looking for ideas - releasing muscle tension

[sld]

I've recently discovered CST and have been working with Ageless Mobility®® and Intu-Flow®. I've posted briefly in the newbie forum about my situation. Basically, I was an avid runner until Jan 2008. During a short run, I slipped on some ice and fell hard on my right hip. It stung briefly but I really didn't think I'd done any damage until the next day when I experienced severe pain and weakness on my opposite hip (the left side) during a longer (25 mile) run. After that day I had to give up running (due to the pain in my hip mainly), but was able continue on with lower impact cross training such as the elliptical and pool running. Eventually I had to stop the cross training too, but upped my yoga practice. I saw countless medical professionals and therapists and had an x-ray, bone scan, ct scan and two mri's. All normal. No fracture and nothing wrong with my hip joint. Spine looks good too. My blood work is normal...actually better than normal. The final conclusion was that I sustained a soft tissue injury. I interpret that to mean they really don't know what was wrong with me.

I spent most of July-Dec of last year resting except for yoga. In December I went back to physical therapy. The PT helped me regain some of the strength I'd lost in my hips from inactivity, but after that he really didn't know what to do with me. I have pretty good strength and flexibility in my hips, core and legs. I started doing water aerobics in December too and that has also helped build up my strength and endurance. I'm probably improved from a year ago, in that day-to-day I'm fairly pain free and specific movements don't elicit pain.

This is the crux of my problem: I develop an unnatural severe tension on just my left side, centering in my glutes/piriformis, but running down my left hip and ITB and around to the front of my hip/top of my quads. This tension can arise from doing too much. For instance if I try to power walk too fast. But it can also arise somewhat out of the blue from activities (like the water aerobics) that I've done fine with in the past. The extreme muscle tension is painful enough, but sometimes the tension brings on severe sciatica-type pain. I can often relieve the tension working with my foam roller and a massage ball. But when it's severe, I need to take a prescribed pain reliever (narcotic). I hate taking drugs and try to limit it to once a month. But sometimes its necessary. Depending on the severity, either the self-massage with the foam roller or the pain reliever will relieve the tension/pain overnight. The next day I feel fine.

So....what I'm looking for, are ideas on how to prevent this tension. According to all the doctors/therapists, I'm fine. But something in my body isn't firing right. I feel like I need to re-train my body not to tense up. It's been suggested I try acupuncture, which I'm open to doing. I'm waiting for a referral from my dr. My current activity consists of water aerobics 3x a week, daily Intu-Flow®, yoga (flowing/restorative) class 2x a week, plus some more on my own occasionally. I was trying to walk on the treadmill, but kept having to go slower and slower to prevent the tension reaction that I finally decided to hold off on that.

This is super long now. I hope it makes sense. Thanks for reading and thanks for any suggestions!

[hideouse]

Sarah,
Disclaimer first: I am not a professional of any kind related to issues of medical health.
Having said that, I've had some longterm issues with tightness in the araes you describe that are alleviated by a particular yoga asana that I know by the term "rishi twist" or "seated twist". Coach Sonnon has described it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB_fxU8UksU&feature=channel_page
YMMV, etc.

[wildman]

hello sarah,

that sounds like quite the conundrum. i don't know if you already have it, but Coach sonnon published a book called, Body flow, Freedom from fear reactivity. i'm obviously not a medical proffesional, but you may find this a good read. i know i did.

the material is what later evolved (if my understanding is correct) into prasara yoga. but i enjoy seeing the original concept and it has helped me release stored tension.

do you currently practice Be Breathed? i've found that a spinal rock series moving into spinal rock w/ shin box, spinal rock w/ half butterfly, and spinal rock w/ full butterfly has (in the past) done wonders to help me and my clients release tension in the lower back and hips that are connected to one another.

you should obviously check with someone smarter than me to see if any of these actions are contra indicated for your tension problems.

[sld]

Martin- Thanks! I did find that video from a search on Coach Sonnon's blog and it's also part of Ageless Mobility. Perhaps I need to do that after all activity and incorporate it into my evening foam roller/self massage routine.

Mark - The thing is, I don't think anything is contra indicated for my condition because the PT can bend me all around and my flexibility and strength is normal and there's no particularly painful movements. In my research, I've recently come across more info about fear reactivity so I think that's definitely something I should pursue. Is Be Breathed yoga? It sounds interesting.

Thanks so much to both of you for your input!

[David Nicol]

Also Sarah have you tried foam rolling or self myofascial release with a tennis ball? It works wonders for releasing tension.

Dave

[sld]

Also Sarah have you tried foam rolling or self myofascial release with a tennis ball? It works wonders for releasing tension.

Yes, thanks, I do this most evenings with a foam roller and a ball the size of a tennis ball but it's meant for massage, so is a bit harder. And when the tension isn't too great, I usually feel much better afterward and back to normal after a night's rest.

I guess my main goal is to prevent this tension in the first place and doing the myofascial release is helpful, but isn't the full answer so far.

Thanks for your response!

[JasonE]

Sarah, I'd LOVE to work directly with you. Your situation is familiar; I've worked with variations of it, including a current client whose case is much more severe than what you have described.

Two things I'd like to see you perform: a Shinbox Switch and a Leg Swoop. The Shinbox Switch is in Intu-Flow, you may be working with it already. The Leg Swoop is found in several programs, including FlowFit which has several versions. Here is an article describing some things that will help you develop a basic Leg Swoop: http://cstminnesota.com/resources/Iguana+Isana+for+Leg+Swoop.pdf

Give the material in the article a try for 1-2 weeks and tell us how it goes. I would like to know what you experience in your practice of the above exercises. If you get a chance to work with a CST Instructor or Coach (Jeanne Gostnell is in Oregon!), do so. In-person training is preferable whenever possible.

[sld]

Two things I'd like to see you perform: a Shinbox Switch and a Leg Swoop. The Shinbox Switch is in Intu-Flow®, you may be working with it already. The Leg Swoop is found in several programs, including FlowFit® which has several versions. Here is an article describing some things that will help you develop a basic Leg Swoop: http://cstminnesota.com/resources/Iguana+Isana+for+Leg+Swoop.pdf



Thanks Jason! I will give them a try. However I'm not sure I know what the shinbox switch is. Is it on the Intu-flow dvd?

Thanks!

[wildman]

Mark - The thing is, I don't think anything is contra indicated for my condition because the PT can bend me all around and my flexibility and strength is normal and there's no particularly painful movements. In my research, I've recently come across more info about fear reactivity so I think that's definitely something I should pursue. Is Be Breathed yoga? It sounds interesting.
!

a) the book "body flow" is all about fear reactivity.

b) be breathed is one of coach sonnon's programs. it of course focuses on the integration of structure, breathing and movement and is a specific extension of the body flow material. i do refer to it as an intent specific prasara yoga series when people ask me about it.

it trains the basics of "being breathed" by an increasingly complex series of spinal rocks. specifically the extension and flexion of the torso combined with increasingly complex hip motion. in my mind, this is one of the great routines/concepts that unites spinal mobility and hip mobility together. the routine as displayed on the dvd may be a bit fast for your purposes of releasing your tension but slowing it down is a simple modification to make. just acknowledge in your mind that you don't have to move as fast as coach sonnon.

i use be breathed and variations to remove tension from ALL of my clients. either the "back" is holding to much tension, or the hips. but either one obviously contributes to altering the structure of the other.

it also incorporates the shin box, and the shin box switch which jason mentioned. there are a few key things to focus on with the shin box like trying to get both sit-bones on the ground, leveling the shoulder and focusing on achieving crown to coxyx alignment so it would be great to get a CST to watch you do it and make corrections.

but definitly working with increasingly complex spinal rocks into increasingly complex hip motion has and does do wonders for some of my people in relation to their hip and leg issues

[sld]

Thanks Mark. It looks like Be Breathed should be my next dvd purchase and body flow my next book purchase. (I'm currently reading Free to Move.)

[JasonE]

Sarah -

How are you progressing?

[sld]

Sarah -

How are you progressing?

Thanks for asking! This dysfunction I have has been around for a long time and I still have a long ways to go. I've been working on completing CSTGX disc 1 and have been trying to work in some Intu-Flow® every day. I think its helping. For instance I'm feeling some payback today from my 30 min walk yesterday. But the pain is localized and I'm not feeling as much spasm as I might have in the past. I also had my first acupuncture treatment last week. The jury's still out on whether it will help but I'll keep an open mind continue for the rest of my sessions. At the very least, the treatment itself was super relaxing. I felt like jello when I left the office.

There are so many things I want to do, but not enough time in the day. Too bad I have to work or I'd just work out all day. :) I'd really like to get Flow Fit and Be Breathed, but I need to wait until I can figure out when to fit it into my schedule.

[Sondrup]

As a therapist I must say you do excellent work by yourself, this is where most people fail. But finding the right therapist for you can make amazing progress combined with your training.
I do agree with trying acupuncture for your state, how are you doing now?

:)

[sld]

As a therapist I must say you do excellent work by yourself, this is where most people fail. But finding the right therapist for you can make amazing progress combined with your training.
I do agree with trying acupuncture for your state, how are you doing now?

:)

Thanks! I've been getting acupuncture once a week for the past 5 weeks. I have one more appt on my referral. I think it's been marginally helpful. At the very least, it's super relaxing. I come out feeling like jello. :)

I've been reading up on somatic integration...am currently reading Muscular Retraining for Pain-Free Living by Craig Williamson and plan to read next: Somatics: Reawakening The Mind's Control Of Movement, Flexibility, And Health by Thomas Hanna. I'm learning that my problem is likely a dysfunction of one or more of my kinetic chains. (I also have the Anatomy Chains book recommended in this forum).

I think working with the CSTGX program, particularly the spiral line section, is going to be very helpful in the long run. I'd like to try more of the exercises recommended here, but time is an issue. For now, keeping up with my water aerobics, yoga, some I/F and the CSTGX program is what I'm focusing on.

[Coach Jones]

Sarah,

It's often hard to make the tiem to address the issues that we need to work the most. this is largely to the fact that we, being the creatures we are, tend to do what we're good at. Makes us feel better about ourselves.

In truth, what we need is often what we enjoy the least. Nothing is more important to your health and performance than proper and complete compensation.

If you're finding trouble fitting in more of the exercises recommended that you want to try. read half as much and do twice as much. ;)

[sld]

Sarah,

It's often hard to make the tiem to address the issues that we need to work the most. this is largely to the fact that we, being the creatures we are, tend to do what we're good at. Makes us feel better about ourselves.

In truth, what we need is often what we enjoy the least. Nothing is more important to your health and performance than proper and complete compensation.

If you're finding trouble fitting in more of the exercises recommended that you want to try. read half as much and do twice as much. ;)

Fortunately, resisting something that might help me or not taking the time to address my issues is not my problem. Thanks for your input. :)