Cathe! Torn Glutes: Can you help?

ksandvoss

Cathlete
Cathe,

A doctor says that I have torn glutes. Can you help?

I started running at 15. At 22 I started feeling a tightness/pain in my lower glute/hamstring area. I basically just lived with it until it became excruciating at around age 30. I quit running because this was obviously the cause of the initial injury. I started physical therapy, which helped a little. I have continued to do the strengthening exercises that they had me do, but this did not solve the problem. I have been to 2 Orthopedic doctors about my condition. One doctor just gave my viox and said he didn't know what it was. I went to a Sports Specialist and expected him to tell me that I had Piriformis Syndrome, but instead he said my pain was too low to be from the Piriformis. He said that 10 years ago or so I may have torn my glutes and never allowed them to heal. The doctor said I would have to stop doing any activities involving the glutes, which would mean everything except swimming and upper body strength training. So far I have modified my weight workout by doing only the Upper Body Pyramid tape and adding 30 minutes of outer thigh, inner thigh, and hamstring lifts. I had to stop doing squats and lunges because of the very deep glute concentration. I have continued doing the Upper Body Pyramid, IMAX 1& 2, and Boot Camp tapes. I saw a massage therapist who says my muscles can't still be torn. By the way the massage felt great, but did not help with the overall pain.

Do you have any advice and recommendations? I don't want to stop doing everything. I already fear that I am going to loose some of the lower body strength gains that I have made. I don't swim, so I am not sure what to do. I can't even walk because walking irritates the condition the same way running did.

PS. Icing helps! Also sitting in a car on a long trip is the most painful activity for me.

Thank you so much

Kathy
 
Hi Kathy! I am so sorry that I cannot help you with specific information since I am not qualified to do that. But I do suggest that you go for some more opinions.

I had a similar injury a while back and while I did not have it for as many years as you are describing, I did take time off, rest it for 3 weeks, do the rice treatment, and then continue on with mild range of motion exercises and strengthening exercises. Eventually the pain subsided and my flexibility and strength returned in about 2 months. But that was just worked for me and I am not suggesting that that is what you need to do for you.

I do, however, think that what you are describing sounds more like the result of a chronic situation which needs to be handled delicately. It may be time consuming and a bit frustrating, but I suggest continuing to seek out that right doctor for you. You obviously have a history of pain that needs to be evaluated and examined with much more attention to detail.

Good Luck and please let me know how you make out.
 
I am curious if your pain is where the hamstrings meet your glutes. I have always had tight hams in that area and a few days ago, the pain became very severe. I don't remember any specific event that caused the pain. I have been running for 20+ years, only every other day for a few years now and I do Cathe tapes on the off days. It really hurts when I take long strides. Does that sound like the same pain you have? Mine doesn't hurt much when I walk. Driving a car hurts pretty bad too as it is in my right leg. I absolutely cannot fathom taking 3 weeks off like Cathe did. The only time I have taken time off in the past 20 years is to recover from childbirth and that was hard! Naproxen somewhat eases the pain. Could you describe the strengthening exercises, maybe I will try them before I head to the doc. Thank you.

Angie Rogerson
Monroe, WI
 
I am curious if your pain is where the hamstrings meet your glutes. I have always had tight hams in that area and a few days ago, the pain became very severe. I don't remember any specific event that caused the pain. I have been running for 20+ years, only every other day for a few years now and I do Cathe tapes on the off days. It really hurts when I take long strides. Does that sound like the same pain you have? Mine doesn't hurt much when I walk. Driving a car hurts pretty bad too as it is in my right leg. I absolutely cannot fathom taking 3 weeks off like Cathe did. The only time I have taken time off in the past 20 years is to recover from childbirth and that was hard! Naproxen somewhat eases the pain. Could you describe the strengthening exercises, maybe I will try them before I head to the doc. Thank you.

Angie Rogerson
Monroe, WI
 
Hi Angie,

My pain is in the lowest part of the glutes, and I think I could say it is where it meets the hamstring. The pain is dispersed around the bony part of the butt. I started feeling the pain about 10 years ago after I would run, but not during running. It got bad about 3 or 4 years ago because I was driving so much. I would be in pain the whole drive (could be 3hrs). While I was in physical therapy they told me to stop running as well as all leg work while I was in therapy. Soon after I started therapy I got pregnant and decided to quit running until after the bay was born. I never thought I would quit running completely, but I only ran once after I had my baby and realized that it was still triggering the pain. I resumed all weight training and started Cathe's cardio tapes as well as an elliptical training after I stopped the Physical Therapy. After seeing a sports medicine doctor, who told me to stop all triggering activity for 3 to 6 months, I have modified my leg work, but I can't bring myself to stop my cardio activity. If I have to, I guess I will start swimming.

I have little advice for you, and that is why I posted the email. I don't want to stop working out, so I am trying to find modifications. Currently I do the Upper Body Pyramid 2 to 3 days/week with about 30-45 minutes of leg work. My leg work now is all the leg work they showed me in PT: outer thigh with a pyramid of weights, the same pyramiding with the inner thigh, I use the stability ball for both the outer and inner thigh (as in LB Pyramid), buttocks lifts with a pyramid of weights, and sometimes I do quad lifts with weights. I do the runners/pyraformis stretch and gentle hamstring stretches everyday as well as icing.

Let me know if you find out anything that helps.

PS. I will tell you that I actually got in better shape when I stopped running. I became more well rounded in my physical fitness. Since I stopped doing cardio 6 or 7 days/week, I started adding definition and loosing fat.


Kathy
 
Hi Angie,

My pain is in the lowest part of the glutes, and I think I could say it is where it meets the hamstring. The pain is dispersed around the bony part of the butt. I started feeling the pain about 10 years ago after I would run, but not during running. It got bad about 3 or 4 years ago because I was driving so much. I would be in pain the whole drive (could be 3hrs). While I was in physical therapy they told me to stop running as well as all leg work while I was in therapy. Soon after I started therapy I got pregnant and decided to quit running until after the bay was born. I never thought I would quit running completely, but I only ran once after I had my baby and realized that it was still triggering the pain. I resumed all weight training and started Cathe's cardio tapes as well as an elliptical training after I stopped the Physical Therapy. After seeing a sports medicine doctor, who told me to stop all triggering activity for 3 to 6 months, I have modified my leg work, but I can't bring myself to stop my cardio activity. If I have to, I guess I will start swimming.

I have little advice for you, and that is why I posted the email. I don't want to stop working out, so I am trying to find modifications. Currently I do the Upper Body Pyramid 2 to 3 days/week with about 30-45 minutes of leg work. My leg work now is all the leg work they showed me in PT: outer thigh with a pyramid of weights, the same pyramiding with the inner thigh, I use the stability ball for both the outer and inner thigh (as in LB Pyramid), buttocks lifts with a pyramid of weights, and sometimes I do quad lifts with weights. I do the runners/pyraformis stretch and gentle hamstring stretches everyday as well as icing.

Let me know if you find out anything that helps.

PS. I will tell you that I actually got in better shape when I stopped running. I became more well rounded in my physical fitness. Since I stopped doing cardio 6 or 7 days/week, I started adding definition and loosing fat.


Kathy
 

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