Group: Injuries & Rehabilitation

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 54, Messages: 4465

Dealing with injuries and learning how to avoid them is extremely important!

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Leg Pain

ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2008/01/22, 05:08 PM
Haha - I just cycled sumo DL into this cycle. It didn't feel good so I was planning to yank it anyway. Pulling up is fine, my back hurts when I go to set it down. I can't drop it fast because the stupid gym people get all mad.

I tend to have a fairly wide squat stance. Not to the sides of the rack or anything, but a little wider than shoulder width for sure.

What would one do in the case of pelvic tilt? I've thought that may be my problem in the back of my head for a while but don't know what to do to alleviate it. If it is just some stretching and certain exercises it wouldn't hurt to do them either way, right?
ecle5c
ecle5c
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Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2007/12/26, 11:04 AM
I've been having this strange pain in my leg. I'll go into the detail below.

1. Where does it hurt? Give as best a description as you can.
It hurts right where the top part of my quad meets the pelvic area and hip. If you follow the quad muscle up the leg it is about the highest spot it goes. The pain flows into that hip as well occasionally.

2. How does it hurt? What kind of pain is it? Dull, throbbing, stinging, sharp, stabbing, acheing, etc?
Dull, achy, annoying.

3. When did it start hurting? What were you doing at the time?
Woke up one morning and noticed it. It comes and goes, and varies with leg day intensity and how much hip/hamstring type work I do.

4. When does it hurt? While lifting, standing, sitting, stretching, etc.
Sitting at my desk at work, slightly when walking.

5. Constant, intermittent, when doing certain movements?
Intermittent to constant. Not 100% of the time, let's say 60%.

6. Does the pain radiate to other parts of your body?
It transfers into that hip and almost my lower back, but not quite.

7. Range of motion? What movements can or can't you do?
No range limitations.

8. What makes it worse, better?
Massaging the top part of my quad. Hip stretches.

9. What is your main concern regarding the pain and its consequences?
I am wondering if this is in relation to the low back pain I experienced about 2-3 months back. That pain is gone, but it is the same side of the body and is my hip/where my leg meets my body region. I wonder if these are connected and if there is something I should be doing to keep this from getting worse.

10. Any prior injuries?
Low back strain while deadlifting then while lifting a piano 4-6 months back and 2-3 months back respectively.

I do a lot of heavy leg work, squats, SLDLs, GMs, pull-throughs, lunges, split-squats, DLs, etc. If this is just an overly tight hip flexor or something I just need to know the best way to stretch it.
wrestler125
wrestler125
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2007/12/26, 01:41 PM
Does it hurt when you sit for long periods and then try to move around?

Perform a scour test. Bring the knee up above the hip (past parallel) while standing on the other leg, directly in front of you. Holding the knee up, externally rotate it so that the knee is still above the hip joint, but to the outside. Does it click, present with pain, difficulty in motion?

Does stretching hurt? How deep do you squat? You do split-squats often?



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wrestler125
wrestler125
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2007/12/26, 01:47 PM
You mentioned you thought the problems you have been having are interrelated. As I said in our previous posts (which I just looked up to get an idea for you injury history) most lower back problems present with a hip impairment. Like I did earlier, I would suggest seeing a therapist personally again. I'm willing to help here as best I can, but I can not do a full diagnostic over the internet. If you can't get out to see a PT, then continue posting on this thread, but send me a PM and I will see what else I can do.

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ecle5c
ecle5c
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2007/12/26, 04:09 PM
I tried the scour test. Raised my knee about 3 inches or so above parallel externally rotated it as far as I could. No popping. When I lower my leg from the externally rotated position it does pop however.

Stretching does not hurt, if anything it helps it feel better. While sitting I raise my right leg, place my foot outside of my left knee and stretch my right knee to the left.

I squat very low compared to most people. I find that deeper squats tend to not be as brutal on my knees, don't have knee problems but don't want them. I don't do split squats often. I did my first set this week, very light weight to get the feeling and balance down. This pain was around before that.
ecle5c
ecle5c
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2007/12/26, 04:11 PM
Low means 3-4 inches below parallel if not more. My hamstrings start to touch my calves almost.
wrestler125
wrestler125
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2007/12/26, 04:55 PM
Any grinding during the scour test?

Look at yourself in the mirror without a shirt. stand completely relaxed, toes in line. Does one iliac crest (hip bone) sit higher than the other? Look down, do you seem rotated in any way? Belly button point at an angle to your feet?

Now look from the side? Anterior pelvic tilt? Is it worse on one side than the other?

Any shoulder problems on the opposite shoulder?

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ecle5c
ecle5c
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2007/12/31, 08:14 AM
Sorry for the lack of a reply, I do appreciate the help though. Long story but I mailed my digital camera USB cord to someone and don't have it back. I'll take the pics using my phone, but I can't synch them until Wedneday.
wrestler125
wrestler125
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2007/12/31, 12:31 PM
Ok. While we're waiting, we can go on and test muscle group strengths. Do you have a cable attachement for the leg (ankle cuff) that you can do single leg raises with? If not, we'll need to find a way to test for unilateral hip flexor strength.

Also, single leg hyperextension (pick a weight you can do for 6-12 reps, and do as many as possible each leg), side plank for time, and single leg bridge for time. Any unilateral differences?

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ecle5c
ecle5c
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2008/01/03, 08:35 AM
Reply on the tests you stated above:
Again, problem is on the right side of my body (hip and back).

-Side plank 60 sec each side. Left side felt slightly stronger towards the last 10 seconds.
-Single leg bridge 45 sec per leg. Right leg felt stronger the last 15 sec.
-One leg hypers held a 15 lb. dumbbell, I hit 12 reps each side and didn't feel a difference either way. Upped it to 20 lbs. and did 8 reps which felt the same for both legs.


Did each test twice and in switched order the second time and had the same conclusion both times.

I can do the single leg raises tonight at the gym, the pulleys were taken last night.....the gym was ridiculous....I always hate the first two weeks of the year. I'm planning on doing the same way as the single leg hypers, aiming for 6-12 reps and looking for a strength difference.
ecle5c
ecle5c
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Joined: 2003/07/10
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2008/01/03, 08:42 AM


============
Quoting from wrestler125:

Any grinding during the scour test?

Look at yourself in the mirror without a shirt. stand completely relaxed, toes in line. Does one iliac crest (hip bone) sit higher than the other?

-No noticeable difference (still working on the pics).

Look down, do you seem rotated in any way? Belly button point at an angle to your feet?

-Not all the time, but I have noticed that when I squat and DL my right leg is slightly in front of my left leg if you drew a line on the floor parallel with the bar. I have noticed a rotation towards the right occasionally as well.

Now look from the side? Anterior pelvic tilt? Is it worse on one side than the other?

-If I had to guess I would say that there is a slight anterior pelvic tilt (again working on the pics). I can't tell if one side is worse than the other.

Any shoulder problems on the opposite shoulder?

-No, none.


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wrestler125
wrestler125
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2008/01/03, 11:57 AM
Ok, so then there aren't really any noticeable strength differences. Any ms problems will probably be related to stiffness or shortness (NOT the same thing) and we'll figure that out pending pictures.

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ecle5c
ecle5c
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2008/01/07, 11:34 AM
Pictures sent this morning to your gmail account. I've been having all sorts of technical issues the past two weeks.

The pain is still there. My personal belief is that it could stem from my sitting posture at work. I sit for most of the day at a desk. Chair has high back and arm rests I just don't think I have great posture.
ecle5c
ecle5c
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2008/01/10, 08:26 AM
Any updates?
wrestler125
wrestler125
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2008/01/11, 11:38 AM
Just sent you an email before checking this...

Pictures where you aren't holding a camera are greatly preferable. Holding something offsets your body's natural alignment, which is what I am trying to evaluate.

I'm pretty sure I'm seeing anterior pelvic tilt due to weak or lengthened abdominals. How do you sleep?

Lie on the ground supine, bringing both feet up till they rest on the ground. Push your lower back into the ground so it is a point of contact. Then, do a unilateral leg raise, and lower it slowly until your back feels it is going to come off the ground. Try it with 2 legs. Reactions?

Sorry this is taking so long. This is one of the reasons an actual analysis is so greatly preferable, because it is normally necessary to see the results of one test before moving on...

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ecle5c
ecle5c
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Joined: 2003/07/10
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2008/01/11, 12:05 PM
No problem, I understand the difficultiles of doing this over the internet. I thought about a therapist but work is nuts at the turn of the year here so getting out for a few hours isn't doable for another month or so anyway.

I'll work on new pictures.

I tend to sleep on my side. I used to sleep on my stomach most of the time but have recently started being conscious about sleeping on my back. I still sleep on my stomach a little, old habits die hard, but I do sleep on my back/side at least 75% of the time now.
ecle5c
ecle5c
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Joined: 2003/07/10
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2008/01/11, 12:09 PM
I tried the new test you detailed. Laid on my back, lower back pushed against the floor, feet flat.

Unilaterally there was not much difference between sides. I held my leg a few inches above the ground for a few seconds and noticed a very slight difference in that the right leg seemed slightly stronger.

Two legs was difficult, back started pulling off the ground quickly.
ecle5c
ecle5c
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Joined: 2003/07/10
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2008/01/11, 12:10 PM
I've always hated doing ab work, but in the past few months I've come to grips with the fact that my abs are one of my weak points in my squat. I don't fall forward though and have a decent front squat though....not sure if that helps.
wrestler125
wrestler125
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Joined: 2004/01/27
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2008/01/15, 01:31 PM
============

I used to sleep on my stomach most of the time but have recently started being conscious about sleeping on my back.
=============

Don't. It's clear from your posture that this has affected you...

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wrestler125
wrestler125
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2008/01/15, 01:31 PM
How quickly did your back come off the ground? Can you give me an estimate in degrees?

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ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
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2008/01/15, 01:58 PM
Don't try to sleep on my back anymore, or don't sleep on my stomach anymore?

============
Quoting from wrestler125:

Don't. It's clear from your posture that this has affected you...


=============
ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2008/01/15, 01:59 PM
Assuming legs stright up is 90 degrees. I start to feel it pull right at about 45 degrees or so, I can fight it until let's call it 30 degrees on the first rep before my back pulls off the ground.

============
Quoting from wrestler125:

How quickly did your back come off the ground? Can you give me an estimate in degrees?


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wrestler125
wrestler125
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Joined: 2004/01/27
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2008/01/22, 10:33 AM
Don't sleep on your stomach.

Stop stretching your hip flexors for about 2 weeks. No Sumo DL for a few weeks as well, and in the future don't pull sumo for more than 2 weeks at a time. I'm not sure how wide you squat, but bringing your stance in for a few weeks might help. Most likely just an irritated labrum.

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wrestler125
wrestler125
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Joined: 2004/01/27
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2008/01/22, 08:33 PM
============
Quoting from ecle5c:

Haha - I just cycled sumo DL into this cycle. It didn't feel good so I was planning to yank it anyway. Pulling up is fine, my back hurts when I go to set it down. I can't drop it fast because the stupid gym people get all mad.
=============

I never said pain would present while deadlifting.

As for pelvic tilt, stop sleeping on your stomach, stretch the shit outta your hip flexors, foam roll the quads till it stops hurting, and strengthen your abs (rectus and obliques) and hamstrings. Also, start making a conscious effort to correct it whenever you can. While in the shower, while walking, when standing on line.


--------------
SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde

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