Next I had custom orthodics made at the Sports Medicine Center where my doctor was located. Of course, my health insurance did not cover them, but I was willing to pay almost anything if they would work. Again, as soon as they were ready, I took them home and gave them a try. Again, they provided no relief.
But I still had hope that the physical therapy would work. Three days a week for a period of four months, I attended physical therapy. It involved a great deal of deep tissue massage and electrical muscle stimulation in my lower legs, in addition to exercises and drills that I performed both at the physical therapy office and at home. During this time, I also abstained from all skating as rest is also considered a conservative form of treatment for CECS.
After everything, no amount of conservative treatment helped to completely rid me of the condition and my pain continued each time I skated. It was a heartbreaking decision, but I choose to give up skating instead of going through with the surgery.
