Anyone know how to fix this injury???

i'm bumping this back up for you since i've had something very similar for the past 10 months, and would like to know what to do as well. good luck

This injury looks like it could be your IT band. It can cause pain in either your knee or hip, as it has done both to me. I basically cured my problem through a lot of stretching. Extended time off, ibuprofen, ice, didn't really help me much. I bumped up an earlier post about IT band injuries that should help you out. I can also explain the stretches I did if you'd like but I'm not going to do it now since they're pretty tough to explain without actually showing them. I just did IT band-specific stretches along with the routine stretches about 10-15 times a day (not exaggerating). I think the stretches are explained in one of the web pages on the other post. I still have problems with it occasionally but I know how to stretch it so well at this point that I get the pain to subside within about 48 hours.

The same problem struck when I first began to run. It was totally debilitating and even walking would hurt to some degree. I had to stop running. All the doctors could recommend was rest or orthotics; both essentially bandaids. My experience tells me you are probably right handed/sided. Likely the right side of your body is stronger, to such a degree that it overpowers the left side and actually stretches it out. Time for the left side of your body to play catch up...

If your thin enough, you can take your shirt off and see that your obliques on the right side of your body are somewhat thicker than the ones on the left side of your body, and possibly a bit more compact even. Anyways, the overall result is that your center of gravity is on the right side of your body, if only slightly. This slight amount makes it so that when flexed, your left hip flexor is not going forward as it was intended to, but instead going towards your right side a bit and therefore pops because it's out of alignment. It still happens to me, although quite rarely, and is now just a slap in the face to be more conscious of how i'm using my body. The most likely time for it to happen is if i'm doing leg lifts. That ought to be a good indicator what the problem is...your lower abdominals, notably the left side if not already obvious, are weak. You can't just start doing more of them to strengthen it either. You need to start being more conscious of how asymmetrical you are, otherwise you'll never be symmetric unconsciously. Just look at how people move, notably old people, they definitely aren't going in a straight line when they move. It's pretty normal for right handed people to have the following symptoms and be completely unconscious of them...

left shoulder higher than the right

right hip higher than the left

head slanted and rotated from centerline

all muscles pulled towards the center of gravity, which is to say away from the natural three dimensional centerpoint

i appreciate the guys in bodybuilding magazines who lend us a look at the muscles we all have at the expense of their internal organs and emotions. take advantage of them and find out what muscles you have that you didn't know about and begin trying to use them. obviously the juiced up guys are blown way out of proportion, but that just makes it easier for us to see what we are working with, look at the symmetry of people like shawn ray, it's possible for you to be symmetrical like that as well, it's just going to take a hell of a lot of effort. make a conscious effort to become left handed.

Cure for ITB (Illiotibial Band)

Pain in the ITB is caused by the band shortening like a tight muscle and can usually be cured by stretching it in a static manner. This can be done by leaning against a wall or other such surface with your weight on the foot of the affected leg about 30 inches away from the wall. Then push your leg at the hip toward the wall as far as possible and remain motionless for about 60 seconds. Doing this for a few days will stretch the ITB back to its normal length. Pain in the ITB can manifest its self at either the knee or the hip. It is difficult to permanently injure as the pain gets too severe.

Another thing to do is a static squat (like a baseball catcher) for 30 seconds. After the stretch is complete lift yourself by up to a standing position using your arms so that you won?t pull anything by a sudden lurch.

Try to see a chiropractor and get yourself aligned. Your problem seems to be more complex than just a bursa or IT band. Why did your quad have problems in the first place? If your body is unbalanced while running the weaker areas will have to be overcome, thus causing greater stress on the places you rely on to keep you moving. Also deep tissue work can really help clean up a lot of problems. Regular therapy is an important part of keeping healthy to race. Chiropractic, massage and dynamic stretching perhaps could be your solution.

I am truely interested in what you talk about, where do you get this stuff? What do you read?

There is a lot of flaming on these boards, but I'm hoping the question is sincere...

Honestly that is a really tough question to answer because it's almost like a compliment but in the form of a rhetorical question in which case there shouldn't be an answer. Every time I have posted on these boards it has been under the screen name of Legalizit, although once or twice i've seen someone mock me and use the same screen name and throw out some lame posts. If you are truly interested in what I've said do a search with the term "Legalizit" and you'll find in my posts a bunch of books i've read or better yet ways to read without books, etc.

agapeguy@aol.com

Take some complete rest. Heal up.

Thank you to everyone who wrote something on this thread. I don't think the injury is something with the IT band, but I will check out that option with the chiropractor. I have been seeing the chiropractor for the last year, and I think that might be a reason I am even able to run 30-40 miles a week. Legalizit, I think I agree with some of the things you said. My right hip is higher than my left, when I run my left foot strikes more toward my center than my right. If you have anything else to offer in the way of advice and what not on how to treat this I would be most greatly.

Injured

The first thing I would say to do is simply let go. Don't just read this with a half open-mind, one that has partially rejected it before trying it for several months. Don't think about the fact that you aren't running, otherwise you won't be doing either. I can tell you for sure it is my truth, and if it can be mine it can make yours broader...

Find a somewhat private place to do this, else that little bit of self-consciousness might just pop out because at times this exercise can be extremely feminine looking, but the results it produces combined with that extremely masculine will can drive you to your overall potential. Take your shoes off, balance a book on your head and began to walk, doesn't matter too much what on so long as you pay attention. The trick is here to keep your feet connected to the ground the whole time, thus keeping you connected and extremely balanced. After you've done your back kick with one leg drag it back up with your toetips on the ground. Your spine and head take up in the position of an aroused cobra that is ready to strike, and more or less begin to slither buddy!

If you want to be able to do this powerfully, think of how a lever works. The idea here is to keep your feet as light as possible, think of little scales giving constant readings to you and see how high a ratio you can make when you divide perceived core weight by perceived foot or toe weight. It appears as a major component in the minds ability of manifesting a stereotypical "Kenyan" body. What comes to my mind when I say that oft used stereotype is any runner that has perceived ratio from from the example above higher than nearly everyone else in the running community. Possibly visions of physiological genius strike them more often, something that is only known, not taught through words but by listening to their own bodies. If their feet are lighter in relation to their core than yours are, they go faster because their minds eye has created over the years a body that is superior for running.

Use headphones to block outer stimuli so that you can hear your inner scales more precisely, creating a ratio closer to your ultimate potential.

And remember, you asked.

I have been dealing with some similar hip problems- only it's my right hip that pops and develops pain. My left leg is dominant in strength, running technique. I've had a chiro tell me my left leg is longer than my right, and my back muscles and stomach muscles stronger on my left as well (left psoas gets tight all the time). I know that I need to continue to work on the muscle imbalances with exercises, chiro, etc. My right hip is improving with continued therapy. Is it possible to alleviate leg length discrepancies by achieving solid core strength and equal strength on both legs?

Hey legalizit. How long should i be doing the balancing book on my head thing each night. Also, is there anything else you can tell me?

Injured

If it's a leg length difference, that's one of the things orthotics are intended to fix. If it's a posture/balance thing, then yoga or (gulp) even some of Legalizit's suggestions could help. They would also help in general, anyway.

Still sounds like pelvic alignment problems and leg discrepency. If you've been seeing a chiro for a year without the complete results you want, see someone else.

Finding a good chiro is sometimes a challenge - and only those that understand the full extent ot kinetic chain reaction and running biomechanics will be helpful to you.

As for orthopedics - you can toss them all in a bag and pick one out - I have found them to be completely worthless in running injuries that don't include a broken bone or severed artery. Maybe someone out there can give us the name of just ONE orthopedic that understands running injuries - JUST ONE!

Have you tried asking your injury question on Team Oregon's injury forum?

Haven't tried the injury forum, I think I will. Thanks.

Injured

Often when one leg is weaker than the other, there is a tendency to short stride with the weaker leg. This can be avoided by running on a treadmill. The weaker leg is forced to maintain pace because the treadmill doesn't slow down when the weak leg is on the tread. The pace on the treadmill should be designed for the weak leg.

There is no specific amount of time that will achieve a specific result. Try keeping a book on your head during all types of activities. You can try it while reading, doing your homework, walking to the store, or whatever else you choose. The idea here is to become aware of your postural idiosyncracies (those actions that let you pick out your teammates instantly when all you see is a silhouette of them) that create muscle imbalances. Understanding your own idiosyncracies is easier if you watch people, especially our senior citizens whose imbalances are greatly exaggerated, and study how they move.

Your posture is with you at all times. Even your posture when you sleep has an effect on you. I try to sleep in the anatomical position, which I believe is the position where we can harness the most amount of energy, or if I fall asleep on my side I try to arch like a bow instead of curling up into the fetal position.

An interesting alternative to the book would be a portable cd player. I like to use Sony's studio headphones, the type with the big ear cups, and what i'll do is balance the cd player on my head, wrap the extra chord from the headphones around my neck like you would see those African women in National Geographic with those crazy brace things stretching their necks out, then put the headphones over the cd player. With enough concentration you can run like this.

Other options with more overall potential would be to take a yoga, ballet or some other type of dance class. Most runners shy away from dance classes, however you can take a short series of private lessons with a specific goal that you and your instructor have in mind (steeplers stand to benefit here greatly in learning how to efficiently leap) and learn quite a bit. A mirror and something to resemble a barre, both of which can easily be placed in your room, could then be incorporated quite effectively into your stretching routine.

There has been a couple ab exercise posts I've written that could help tremendously as well. Without seeing you in person (you don't happen to live in Eugene do you?)and being your coach it's hard for me to pinpoint anything or suggest anything with precision. Over the past year I've posted pretty frequently on this board and the old one that can still be accessed, so if you naturally tune into the wavelength I broadcast, it would be advisable to do a search on "legalizit" and see what you could use for your current situation.

by the way that post that came through me on 7/29 was pretty decent. the part about slithering should not be discounted. that cobra look is resembled somewhat by laura zeigle in her picture on the CU cross page. you'll notice laura's chin is in closer to her neck than jackies, her shoulders are more square, her face is closer to being perpendicular to the camera as well and her eyes are rolled up towards her third eye point a bit more than her sisters. i imagine none of that is being done consciously, but it is present.

Try to see a chiropractor and get yourself aligned.

I agree - it comes almost certain from the pelvic area. Had the same problem my self and a good chiropractor (with some sports experience) will fix you in a few treatments.

Hopper