if your iliopsoas is tight, then that stretch is a pretty intense stretch for it

There was definitely some loud cursing involved.

if your iliopsoas is tight, then that stretch is a pretty intense stretch for it

There was definitely some loud cursing involved.

Yes, indeed. But it's oddly satisfying, and I was surprised at the improvement just the next morning. I know my hips are cranky enough that I'm going to have to do it every night for a while to see if it gets them back in line.

Pretty damn sure I need to strengthen my vastus medialis, but I've known that for... a decade? [link] Whenever it was I was diagnosed with chondromalacia.

Wow, that's a lot of words I don't know.

askye, I'd keep an eye on his peeing habits and try to feel where his bladder is. If it's soft, then he's probably peeing enough to make it a couple of weeks before seeing the vet. If it feels hard or tight, (or touching him there causes obvious pain) get him to the vet pronto.

I am home from a big work/community event I've been running around trying to keep all the moving pieces going in sync for several weeks now, so it's a relief that it's over, and it went well. Man, I love my job.

My back is achey though- gotta take a Flexeril before bed.

I tried that stretch. I laid down on the edge of the bed, one foot on the floor, reached back and grabbed my foot and pulled it to my butt. It stretches my, what's the top of the thigh, quads? pretty well, but I don't really feel anything else. I'm right that lordosis is swayback, right? I'm pretty swaybacked. If this is something that would help my back, I want to do it right.

Wow, that's a lot of words I don't know.

I picked up vastus medialis from the page I was reading. In lay terms, I need to strengthen my inner quad muscle to get my kneecap to track right.

I'll be interested to see how I feel tomorrow. I need to write up a little rehab program for myself and then do it.

And Nora, glad the event went well! Sorry I couldn't make it.

I was pressing around and he didn't seem to be in any pain. I don't think anything felt hard. He's so skinny right now he's barely got any fat on him.

But I'll keep an eye on him.

If this is something that would help my back, I want to do it right.

It helps your back only in the sense that if the iliopsoas is really tight, it can throw other muscles -- hips, back, quads -- out of whack, which can lead to pain in those areas.

From reading the description of that stretch, it's not uncommon to feel it in your quads, but the area it's really supposed to stretch is where your pants pockets sit. And the recommended adjustment you can do to make the stretch really get that spot is to tuck your tailbone while doing the stretch. And let me say, when you do that -- tuck your tailbone -- you REALLY feel it in the pants-pocket area.

What does tuck my tailbone mean? Push it back? Or forward?

I get that they want the owners there during the visit. But the vet in Tallahassee was really good about understanding about how people have jobs and can't always take time to be there with their pet. Plus the fact that a lot of people around here work in Burlington, which takes me 40 minutes to get to work. You would think the vet could make some kind of arrangements. Or be flexible.

I strongly disapprove of any vet who cannot be flexible enough to board a cat through the day to be able to examine a male cat with a possible UTI. Male cat with UTI is urgent - for the level of pain, and for the possibility of crystals/uroliths. Nora is right - it does sound likely to me, too, that Dean's urine is crunchier than normal. Aside from the pain for him and the inconvenience for you of having to clean up accidents, crystals can result in a blockage. Now, he's ok if he is peeing just tiny amounts, but if you find that he can now longer get anything out (you'll also notice his bladder becomes hard as Nora said) - this becomes a Capital-E Emergency.

May I come kick your veterinarian's hinder parts? Pretty please?