In article <c75oa1$i1l@library2.airnews.net>, ElvisIsDead
<dontmailme@replytogroup.com> wrote:
> I ran a half marathon in January. 2 weeks prior to the
> race, I over did it a tad trying to keep up with my
> training partners. I had what I thought was classic ITBS.
> The outside of my knee was very sore. I ran the half
> through the pain thinking I would take however long I
> needed to recover. No big deal. 6 weeks later, I gave up
> and went to the Dr. X-Rays showed normal. She sent me to a
> PT. 3 weeks of PT and it hurt more than it did before.
> Over the past couple of weeks, it has changed from pain on
> the outside to just aching in general. If I wear an knee
> strap under my knee (like for runner's knee) it aches less
> than if I don't give it support. I went to a "Sports
> Medicine" Orthopedic specialist. 2 exams and an MRI later,
> he says nothing is wrong "in the knee". He gave me a
> Cortisone shot right at the ITB. 5 days later, no better.
> What are my options now? I have iced it, stretched it,
> drugged it, rested it, cursed it, and everything else I
> could think of. I am about to get ill.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions,
>
> Elvis the limping, frustrated King of plodding
While continuing to work on massaging out and stretching the
ham strings, I would suggest rolling the quads:
http://www.mindfulness.com/of5.asp
In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer -
rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est.
1975
Mindful Running: http://www.mindfulness.com/mr.asp http://www.faqs.org/faqs/running-
faq/
From a dialogue between Phil Margolies and me back in 2001:
In article <3583C576.7C2CC21C@flash.net>, Phil Margolies
<pmarg@flash.net> wrote:
> Ozzie Gontang wrote:
>
> > There are a number of popular stretches which are either
> > unsafe for everyone or unsafe for anyone who isn't very
> > flexible to start with - these include the hamstring
> > stretch mentioned above, the "hurdlers stretch" (seated,
> > one leg forward, the other tucked back under the body
>
> I've heard that this was an unsafe position. What
> exactly is wrong with this stretch. Is it too much
> stress on the knee?
>
> > put it against the side of the knee of the straight leg
> > instead)
>
> This alternative stretch does not stretch the quads. Am I
> doing it wrong? Phil
Phil,
First with the quads, I have people grab above the ankle so
ther are holding onto the lower part of the foot just above
the ankle. My reasoning is that they can grab the foot but
then they try to pull the leg backwards...which in my mind
or way of looking torques the pelvis and doesn't get a good
quad stretch.
I have the people keep the knees parallel to each other.
Often they pull the leg out to the side which minimizes the
stretch/elongating of the quad. So I have them knees close,
imagine that they are pushing that knee into the ground and
very slowly rotate the pelvis under which allows for the
quad to be slowly stretched.
But for the quad I am still the advocate of advocates for
using the rolling pin, or piece of PVC, or round stick or
wooden dowel and lay on it as you imagine that the quad
sinks onto the PVC as you roll back and forth (consciously
and without pain) to gradually work the fascia around the
quads loose. You can do the same thing for the ITB. I think
I'll have to put my book to be first on video tape: "Hanging
around bars, gutters and stairwell with Ozzie." It will be
an underground classic in that the folklore works once a
person gets the idea of what fascial release, releasing
adhesions, deep tissue release mean...and realize that
trigger points (it hurts when you push them) are where we
hold tension...unnecessarily...and once the tension is gone,
proper movement can be worked on more easily.
For the hurdler's stretch, the rotation of the joint when
the muscular structure around it is fighting from being
strained often leads to other problems with ligaments and
strain of muscles and tendon.
Research showed that people who put their leg up on a table
or bar so the leg was at 90 degrees to the standing
leg...and then leaned forward grabbing their ankle or
foot...over an 8 or 12 week program of doing this 3 times a
week gained about 3 to 5 degrees of more flexibility of the
hamstring.
Another group did the same stretch but did not lean forward
at the waste. After the 8 or 12 weeks, their flexibility was
between 9 and 11 degrees of greater flexibility of the
hamstring.
Reason: When you lean forward from the waist, you throw the
pelvis in a counter rotation. That is when you lean forward
from the waist, the pelvis rolls back and shortened the
distance between the origin and insertion of the hamstring,
so you are stretching a shortened hamstring.
If you keep the body erect and lean with the pelvis so the
body moves with the pelvis, the pelvis (origin of the
hamstring) is going further away from the insertion point of
the hamstring. Images I use are if you lean forward from the
waist it more like a U-bolt. If you keep the body erect, the
pelvis and upper body are like a lever pulling the hamstring
further away from where it's attached.
Best way to do it is to sit on a table, so one cheek is on
the table and the other leg is standing on the ground. (Use
Telephone books or coffe table books or a 2x6 18 inches
long) to be able to touch the ground. The leg touching the
ground is straight ahead (foot and knee) and not toed out.
Gradually as the hamstring stretches, you'll be able to move
the standing leg further behind the pelvis. At first many
people will have the standing leg straight ahead and out in
front of the pelvis because the ham of the leg on the table
is too tight.
Or if it is really tight, then have the lower leg over the
side of the table to start.
The leaning forward comes from the pelvis and not the
upper body.
Another way to get into this hamstring stretch another way
is to sit against a wall or the front of a couch as you
watch TV. Walk your sitz bones, those bones on your pelvis
on which you sit, back as close to the wall as possible.
Most of us will find that the wall/floor is at 90 degrees.
which our back/hamstring curves so that we can't get close
to the 90 degrees. Use the wall as a buttress to hold the
spine erect and back off the sitz bones from the wall so you
feel the hams stretching but not letting them feel strained
or pained.
After you can do that fairly easily, then you begin to
separate the legs continually walking the sitz bones
back. Gradually in a year or 6 you'll be able to rest you
body on the ground between your legs. Once to start to
get over the 90 degrees, then you can use cushions to
allow you to rest and lean forward with little or no
strain...using the cushions as support to take you to a
stretch but not a strain.
Should you strain, your muscles will protect themselves
by....you guessed it...shortening.
Once you can get your legs separated a little and to help
with opening the pelvis the working on the adductors, those
inside groin muscles, you lay on your back on the ground and
walk your butt towards the wall until you feet are up the
wall and your butt is as close to the wall as
possible,...you're sitting on the wall and your back is
resting on the ground. Gradually you allow your legs to
slide down the wall. Start
|| legs up the wall, then gradually legs \/...and finally
|| you will have
arrived ...it takes k4 to 12 years to get _ _. If you go any
faster, you will have allowed your mental images to destroy
your body's capabilities. Remember if you try too hard, you
will always get the reverse of what you want. Like you can't
push the river...patience is a virtue...or running like
stretching is a dance. You can do it gracefully or clumsily.
Go for the grace.
All the above is folklore. If it works for you use it. If
not, find someones else who makes better sense and listen to
their wisdom....or slowly listen to all with the belief that
we all have a bit of truth and find your own way and share
it with others...in places like rec.running to see if it
makes sense. After 4 years, thanks to Yonson Serrano for
passing the baton of the FAQ to me...Yonson later told me
that no one else applied...feel like "Will someone please
step forward and volunteer"...and quietly everyone else took
a step back and unbeknownth to me, I volunteer. While the
truth of it is that I volunteered because I have loved this
part of my life and learned so much...that it was time to
have my answered questioned. And they are...and my folklore
has become more grounded and better tested and tried, and
retested and reexplained and debated, dialogued and
discussed and reviewed and reexamined and experiment -ed
with to see if it worked.
I must say that while kinesologists, and physiologists and
researchers in movement continue to research, an entire
group of young and old runners have put on their research
caps to see what is true for them and for others.
REC.RUNNING COLLEGIAL APPLIED RESEARCH TEAM (RRCART)
