Another Update

I went to my first physio appointment this morning.  These are the results:

After a lot of searching (this was particularly difficult because apparently all my riding gives me big strong back muscles) the therapist was able to find the site of my difficulties.  There are 3 vertebrae which are quite tender to the touch.  While they seem to rotate fine left to right, they don't flex back and forth (if I were bending over say).  I also have 2 ribs that don't seem to move at all.  All that is going on in the site of my pain.  The therapist believes that the pain is coming from where my ribs meet the vertebrae.

We started with some ultrasound therapy.  I have never had this done, but WOW!  I noticed an immediate improvement in the pain both when she prodded at my spine and when I moved.  She told me what the ultrasound does is send the sound waves into the tissue, causing it to vibrate like a micro-massage.  This sends more blood to the area and helps repair the tissue faster.

Next she pulled and stretched my back to which I heard lots of popping!  When she explained what she was about to do to me, I immediately related it to this stretch I do with Bentley:

Always much easier for me when I can relate it to something horsey!

I also had her look at my knee.  That's unrelated to the fall, but I was there anyway.  I find after several miles, my right knee tends to start hurting.  She immediately noticed that my right leg is smaller (less muscular) than the left.  Whats likely happening is that the muscles are underdeveloped and tire faster in my right, so I rely more on the joint after X number of miles.  Hence why only get joint pain in the one side.  She gave me some exercises to do, but warned that I am going to have to do a LOT of them or add a LOT of resistance since due to riding I am already have much more muscle strength than the average person.  Even in my "bad" leg. 

I go in for massage tonight and to visit my family doctor.  Physio again Thursday morning.

Hopefully its enough to get me to all my rides this weekend!

I asked the dreaded question "can I ride if I feel good"  she didn't seem that happy about that idea, but said I can so long as I take it slow.  No more than a walk.  Hmm.  Well... the trot didn't bother me any more than the walk last week as I keep my upper body very straight.  I can cheat that a little.  No cantering this weekend or if I do, its all in 2 point!

I AM working on backup plans though.