Hi,
Today I received an interesting query on one of the Repetitive Strain Injury forums that I moderate. The writer runs about 60 miles every week and has pain in his glutes and hamstrings, but I’ll let you read his message so you can understand what his happening…..
I am a distance runner, normally logging up to 60 miles a week. For the last 4 months my glutes have been playing up, painful when sitting down and when driving and the hamstring is painful to stretch.
I have had plenty of massages on both of them, stretching all the time and seen an Osteopath who has clicked my back a few times, loosened the SI joint and although slightly better it still has not gone away.
It seemed to start when doing some reps in Cyprus which included a big hill both up and down
Rest does not seem to help it either
I would be grateful for any suggestions and ways forward
I know I’ve discussed this before, but it seems to keep coming up, often with a different set of symptoms so I want to share it with you in case you are also having similar symptoms.
I’ve found that the vast majority of times a person’s hamstrings are actually being over-stretched because of the pelvis tilt toward the front and down. Now, the hamstrings can definitely have their own spasms occurring since they are the muscles that bend your knee. Every step you take and every time you sit down, your hamstrings are contracting. They are certainly being repetitively strained. In fact, when you are sitting for hours your hamstrings shortened to get you into the sitting position, and then stayed in the shortened length for the entire time you were sitting. Muscle memory sets in, the muscle is now shorter, and when you go to stand up it is pulling hard on the base of your posterior pelvis. This not only is causing pain in your hamstrings, but also in your knee and your glutes as the hamstrings are putting pressure on the bones.
As for the over-stretching part, consider that when the short hamstring muscles are now being forced to lengthen as you straighten your leg, the fibers are having to “over-stretch” for their current length.
There’s a lot more to this problem, primarily caused by a forward and down tilt of your pelvis as you were sitting for so long, but that’s a long story and it’s best of you go to the explanation of the Julstro Protocol to get a better understanding of each of the muscles that have such an impact on your pelvis, and your hamstrings.
So many athletes (and non-athletes too!) have found that by treating the muscles in the front of the body they release the tension on their hamstrings, glutes, low back and sciatic nerve, I feel they have proven the Julstro Protocol works. It’s worth your time and energy to try the Julstro Protocol when you are feeling discomfort anywhere from your low back to your feet.
Have a great day!