too. They do MRIs and X-rays. I've had the latter numerous times, but not an MRI.
http://www.tanaka-nrsg-hp.or.jp/

 

[GrantT]

I've been diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome for my neck/back woes.

That's a real shame. Not even time to give your weight weenie a proper go. I hope you can get it sorted.

 

[bawbag]

I ended up going to a new guy yesterday after two other doctors failed to do anything other than give me advice on how to stretch my neck.
http://www.kobayashi-sekkotuin.net/

At the place, I got strapped to some dumb vibrating heat pad devices for 7 minutes that warmed up my back, then I got plonked on a bench where they attached some muscle-relaxing electrodes for a further 10 minutes or so. So far so pointless I thought. Anyway, after that the guy came in, said hello, then spent the next 40 minutes checking my musculature, range of motion, hip/spine alignment etc. Lots of twisting me around. Looooots of targeted release massage. By the end he'd discovered that the shockingly tight hamstrings in my right leg were causing muscles to the right of one of my lumbar vertebrae to pull it to one side. This is causing issues all the way up to the tendons in the right side of my neck, the area where I thought the pain was originating. The last 15 minutes of the session was him explaining the causes and how to sort them out. I've been told to do some really basic light hamstring-stretching exercises, which I should do a couple of times a day and no more. He said if I go for it too hard with the stretching in my current state, it will cause a "myotatic reflex" and it will make things worse. I have to go back a few more times for him to work on each point, but he said I'll be totally fixed within a month. The thoracic outlet syndrome is something I shouldn't bother about too much apparently. He said that would have very little effect on my cycling, but I should work on that in the future just to keep on top of it.

Treatment isn't covered by insurance unless it was caused by an accident, but anyway it was 5400 yen for what was supposed to be an hour but actually was more like an hour and fifteen minutes. Not bad at all.

 

[GrantT]

Make sure you hold the guy to that one month promise.

 

[TCC]

I ended up going to a new guy yesterday after two other doctors failed to do anything other than give me advice on how to stretch my neck.
http://www.kobayashi-sekkotuin.net/

At the place, I got strapped to some dumb vibrating heat pad devices for 7 minutes that warmed up my back, then I got plonked on a bench where they attached some muscle-relaxing electrodes for a further 10 minutes or so. So far so pointless I thought. Anyway, after that the guy came in, said hello, then spent the next 40 minutes checking my musculature, range of motion, hip/spine alignment etc. Lots of twisting me around. Looooots of targeted release massage. By the end he'd discovered that the shockingly tight hamstrings in my right leg were causing muscles to the right of one of my lumbar vertebrae to pull it to one side. This is causing issues all the way up to the tendons in the right side of my neck, the area where I thought the pain was originating. The last 15 minutes of the session was him explaining the causes and how to sort them out. I've been told to do some really basic light hamstring-stretching exercises, which I should do a couple of times a day and no more. He said if I go for it too hard with the stretching in my current state, it will cause a "myotatic reflex" and it will make things worse. I have to go back a few more times for him to work on each point, but he said I'll be totally fixed within a month. The thoracic outlet syndrome is something I shouldn't bother about too much apparently. He said that would have very little effect on my cycling, but I should work on that in the future just to keep on top of it.

Treatment isn't covered by insurance unless it was caused by an accident, but anyway it was 5400 yen for what was supposed to be an hour but actually was more like an hour and fifteen minutes. Not bad at all.

That is well good. My mind is boggling at the way he worked through everything logically, found the source of your issue, then gave you a course of action to follow to rectify it. It shouldn't be boggling. But it is.

If this is you on the road to recovery, I am going to book you now, for a HAMMER session, in a months time.

 

[bawbag]

That is well good. My mind is boggling at the way he worked through everything logically, found the source of your issue, then gave you a course of action to follow to rectify it. It shouldn't be boggling. But it is.

If this is you on the road to recovery, I am going to book you now, for a HAMMER session, in a months time.

Yeah fingers crossed this guy can sort me out. He's at least given me some confidence back regardless. He also said I should ride short distances every day (10km) as being off the bike for so long has a psychological impact which slows recovery due to stressing about losing form etc. Was told to take it easy on the hardcore front until he's sure I'm not going to balls it all up again with a six hour monstering session.

The death star bike has a light frosting of dust on it and that just won't do. I was just starting to get used to it, too.

 

[theBlob]

That sounds like a guy worth visiting… I am sure all my stretching has aggravated my condition….. But i just can't seem to stop….

 

[GrantT]

@bawbag Been a month and a half now. Are you totally fixed?

 

[theBlob]

So Yesterday morning, I went for a jaunt down Arakawa to the port. An 80km round trip. just after i got on the river I noticed my left ankle was hurting a bit. It didn't bother me too much, but it persisted throughout the ride. Sort of getting a bit better by the end of the ride. I couldn't understand why because I hadn't knocked it in a way that would result in this kind of pain. Afterwards it went red and swelled up a bit. But walking was fine, and it wasn't sore to touch anywhere.

I had a day off and it seemed to get pretty much better.

Anyway out this morning, I could feel it a bit on the ride at the start but as I rode the pain increased particularly out of the saddle. it seemed to be coming from the area at the back of the joint. Soon hitting any bumps came quite painful. Anyway I took it easy for the ride home not able to put any power down on hills. Again, now I'm off the bike there is no pain, walking is 90% fine and not sore to touch. So it definitely seems like a cycling related injury.

Has anyone had anything like this before?

I guess I'll take this weekend off and see what happens next week.

 

[Edogawakikkoman]

Achilles strain? My left achilles is like that.... especially in the cold. Do you do any stretching before riding?

 

[theBlob]

I stretch on my days off. But not before riding. To look at it looks kind of bruised around the joint now. Pretty annoyed by this, been feeling good on the bike of late so hopefully it will heal up quick and I can get back into it.

Achilles strain? My left achilles is like that.... especially in the cold. Do you do any stretching before riding?

 

[leicaman]

So Yesterday morning, I went for a jaunt down Arakawa to the port. An 80km round trip. just after i got on the river I noticed my left ankle was hurting a bit. It didn't bother me too much, but it persisted throughout the ride. Sort of getting a bit better by the end of the ride. I couldn't understand why because I hadn't knocked it in a way that would result in this kind of pain. Afterwards it went red and swelled up a bit. But walking was fine, and it wasn't sore to touch anywhere.

I had a day off and it seemed to get pretty much better.

Anyway out this morning, I could feel it a bit on the ride at the start but as I rode the pain increased particularly out of the saddle. it seemed to be coming from the area at the back of the joint. Soon hitting any bumps came quite painful. Anyway I took it easy for the ride home not able to put any power down on hills. Again, now I'm off the bike there is no pain, walking is 90% fine and not sore to touch. So it definitely seems like a cycling related injury.

Has anyone had anything like this before?

I guess I'll take this weekend off and see what happens next week.

How's the ankle now mate? Any better?

I sometimes get pain in the very thin part of the ankle, behind the ankle bones. This was more of a running injury though and has never given me any pain when on the bike. Have you got those stretch bands? They are pretty good for working your ankle/ Achilles area.

 

[theBlob]

Yeah, not good unfortunately. It is fine walking around but after cleaning my bike last weekend I rode around the block to test the reset gearing and it was instant pain. Exactly at the point my ankle sits riding. So the slight movement with the pedal stroke is exactly the only point of pain. Oh well.

I'll head out on Saturday and see if it's any better.

Thanks for asking.

How's the ankle now mate? Any better?

I sometimes get pain in the very thin part of the ankle, behind the ankle bones. This was more of a running injury though and has never given me any pain when on the bike. Have you got those stretch bands? They are pretty good for working your ankle/ Achilles area.

 

[baribari]

Can someone tell me what the proper Japanese word for saddle sore is?

I suspect "kurazure" is not the word used in the case of cyclists. Might need to get a few checked out...

I wonder if a few loose threads on the chamois pad of one of my shorts is causing them.

I hate that the chamois pad always seems to wear out in the same place long before the rest of the shorts.

 

[Patrik]

So yesterday after a decently look ride ive noticed a sharp intense pain as soon as i lift my legs ( walking in staris , putting on pants) . Riding bike is okey along i a dont pull up. The pain didnt get better today cant walk up starts without draging my leg up. Im suspecting is came from pulling on the pedal to hard when going uphill. Im thinking is might be a torn or strained muscle since the pain is so intense. The pain comes from inne backside of the thigh and radiates down to the knee and calf . Almost feels like the muscle is curling up (might be in my head) . Anyone have experience with this?

 

[Joe McCarthy]

So yesterday after a decently look ride ive noticed a sharp intense pain as soon as i lift my legs ( walking in staris , putting on pants) . Riding bike is okey along i a dont pull up. The pain didnt get better today cant walk up starts without draging my leg up. Im suspecting is came from pulling on the pedal to hard when going uphill. Im thinking is might be a torn or strained muscle since the pain is so intense. The pain comes from inne backside of the thigh and radiates down to the knee and calf . Almost feels like the muscle is curling up (might be in my head) . Anyone have experience with this?

Sounds nasty and it sounds like it's getting worse. I've had pains a little bit like this before but honestly I don't want to armchair diagnose you. If the pain is getting worse and it's impacting on your life then you need to go to a doctor. If you tell us where you live, someone might be able to recommend somewhere. I know a good osteopath in Tokyo who speaks English, for example. Let me know if you want the details.

 

[Patrik]

Sounds nasty and it sounds like it's getting worse. I've had pains a little bit like this before but honestly I don't want to armchair diagnose you. If the pain is getting worse and it's impacting on your life then you need to go to a doctor. If you tell us where you live, someone might be able to recommend somewhere. I know a good osteopath in Tokyo who speaks English, for example. Let me know if you want the details.

Live near shibuya a recommedation would be great! Inpacting my life most defintly but dont know if its just a sever mucle strain that needs rest or something else

 

[pedalist]

I second what @Joe McCarthy wrote.
Most injuries related to sport (if not to say all injuries) have a much better chance of a full and quick recovery the sooner they get adequate medical treatment.
Just get it checked properly. And if it turns out to be just a severe muscle ache, the better.
I went for a run yesterday for the first time in month and my whole body is aching, especially my inner thighs. It happened to me before (or basically every time I go for a run, since I run only once in a blue moon) and I was worried when I had this for the first time. Though I felt a little silly seeing a doc because of some muscle ache only (which I didn't know at that point of couse). But at that time it was reliefing to know what it was after a check up.