Deep glute/ham pull - JP Fitness Forums

Jean-Paul · 11-15-2006, 06:20 AM

To all my rehab experts:
The humble host needs help here... My left hip has been bothering me a lot lately. I think that it all started as a result of a deep ham/glute pull. I have been doing a lot of self applied ART, rolling around on a baseball on my GM, TFL, and piriformis. It gives me temporary relief, but I still feel a really subtle yet deep pull coming from the origin point or insertion point of my hams or glutes.

I don't know if I need ART or if I should be icing it. I did actually get advice from a trainer and rehab expert who I really trust who told me that my hip problems were related to lack of adductor flexibility. To be fair, he didn't really fully examine me, and I'm not sure I told him about the initial pull, which I think happened from doing heavy RDLs.

I don't know if it was psychological but I did get some relief on my hip, but not on the deeper issue of my glute/ham. I don't have anyone local to help me with ART unfortunately, so doing it to myself will have to do, but I need to know if I'm on the right track, or should I just completely lay off.

I am reluctant to do that as I am now in a really bad place, being plagued by injuries from top to bottom. My shoulders are both pretty bad right now, and my neck is really not much better, although I have gotten pretty good at managing pain through medication and massage. I feel like I am just one big chain reaction leading to a complete thermonuclear meltdown!

I wish I could just live in Indy for a few months until I get this all under control. Bill's adductor transversus muscles might need some direct steroid injections to help him cope if that were to happen though (hey, I read on BB.com that direct injection WORKS, so it must be true!). I am also considering getting a "power plate" vibration therapy machine (Bill, you mentioned this as an effective treatment a long time ago) just to give me a leg up. I can get one pretty inexpensively (under $3K), but it is still a pretty significant expense.

I am going to have a MotionDNA analysis done next week, which should give me some pretty objective information about what's going on under my hood.

Sorry for the rambling post. Thanks in advance for any help any of you can offer.

UConnJulie · 11-15-2006, 07:38 AM

It sucks getting old doesn't it?

(I'm 38 too ... )

How long ago did this RDL incident happen?

If you have been doing one thing and it hasn't helped, then my opinion would be to try something different. Ice certainly won't hurt no matter how long ago the injury was ... and honestly I don't "prescribe" heat very often in active people. If you tore part of the hamstring, it will take a LONG time to heal .... like 6-8 weeks. During that time, I would only do gentle hamstring stretching (favoring static over dynamic for now ... the injury might make the proprioceptors more sensitive and you don't want to reinjure), and icing. Definitely no deadlifts of any type ...

Do you have access to a pool? Walking in chest deep water might help some (get the muscle moving without really stressing anything that is healing).

Bill Hartman · 11-15-2006, 08:35 AM

Sit with your hand under one butt-cheek so you can feel the bone that you typically sit on. From there (the bone), where is the pain exactly?

Bill

Jean-Paul · 11-15-2006, 11:21 AM

From the bone it is a little north, more into the glute (I think).

Thanks UConnJulie. That seems like pretty sound advice.

UConnJulie · 11-15-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

From the bone it is a little north, more into the glute (I think).

Thanks UConnJulie. That seems like pretty sound advice.

Hmmmm ... that doesn't sound like hamstring to me if it is more in your butt and not "south" of the ischial tuberosity ... have you had any deep ache in your leg, or numbness/pins and needles/paresthesias anywhere in that leg?

Jean-Paul · 11-15-2006, 01:21 PM

No pins and needles, but my hip does ache quite a bit. I feel 80 when it really acts up.

BFG · 11-15-2006, 02:38 PM

oooh so can relate to that big guy

No advice just well wishes

UConnJulie · 11-15-2006, 08:31 PM

Hmmm ... try this ... when it is really aching, spend 5 minutes on your belly on either your bed or the floor, propped up on your elbows. Allow your belly and glutes and lower back to relax into this position. After 5 mintues, notice what the ache is like ... is it better, worse? In what way? Report back and let me know ...

Bill Hartman · 11-16-2006, 12:05 AM

Julie's test clears you back if no change.

Otherwise money is on a sacrotuberous ligament sprain or perhaps a piriformis spasm.

Bill

P.S. i could be way off... it's 3 am indiana time in LA and I've had more beer than I've had since June.

Jean-Paul · 11-25-2006, 05:03 PM

Zig (MotionDNA) thinks that my hip problems (possibly most of my ortho problems) are a result of a ankle/foot injury/weakness. He speculated this early on actually, but I dismissed it. However, I do have some dull aching in my left ankle, on the inside below the ankle, above the heel, but not necessarily on the achilles tendon. Also high on the foot close to the tib/fib. My ankle hurts when I internally rotate, especially if I touch that spot while I rotate. My right ankle has weakness on the outside, below the ankle.

I have a tendency to get shin splint-like pain in my lower leg if I run any distance (which I rarely do anymore).

I don't have any objective analysis to confirm this, but it seems like a sound theory. Are there self-tests for ankle stability (short of a MotionDNA test, which I will soon, or an x-ray)?

It makes total sense to me that my hips would be adversely effected by foot/ankle weakness since there is an obvious gap in my transfer of energy from the ground.

UConnJulie · 11-25-2006, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

Zig (MotionDNA) thinks that my hip problems (possibly most of my ortho problems) are a result of a ankle/foot injury/weakness. He speculated this early on actually, but I dismissed it. However, I do have some dull aching in my left ankle, on the inside below the ankle, above the heel, but not necessarily on the achilles tendon. Also high on the foot close to the tib/fib. My ankle hurts when I internally rotate, especially if I touch that spot while I rotate. My right ankle has weakness on the outside, below the ankle.

I have a tendency to get shin splint-like pain in my lower leg if I run any distance (which I rarely do anymore).

I don't have any objective analysis to confirm this, but it seems like a sound theory. Are there self-tests for ankle stability (short of a MotionDNA test, which I will soon, or an x-ray)?

It makes total sense to me that my hips would be adversely effected by foot/ankle weakness since there is an obvious gap in my transfer of energy from the ground.

If your feet are inefficient at deccelerating pronation, then I frequently find that the hips are the next in the chain to bear the brunt of the load ... but sometimes it is the converse as everything works together (ie the hips are weak and the ankle bears the brunt) ... do you have someone there that you trust who can check your mobility and function with certain movements? Often you can tell if it is the hip or ankle which is primary depending on how you compensate in movements like single leg squat, single leg romanian deadlift.