Help me figure this out: Constantly Pulling Muscles, Doctors are Puzzled, What is this??

has anyone considered an electrolyte deficiency?

My first thought is a magnesium deficiency.

I only play a doctor on LRC though.

Looking for LetsRun doctors, so thank you!
I take a magnesium supplement but have not thought of electrolyte deficiency, looking that up now

have you considered not stretching?

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injuryHELP_PLEASE wrote:
Has this happened to anyone else--one day my muscles just all became really tight and seemingly permanently at risk of pulling? It is driving me crazy

The facts:
1. Formerly fairly successful D1 HS and College runner
2. Ran to stay in shape but sprained ankle badly 2 years ago
3. Came back slowly with lots of stretching, but pulled a calf almost every time I tried running again
4. Continued stretching a lot, then began injuring my groin all the time--could be playing soccer, could be getting into a car, didn't matter, they would pop at random times under what felt like very little strain. Apparently, I tore both labrums, but I don't understand why they still pop and then are incredibly sore for weeks with no activity
5. I've focused on stretching a lot and mostly do low impact exercises like cycling, but my muscles still pull all the time. A calf muscle pull on a run, a groin muscle pull holding a door open with my foot, I somehow even just strained a muscle in my face. My muscles just feel like they are always on the edge of getting strained--like a real and proper strain that requires weeks of no activity and stretching. It happens all the time and it feels like I can't do anything to protect them
6. I pulled a muscle (or did something) to my back/upper neck a year ago and haven't been able to sleep well since

This issue came on so suddenly that it almost seems like some sort of deficiency or disease. The few doctors I have seen have no idea what's wrong with me, but MRIs show these are real muscle strains. Does anyone have any idea? Thank you!

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I’m horrifically inflexible—how could not stretching help?

Being very tight all the time is a sign of muscle weakness, so I’d recommend strength training.

I would suggest looking into massaging rather than stretching to help with your issues. I've had a great deal of success fixing running injuries, other pains and tightness using the book The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies.

Any diet changes in the last month or so?

Thanks, I am in decent shape and fairly strong, doing calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, calf raises, and lunges) fairly regularly, so it doesn't seem to be an outright weakness, though maybe in smaller stabilizer muscles? I've been wondering if it's a diet thing but can't point to any changes at all

It can also be a muscle imbalance, so say your hamstrings are always very tight, it can be that they are weak or that the strength level between the hamstrings and the quadriceps is off.

If it is just all over your whole body then it is probably something else.

What you describe is what was the beginning of the end of my ability to improve my running in my mid 30s. I kept getting hurt. 5 years later, figured it out. get a TSH test.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838329/

Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2013 Jul-Sep; 3(3): 201–203.
Published online 2013 Aug 11.
PMCID: PMC3838329
PMID: 24367780
Thyroid hormones and tendon: current views and future perspectives. Concise review
Francesco Oliva,1 Anna C. Berardi,2 Silvia Misiti,3 and Nicola Maffulli4
Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
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Summary
Thyroid hormones (THs) T3 and T4, play an essential role in the development and metabolism of many tissues and organs, and have profound metabolic effects in adult life. THs action is mediated mainly by the thyroid hormone receptor (TRs) which seem to be ubiquitous. To-date thyroid-associated disease are not thought to be related in tendinopathies and tendons tears. Recent study demonstrated the presence of TRs in tendons and their possible role in the proliferation and apoptosis of human tenocyte isolated from tendon. We review new discovery that revisit our current thinking on the tendon biology focusing on thyroid hormones (THs) T3 and T4, and their possible role on human tenocyte.

Keywords: thyroid hormones, T3, T4, tenocytes, rotator cuff tendons, tendon tears

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injuryHELP_PLEASE1 wrote:
I’m horrifically inflexible—how could not stretching help?

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TSH test is interesting, I'll probably try that. And stretching seems like a better option than not stretching, no?

Look up mobility exercises vs stretching.

Is there a program you like? A lot of what I’m seeing looks like stretching I’ve done

Anything other than a TSH test or mobility program? Just hoping there are others out there who have dealt with something similar

more protein, more water