Running Injuries
Sciatic Nerve Piriformis Syndrome (running injuries)
Jun 2, 2014
The piriformis muscle creates a real pain in the butt for many people. Repetitive actions could be the cause of all your pain. Read on to learn what a piriformis muscle is, why repetitive actions can create the pain and how to resolve these actions using natural means.
What Is a Piriformis?
The piriformis is one of the six deep external rotator muscles in the buttocks area. The sciatic nerve comes down from the spine and in a few rare cases the muscle has a double belly and the sciatic nerve goes through the middle of the heads. This syndrome creates immense pain to the individual and may require extensive measures to relieve.
Many others get sporadic pain in the butt or the hip area as they age. This pain may seem to go away at first but keeps coming back and becoming harder to relieve with each incident. We start off as a baby with 100 percent flexibility and every fall or bump accrues in our muscles over the years. The problem will never really goes away until it’s massaged out. Instead, it just builds up until the muscle is sitting at 90-100 percent contraction and is locked on that nerve.
What is Creating This Pain?
Most likely a repetitive action such as how you climb stairs or if you do a lot of sitting will create the tightness in the muscle. It, in turn, tightens around the sciatic nerve choking it, sending pain or burning down the leg. Another possibility is trauma created from falling on your butt and damaging the muscles causing them to tighten.
What Actions Cause This Pain?
How to Get Rid of Existing Pain
In Conclusion
The first thing to try is heat and cold. If an injury has occurred within 48 hours, try the cold first. A bag of frozen peas works great and conforms really well to an injury. If it’s an older injury, apply heat to try to relieve the death grip that the piriformis has on the nerve. You should start getting relief once the muscle relaxes and starts getting a blood flow into it. The sciatic nerve pain should start to lessen at this point also.
Now is a good time to get out a tennis ball, get up against a solid wall and roll the ball around on the butt muscles until you find the hot spots. Press into the ball/wall for 20-25 seconds per spot increasing pressure by bending forward. Move the ball from the hip across the butt hitting all the sore hot spots going in toward the sacrum. You can also try this on the floor but many people have difficulty getting up after. Next, re-apply the heat or cold and rub in some liniment and let it soak into the muscle. If the muscle still does not respond get in to see a deep tissue neuromuscular massage therapist for a good massage. If that does not work head to the doctor.
By trying to figure out what action is creating the problem, you can stop aggravating the muscle and start healing. Adjusting your feet when walking, sitting and running to point in 12 o’clock position will help a lot. Apply heat to the butt because a healthy muscle does not hurt so moving all the lactic acids out of the muscle allows fresh blood to get in. Apply pressure with a tennis ball until the muscle loosens up and relaxes allowing more blood flow to the area. Reapply heat or cold and do a few squats to stretch it out. Apply some liniment to the heated, stretched muscle and relax.Taking these steps can save you significant pain and sleepless nights
The piriformis muscle assists in abducting and laterally rotating your thigh, so watch how you walk and sit, especially in the car. How you position your feet on the gas and brake pedals can truly make a world of difference especially on a long road trip. Make sure to try to keep your feet pointing straight in the 12 o’clock position when walking, sitting or running. The more your toes tend to point toward the 10 and 2 o’clock positions, the greater your chances of getting piriformis problems.
Hamstring Injuries
The NEXT DAY do it again, and add a small amount of weight, like 45 x 25 x 2, 55 x 25. Next day, 45 x 25, 55 x 25, 65 x 25. Continue adding weight every day, increasing as much as you can tolerate each workout. It will hurt, and it’s supposed to hurt, but you should be able to tell the difference between rehab pain and re-injury. If you can’t, you will figure it out soon enough. This method works by flushing blood through the injury while forcing the tissue to reorganize in its normal pattern of contractile architecture.
After 10 days of 25s, go up in weight and down in reps to 15s, then to 10s, and finally to fives. During this time do NO OTHER HEAVY WORK, so that your resources can focus on the injury. You should be fixed in about 2 weeks, squatting more than you hurt yourself with.
- perfect form with
- lightweights that can be handled for high reps.
- every day for two weeks
- no other heavy work that will interfere with the system-wide processes of healing the tear.
By doing this method you rebuild the muscle in an architectural sense allowing it to heal through contracting and relaxing. Do not get eager on this rehab protocol. Follow it to a T, once you are done begin to put weight on the bar again.
Related articles
- Massage Therapy Relaxes Muscles (massageenvy.com)
- How Massage Therapy Heals Pain (massageenvy.com)
What is happening when my joints crack?
Our joints can crack either by force of manipulation or normal movement. Some people’s joints crack when they walk up or down stairs, other people experience involuntary popping or cracking when they move their arms or stretch their back. Still, other people manipulate the knuckles of their fingers to crack them willfully. Either way, there are a couple of explanations for what is happening when the body’s joints crack.
The joints of the body that often make a cracking or popping sound include the knuckles, the back, and neck, the knees, ankles, and elbows. Sometimes the joints crack audibly and other times you may feel it without hearing a sound. What is happening when your joints crack could be the escaping of gases or simply the movement of tendons and ligaments within the joint.
A healthy joint is comprised of bone surrounded by smooth cartilage, which is protected by a capsule lined with synovial membranes that produce fluid. This fluid contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide gasses. When joints crack, it could be the result of the joint capsule is rapidly stretched, which causes the formation and release of gas bubbles. The release of gas can cause the popping sound you feel and sometimes hear.
Some experts believe that willfully or forcefully causing joints to crack is unhealthy for the joints, but others believe it causes no lasting damage. Chiropractors often manipulate certain joints to the point of cracking and some people may get relief from aching finger or neck joints when their joints crack. However, if you experience pain when your joints crack or you have to swell of the joints, you should see a physician. They may recommend medication to relieve the pain and swelling and will check for damage to ligaments, tendons, or cartilage.
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How to Get Rid of Sore Muscles
Revision 2, Merged
After reviewing for the job interview i didn’t sleep at all as i had too much on my mind Tuesday night. After the job interview, i did my usual weds gym session of front squats, as I’m focusing on 400s I’m doing high reps. 45×15, 50×15, 55×15, 60×15, 65×15. I had to chuck on my headset to some good sounds to get me through the last two sets.
Also, i made sure i had longer rests, i usually only have a minute or 2 between each set but i took around 6-8 mins as I hadn’t slept the night before to allow adequate recovery and made sure i was drinking plenty of water. Anyway, i followed the directions from the below article, and even though i woke up sore after an 11-hour sleep on Thursday i was still able to complete a 2×60,2×80,2×100 session at the track and finish with a 43.4 350 (the 250-350 was faster than the 150-250) segment.
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This article below high lights how important it is to recuperate tired muscles.
sore muscles
Sore muscles are a part of getting back on that exercise train. Increasing physical activity and exercise will naturally stress and fatigue your muscles. Soreness means your body is adapting to the activity and building strength. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to reduce the discomfort of exercised muscles.
NB.
- When adding ice make sure to put it in a sealed bag or if not possible a plastic bag. It should never be applied directly to the skin as it can cause burn and cause muscles to take longer to heal. The bag should be tied tight with a towel as the compression element is just as important as the ice itself.
- Ice should always be applied first for 48 hours or until swelling subsides then moist heat should be applied.
- Some people have an intolerance to Ibuprofen and anti-inflams best to check with the doctor first.
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This tape can help prevent and accelerate recovery of muscles.
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Home Remedies For Muscle Spasms And Cramps
By Nicola Kennedy
From Healthguidance.org
Cramps
One of the easiest ways to deal with muscle spasm is to have a hot bath or shower. You can also do some simple stretch exercises. This will improve blood circulation and help the connective tissue around the muscles. Before you pump up those muscles, hit the showers, it would prevent any occurrence of muscle spasm.
Muscle spasm mainly happens due to calcium deficiency, so include calcium in your diet. You can find a good source of calcium in low-fat dairy products such as yogurt, skim milk and ricotta cheese. Before eating and drinking calcium-rich diet, consult your doctor.
If you are prone to muscle spasms it may be because of the acids that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Lessen the intake of acidic foods like tomatoes and vinegar. Inadequate supply of potassium to your body is another reason for muscle spasms. Increase your intake of potassium, eat a good amount of bananas, potatoes, soya flour, bran wheat, ready-to-eat apricots, tomato puree and such.
Read the full article here
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Leg Cramps and Cycling (livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com)
Friday Fit Tip: Should You Workout When You’re Sore? (befitwithkristen.com)
How to Simply Erase Sore Muscles (doctorshealthpress.com)
Sore Muscles? How Foam Rolling Can Help (washingtonian.com)
6 Foods That Prevent Muscle Soreness (washingtonian.com)
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Massage and Its Many Benefits
Ease Your Back Pain With These Great Tips
Benefits of Ice Massage for Back Injury Recovery / Self Massage Techniques
Article By: Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD from spine-health.com
In a world of sophisticated medical care, a simple ice massage can still be one of the more effective, proven methods to treat a sore lower back or neck. It is effective when used either alone or in combination with other treatments.
For patients experiencing back pain, ice massage therapy is quick, free, easy to do, and it can provide significant relief for many types of back pain and is especially effective for a sore back caused by lower back muscle strain.
Ice massages can help provide relief for back pain in a number of ways:
- Ice application slows the inflammation and swelling that occurs after injury. Most back pain is accompanied by some type of inflammation, and addressing the inflammation helps reduce the pain
Ice numbs sore tissues (providing pain relief similar to a local anesthetic) - Ice application slows the nerve impulses in the area, which interrupts the pain-spasm reaction between the nerves
Icing decreases tissue damage - The massage adds the beneficial effects of gentle manipulation of the soft tissues
Ice massage therapy is most effective if it is applied as soon as possible after the injury occurs, usually within 24 to 48 hours. - The cold makes the veins in the tissues contract, reducing circulation. Once the cold is removed, the veins overcompensate and dilate and blood rushes into the area. The infusion of blood in the area brings with it the necessary nutrients to help the injured back muscles, ligaments and tendons to heal.
To read the full article please click here
SELF MASSAGE FOR ATHLETES
Technique: 7 Strokes
Gliding
Try It: Try 7 light gliding strokes up and down your upper leg. Slightly vary the location and intensity of each stroke. Then try it on your other leg.
Purpose: Gliding is a good beginning for every massage. It warms your skin, and sends a message to your body that a massage is coming.
Stroke Description: Glide your hand over your skin.
Note: Massage therapists call this stroke by its French name effleurage which means gliding or skimming.
Tips: Velocity, volume, and intensity are three variables you can use to change the effect each stroke has on you.
Volume: Try covering more skin with each stroke by spreading your fingers wide or make a V with your hand.
Velocity: Try varying the speed of your strokes.
Intensity: Try varying the intensity of each stroke.
for full article please visit here
Learn these seven simple massage strokes and a great massage will never be farther away than your fingertips.
What If I Have to Take a Break from Running?
As I have a cold/flu coming along I have decided to skip training today as I want to be fully rested for my race next weekend. I found this article on about.com
water drink
By Christine Luff, About.com Guide
Updated February 15, 2012
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Question: What If I Have to Take a Break from Running?
I’ve been sick, so I haven’t run in five days. I feel like I’m behind in my 5K training schedule. What should I do? Should I make up the runs that I missed?
Answer: Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Sometimes an illness, an injury, or a hectic schedule prevents us from sticking to our running schedule. Here’s how you can handle a break in your training.
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If you’ve been away from running for less than a week:
It’s possible to take up to a week off without losing any ground. In fact, a few days of rest may even improve your performance, especially if you’ve been feeling exhausted and sore. But after a week of not training, you’ll quickly start to lose your fitness — a lot faster than it took you to build it up.
Read the full article here
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Avoiding Injury and Strengthening Calve Muscles
calve-muscle-stretch-girl
Avoid Calve Muscle Strain
From coreperformance.com
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A strained or pulled calf muscle is one of the sport’s most common injuries. The two large muscles in the back of the lower leg (the soleus and gastrocnemius) are called calf muscles. And they are at risk every time you push off—even if you’re just walking. Hence when the muscles are stretched beyond their normal capacity, the muscle fibers tear away from the tendon. While In a grade 1 strain, only a few fibers are torn and the symptoms are relatively mild. A grade 2 strain involves, even more, tears and more serious symptoms, and a grade 3 strain means the tendon or muscle has been completely ruptured.
calf-injury
Read Full Article Here
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Ultimate Calf Training
From Bodybuilding.com
You have been pounding away at the iron game for years, set after set and repetition after repetition. You have literally put blood, sweat, and tears into your calf training routine. Learn the facts and get some ideas on increasing calf size.
Read Full Article Here
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How to Develop Calve Muscles on a person with sprinters Legs
Developing your calves gives you more power in the sprint and helps protect your ankles from injury. Your calves stabilize both your knee and ankle joints while channeling the energy created by your stride into forwarding momentum. Strong calves give you explosive power out of the start and help create a balanced look to your physique. Calf development should complement your sprint training, not compromise it, so train your calves following your regular sprint work. Consult a healthcare practitioner before beginning any exercise program.
Hence strong calves give you explosive power out of the start and help create a balanced look to your physique. Also, calf development should complement your sprint training,] not compromise it. So train your calves following your regular sprint work. Consult a healthcare practitioner before beginning any exercise program.
Read full article here
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