I went for my first-ever massage yesterday. I had a gift card + coupon so I thought it was time to give it a try and it was well worth it. I highly recommend it with a knowledgeable person. I wasn't having any immediate issues (other than just having run 11 miles), so I wasn't seeking a diagnosis or anything specific, but this woman started telling me all kinds of things that fit right in with my experiences over the last year and a half or so, mainly based on how some muscles were obviously doing more than their counterparts on the other side and/or compensating for weaknesses in associated muscle groups on the same side. I expected to come out feeling great, which I did (no trace of the long run!) but I did not expect to learn as much as I did. She also worked out some "grittiness" in my leg muscles from usual scar tissue, and told me to hydrate well afterwards to help flush everything out. I can see why TdF riders and other multi-day racers jump right onto the massage table at the end of each day.
The therapist discovered substantial differences in the quadratus lumborum on each side. The tight side is the same side where I had an acute "groin pull"-like injury running last year (from looking at anatomy pics, it looks like it is right at the insertion point of the psoas at the top of the femur).
The loose/weak side is hypersensitive to touch beside my spine. On that side, the hamstring is overdeveloped compared to the side with the tighter QL/psoas. She said to stand on a step with the leg hanging off on that side and work on picking up my pelvis using the QL. I'm also wondering if I'm that way because if I rake leaves or sweep the floor I always do it in the same direction (and probably other situations of preference/dominance, pulling from the strong side to the minimally functioning side).
Does anyone know of any other ways to strengthen a QL and/or loosen the other side and balance oneself out a bit more? I am doing a lot of regular core work (mainly to help with running without re-injury to the psoas/groin thing), but I think I need to target the QL and psoas on the weak side. I've seen side planks mentioned in this regard but I'm not sure which side gets the work (I guess I could try them out and see if I get sore). This all goes together with overpronation on the tight side (and real or acquired leg length discrepancy), so there's obviously no quick fix, and there may be no total fix, but it still seems like a good idea to try to improve it.
Maybe I just need to get out and rake the yard facing the other direction the whole time? I think our rake is aluminum...would carbon be better?
I went for my first-ever massage yesterday. I had a gift card + coupon so I thought it was time to give it a try and it was well worth it. I highly recommend it with a knowledgeable person. I wasn't having any immediate issues (other than just having run 11 miles), so I wasn't seeking a diagnosis or anything specific, but this woman started telling me all kinds of things that fit right in with my experiences over the last year and a half or so, mainly based on how some muscles were obviously doing more than their counterparts on the other side and/or compensating for weaknesses in associated muscle groups on the same side. I expected to come out feeling great, which I did (no trace of the long run!) but I did not expect to learn as much as I did. She also worked out some "grittiness" in my leg muscles from usual scar tissue, and told me to hydrate well afterwards to help flush everything out. I can see why TdF riders and other multi-day racers jump right onto the massage table at the end of each day.
The therapist discovered substantial differences in the quadratus lumborum on each side. The tight side is the same side where I had an acute "groin pull"-like injury running last year (from looking at anatomy pics, it looks like it is right at the insertion point of the psoas at the top of the femur).
The loose/weak side is hypersensitive to touch beside my spine. On that side, the hamstring is overdeveloped compared to the side with the tighter QL/psoas. She said to stand on a step with the leg hanging off on that side and work on picking up my pelvis using the QL. I'm also wondering if I'm that way because if I rake leaves or sweep the floor I always do it in the same direction (and probably other situations of preference/dominance, pulling from the strong side to the minimally functioning side).
Does anyone know of any other ways to strengthen a QL and/or loosen the other side and balance oneself out a bit more? I am doing a lot of regular core work (mainly to help with running without re-injury to the psoas/groin thing), but I think I need to target the QL and psoas on the weak side. I've seen side planks mentioned in this regard but I'm not sure which side gets the work (I guess I could try them out and see if I get sore). This all goes together with overpronation on the tight side (and real or acquired leg length discrepancy), so there's obviously no quick fix, and there may be no total fix, but it still seems like a good idea to try to improve it.
Maybe I just need to get out and rake the yard facing the other direction the whole time? I think our rake is aluminum...would carbon be better?
Sorry for the long post. --M