pulling the same muscle over & over....

[bceogirl]

I keep doing that in a hip muscle... in the back, if I put my thumb on my hip in front, my fingers are touching the pulled muscle in back. I have no idea I'm doing it at the time, I don't feel a sudden pull or pain, but then I wake up in the morning with a pulled muscle in my hip. This time I've had it for around 3 weeks. I was at the doctor for something else and mentioned to her, hoping to hear what if anything I could do to avoid repeating this several times a year and how to treat it once I do it and all I got was an offer for muscle relaxers. I turned them down- thinking that would be last resort and really isn't that more for muscles that are spasming?
The pain is mostly when I try to lift that leg more than to just walk, as in to get in and out of bed, or the car....I wake up due to the pain if I roll over on that side (no, it's not painful to the touch, like bursitis or something would be), and FORGET about doing crunches or something.......OUCH!!!!!!
Does anyone know if I should use heat or ice or certain stretches or complete rest or what?
Thanks so much for any insight and advice you can share with me.

 

[Timber99]

Can you request to see a PT or a chiropractor? They can give you some advice about stretching, therapy and avoidance of re-injury. If not, can you grab a trainer at the gym for some stretching advice?

When you have injurred this area in the past, what do you do to rehabilitate it? Could it be that you are pushing too hard and not letting it heal completely? Perhaps this time, you can do complete rest or several weeks to seeif that helps. My doc told me that it is 4 weeks minimum for a pull.

Whatever you decide, be careful. Several re-injuries says that you are doing something wrong and you don't want to injur it severely or permanently.

 

[Fitnessfreak366]

I can relate to you as I'm having the same trouble. My left hip muscle is what is hurting me and I don't know whats causing it. I'm thinking its yoga because it seems like when I do side bends over to my right side I can feel how tight this muscle is so I think I overstretched it one point and its just taking forever to heal.

I stopped doing yoga for about three weeks and the pain was gone. I started yoga back up this last week, went really gentle with the stretches and don't you know, it is hurting again.

I don't think mine is as bad as yours, it hurts when I sleep on it but once I'm up and moving, the pain is gone. I can workout with no problems. It starts hurting when I stand for an extended amount of time or when I relax for the evening - I can really feel it then.

I use a heating pad and those Icy Hot patches and that seems to relax the muscle quite a bit. Maybe give that a try and see how it feels.

 

[dreamyjeanie]

I had the same thing happen, but my hip muscle was more to the front. It would get better with rest and then start back up again. After 4 months, I mentioned it to my doctor who recommended physical therapy. I was very reluctantant to go. I thought how are exercises going to help, when that seems to be whats causing it to hurt. I went to the PT and at first they did all these range of motion exercises and then pinpointed the exact muscle that was having the problem. Then they had me do different exercises to stretch the area. After a couple of sessions they started me on some strength exercises. Totally different from my normal weight training. With in 3 weeks the pain was gone. I now do the stretches as home and so far the pain has not come back.

Good Luck. I wish I hadn't waited 4 months to start my recoverey.

Jean


ps they recommended icing the area after exercising.

 

[BeckyU]

I second (or third) going to see a PT. I have this same problem and for me it is very tight hip flexors(up the side of my hip) and my peraformis ( a small muscle by your glutes in your rear). For me, doing the elliptical really agravates my hip and stepping and doing outer thigh exercises sometimes does it, too. Before seeing the PT (which I also wish I had seen earlier), it hurt all of the time, especially walking up stairs and driving and even just trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in was difficult. My PT gave me some great stretches that really help and I do them after every workout.

Good luck,

Becky