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Hamstring Dilemma

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I have, for the last 18 months of a committed

Ashtanga Practise, been dealing with Hamstring issues

which I am at a loss on how to deal

with.<br><br>TLSlade? I love your self healing approach. Maybe you can

help me. Anyone else? Please share.<br><br>After

tearing the muscle belly a year ago in an overzealous

Prasarita adjustment, I eased up on the Hamstring to allow

it to heal. The Muscle healed beautifully, however

the origion (Insertion) area flared up and became

irritated/ inflamed.When I take time off (up to 10 days I've

tried )to try to heal(subside the inflamation) the

whole Hamstring just stiffens up. If I try to ease up

on my practise (modifying to exclude the leg ie

Marichiasana B instead of A) I feel unbalanced and the leg

invariably gets irritated anyway.<br><br>I always feel

stiffness and irritation in the insertion area

(sitbones).<br><br>My hips are very open , all bent leg poses<br>are

very easy for me. For example, I do full Supta

Kurmasana (legs behind head), but I cannot even barley

begin to straighten my legs in

Kurmasansa.<br>Baddakonasana and Badda padmasana, chin to floor; Supta

Konasana, barely beginning to move towards the floor with

my chin (almost upright)<br><br>Ive tried

accupuncture, and Physio (focus was on strengthening the

hamstring. I've tried ignoring the pain, and alternately

being super concientious of the slightest

twinge.<br><br>I have made no increase in range of motion in my

hamstrings in spite of a committed 6 day practise.I am

starting to worry about permanent damage in the irritated

area.<br><br>Do I keep practising...all is coming (this has been

my focus for 18 months...and I have found much joy

in other areas of my practise<br>in which my body

has become more free (hips, back, shoulders) Do I

seek another type of bodywork specialist? <br><br>Any

insight or advise would be greatly

appreciated....<br><br>Thanks in advance.

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Warriorgirl:<br><br>I would love to see a

response to your post as I suffered what sounds like the

perhaps the same sort of injury last August, and it's

still with me. The limitations are just as you

describe. Is your injury felt on the inner or the outer

side of the sit bone?<br><br>Peace and Good,<br>Homer

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Sweet Nectar Greetings, I, too, injured the

hamstring many moons ago - 18 months. I still feel it. It

comes and goes, like an old friend sometimes

overstaying her welcome. I found no correlation between its

level of intensity and any therapeutic endeavor :

acupuncture, anti-inflammatories, practice respites, regular

practice, chiropractic, running, warming-up etc. I really

just lived with it, made friends with it and used it

as a tool for observation. I will say that in the

last 18 months of very consistent yoga parctice (not

always Ashtanga) my hamstring flexibility has increased

enourmously. I try to stay grateful for the what is not

"wrong". I wish you the best in your ongoing encounter

with the hamstring quartet.<br>with Unceasing

Blessings, E&SJ

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Oh Homer and E.S. Joy,<br><br>It's nice to know

I've got company, some how it's comforting to know

that I'm not alone....<br><br>Homer, I feel the injury

on the inner side of the sit bone, and it feels

quite deep, physiologically I don't really understand

what exactly it is that is inflamed or irritated,

(although it's certainly not from lack of trying to find

out...)How about you???<br><br>Someone suggested it might be

the DURA(L)??? I cannot seem to find anything

relating to the hamstring in anatomy references by this

name, only the top of the spinal area)

???????<br><br>Looking at Anatomy pic's I can only zero in on the

general insertion area, nothing specific....<br><br>E.S.

Joy,<br>How did you approach your practise to get past the

injury/discomfort and make progress in your range of

motion/flexibility ???<br><br>'Warrior'girl (somewhat deflated by

hamstring battle...)

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in reply to your post-- if the Dura is

inflamed-another term is arachnoiditis- its the lining of the

spinal cord near where the nerve root enters the spinal

cord--it can take a long time to heal--lets hope that it

isnt that and just a tendonitis.<br>I think that many

of us are tighter in one plane and looser in the

other--and the goal is to stretch the limit with out going

over. And after all, the only one your competing with

is yourself--live with your limits and love

them.<br>Namaste.

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Yes, the self-healing approach, is there any

other option? Saw Uma on Dave tonight talking about

Nick Nolte. Sounds like he is very into self-healing.

Will have to look into that. For some general

ideas/inspiration/whatever on self-healing, I have a new page here:

<a href=http://www.ionet.net/~tslade/selfheal.htm

target=new>http://www.ionet.net/~tslade/selfheal.htm</a><br><br>Have not had the

misfortune of hamstring problems

(except that mine are very tight). Have been dealing with

a couple of other problems that have taught me a

lot. The current focal point of my year-long

hand/wrist/arm problems is my right elbow, which seems to have

tendonitis. I believe this to be basically caused by an

abnormal stress on the tendon(s) caused by tension which

shortens the muscle(s). Arms and legs are very complicated

- lots of muscles, all of them connecting to bones

with tendons. Tendons heal much slower than muscles

due to less vascularization. But they sometimes heal

a LOT slower because the tension remains,

constantly stressing them. (Either chronic tension has not

been removed or acute tension is continuing from

use/abuse). If you tore your muscle, then it is probably

shortened from tension resulting from the trauma (the body

tries to protect itself) and also has some scar tissue.

I'm not expert about the effect of scar tissue but I

think it can be dealt with, and the tension can be

taken out. I think that if the leg muscles are

rebalanced, the irritation at the tendon can heal. There are

lots of ways to do yoga, ways to work around things. I

would not ignore the pain. Until the muscles are

relaxed, you don't want to be stretching into the tendons

too much. It is probably not usually good for most

people to ever be stretching into tendons and ligaments.

Besides careful yoga, I would recommend massage. I would

look for someone who does deep tissue work, maybe a

Rolfer. These are the real bodyworkers. (Bodywork doesn't

have to be deep though, a lot can be done with the

superficial layers of the fascia - same applies to

stretching). But you can also do this to yourself. The Thera

Cane can work deeply into the hamstrings. I just tried

it out and will have to do more of that! Also,

Feldenkrais is very interesting stuff and may be useful on

your healing journey.<br><br>The other thing I've been

dealing with is more recent. If I bend forward or assume

downward dog, I have a pain on the inside of my left heel

just below the ankle. I'm figuring the same thing on

it, tension in muscles causing a pull at the tendon.

A supported uttitha hasta padangusthasana (foot on

a chair) seems to help and does not hurt, while

many other postures which seem similar do cause pain.

Due to the complicated human anatomy, similar

postures may have different results. You will need to find

ways to stretch the hamstrings (and other involved

muscles) without stressing the connection at the

tendon.<br><br>** Just my opinions, could be totally wrong

**<br><br>And if you haven't checked out Sam Dworkis, see

<a href=http://www.extensionyoga.com

target=new>http://www.extensionyoga.com</a><br><br>Have faith and keep after

it.....

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You have my sympathy. I have had almost the exact

opposite problem - straight leg forward bends were no

problem for me practically from day one, but because of

an old knee injury and tight hips, it took me over

four years to be able to do padmasana without hurting

my knees. It is frustrating.<br><br>But, if you

stick with your practice, and can come to see having

such an opportunity to learn as a blessing, the

patience and humility you'll learn from it might make you

a better yogi in the long run. (Which doesn't make

it fun while it's happening, I know)

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i am not an expert to begin with. i have had

difficulties with hamstrings in the past. it appears that

eventually the stiffness lessens. but why i a, replying is

this. when my mind begins to get involved with these

obsticles they appear more solid but when i allow myself to

just be there in the momentand see myself in the asana

there is a great lessening of these difficulties <br>be

well

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