Hamstring pain

1st
September 2010

source: fitsugar.com

I have leg issues. My hamstrings (at least I think that’s where the issue is…) are tight constantly.

I stretch them all the time. I stretch when I get up in the morning. I stretch before and after exercise. I stretch before bed. And yet… super tight hamstrings. It’s especially weird because if I sit up and bend over my leg, I can reach down to my toes without a problem and stretch that way comfortably… but if I lay on my back (like in the picture) I can’t get my leg to more than maybe 45 degrees off of the floor before I feel super tension in my hamstring and my knee bends to relieve the pressure. If someone pushes it for me, I can get farther… maybe to 80 degrees or so, but then I start to feel pain wrapping along the outside edge of my lower calf. It’s not horrible but it’s not comfortable at all. It doesn’t seem to be affected (better or worse) by stretching or exercise.

Some online friends have suggested a foam roller and potentially diagnosed the issue as fascia. I’d love your thoughts, experiences, suggestions… and to know whether you think it’s worth it for me to see a doctor. After all, I’m not in pain really… just holding a lot of tension.

And speaking of weird leg issues, and wondering if it might be a related issue, I have serious difficulties with lunges. Despite being much healthier than I once was, despite working out quite often and doing a good mix of cardio and strength training, I cannot do lunges properly. I can’t get more than a third of the way down, and after less than ten my legs (mostly my quads) feel like they are going to EXPLODE. It’s an intense burning pain that makes it nearly impossible for me to continue. I’ve tried doing more lunges, less lunges, directionally variable lunges… and no change.

Please help? I need to know if I’m doing something wrong. In my Fitness Friday post, I’ll be sure to include lunges in my video. Maybe that will help someone isolate the problem.

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9 Responses to "Hamstring pain"

For some reason, I can do walking lunges much easier than stationary lunges (more, deeper bend, easier to put the weight in my heel, etc). My quads still really hurt, but it takes longer to reach the explosive phase. Just something to try.

1 Tara said this (September 1, 2010 at 6:07 pm) Reply
Just reading this
Not having seen yer lovelylegs in person (dizclaimer )

Id concur

And highly recommend the foam rollers.

Did you see the guest post I had on them?

Changed how my bod.feels entirely.

xo xo

2 MizFit said this (September 2, 2010 at 11:53 am) Reply
- Thanks, Miz!
  
  3 skinnysushi said this (September 2, 2010 at 12:24 pm) Reply
Seriously get a foam roller. They hurt so bad and it will take a while for you to roll them out…but it is so worth it. I do it 2-3 times a day (as per my physical therapist). Helps a ton!!!!

Lunges – do you shake? Like are your muscles shaking as you lunge? Shaking is the smaller stabalizer muscles trying to engage. Just a thought.

4 Amanda said this (September 10, 2010 at 5:12 pm) Reply
Stretching muscles is an art, because it means reprogramming the subconscious. All muscles have their ‘natural tension’ – which means they are rarely really totally relaxed. And this applies to the hamstrings more than to most other muscles. That is why the hamstrings feel kinda ‘unstretchable’. It differs from person to person, of course, but the resistance of the hamstrings is clearly evident for everyone who tried to stretch them.
So, the trick is to stretch them VERY motionlessly. If you put them under stretch for one full minute WITHOUT changing the amount of tension AT ALL, the subconscious realises it can let go. It has been tensing all the time and now, after that minute or so, it ‘understands’ there is no need to do so. THEN the muscle will give way. However, if you keep changing the amount of tension while stretching, even just a tiny bit, you each time give a new message, so the subconscious never gets the time to realise it can let go.

5 steno said this (March 4, 2011 at 12:23 pm) Reply
PS
If you don’t clearly notice the muscle relaxes and gives way, then you simply haven’t reached the end of the ‘magic minute’ yet. Then you haven’t been unwavering enough, or the subconscious isn’t yet convince it can let go. Don’t use will or mind. Simply use the body and ITS pace and ways.

6 steno said this (March 4, 2011 at 12:27 pm) Reply