Injury behind hamstring

[Guest Jeujeucda]

Hi everyone,

 

I haven't posted in a while, I hope everyone's still dancing hard!

 

I have a question I'd welcome all advice for:

 

In the beginning of March, I did a jump that was like a grand jete except both legs are bent sideways. I don't remember the name for that. Well, while in mid-air, my left leg, which was in front, suddenly went TWANG! Exactly how your arm might feel if you'd hit your funny bone hard. In that moment I thought I'd ripped my leg off somehow. But upon landing, my leg didn't collapsed, it stood very normally. Nothing seemed out of place.

 

Maybe a week later, the back of my leg where it connects to my butt started hurting. Not the whole area, but a specific point toward the inside of my thigh. Like the left side of the bone you sit on. I guessed I must've pulled a hamstring, but never having pulled a muscle before, I didn't know if that was it.

 

Well, two months later and the pain's still here. It hurts to the point that I can't grand battement my left leg to the front any higher than 90 degrees. Any other direction is fine, I'm still way up there as usual, nothing wrong. For a while I tried stretching it and making it go down into the splits, but while it will eventually stretch out, it hurts after I get out of the positions.

 

So beginning of this month I went to a physiotherapist finally and he says it's not my hamstring, it's the muscle underneath and toward the inner thigh. He says I probably partially tore the part of it that connects to the bone, and scar tissue has built up a bit there. He gave me one exercise -- after warming up, put the leg up straight to hip level (or where it won't hurt), make sure my hips are square to it, and stretch it to the point of before it hurts for 30 seconds. He says it should eventually go away and I'll regain my original flexibility there.

 

I'm worried that I won't. Has anyone else had such an experience? How long did it take? Anyone have any other suggestions for making it heal faster, exercises and the like? Another problem compounding it is that I have a desk job at work, and sitting on it all day hurts! I'm afraid that sitting like that will just aggravate it and prevent healing. Thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Jeujeucda

[Mel Johnson]

Absolutely!!! I can tell you from first-hand experience that that kind of exercise will help restore function to your injured leg. I was hurt in a track exercise in gym when I was 16, and that's just what I did to urge it back to working order. Except mine had to start much lower - about 30º - but gradually, it got up there and higher again. Sitting won't hurt.

[Guest Giselle83]

hello! your description sounded just like the muscle I pulled. Or to say exactly, my old teacher pulled lifting my leg too high in developpes >:-(

However, I think I hurted it worse cause it's been like 4 years now and it's never really good. In winter it bothers alot and sometimes it aches even I'm not doing anything! My friends' sister who is doing heavy sport (run/swim/bike) told that you gotta put something warm on the muscle if it was hurt. That helps for me. And all I can say is that don't make the mistake I did, I started streching it too soon :-( good luck!

[Guest Jeujeucda]

Thanks for the replies and encouragement! It's somewhat scary for me because I've never dealt with anything like this... I never thought it possible to rip something inside my body!

 

I think over the summer I'm going to go light on ballet, maybe drop back to just one class a week . I'm keeping figure skating up, but won't be doing any moves that put stress on that muscle. Ballet is where I feel the pain most. It is so odd to not be able to bend any which way I want!

 

I suppose the best is to give my leg complete rest for a few months, but I can't do that! I'll go crazy not doing anything...

 

Sigh... Anyone want to give me a new left leg?

 

Jeujeucda