The Mysterious Hamstring Discomfort
Novel-wise, this week is totally lost. Tomorrow I am heading to Wisconsin — oh, ancestral land of cheese and beer — for a day trip and do not feel like starting a new chapter tonight or tomorrow, whenever I return. I did not feel like it last night, either. Anyway, here I am tonight, my laptop on my lap, watching the Phillies-Cubs game, icing my right hamstring with an ice pack.
Much like the annoying Wheel of Crotch Misfortune two years ago, I am now coping with the Mysterious Hamstring Discomfort.
Sometime over the winter I began to feel a nagging tightness in my right hamstring while running. It always kicked in along Friendship near First Avenue. In February and March it became tighter and tighter. Bull headed for months, I eventually conceded and decided to stop running.
I only felt discomfort while running. After doing some Internet research I assumed I had an acute hamstring strain and did hardcore RICE treatment for a week. However, I began feeling discomfort when I walked. What?! Muscle strains usually improve with rest but this bugger was defying. Perhaps, I wondered, it was not a strain but a pinched nerve.
I am fairly familiar with pinched nerves. Three years ago I pinched my sciatic nerve while playing basketball. When it happened I felt a dull stab in my right hamstring. I did not think much of it at the time but the stabbing continued off and on. I thought I pulled my hamstring so I stopped running. However, despite wrapping and icing the stabbing persisted — and migrated to my groin, knee, and Achilles. It even switched legs. After a little research I realized it may be sciatica, which in fact can be remedied by exercise; running would help realign my spin and unpinch the nerve. So I started running again and it disappeared.
However, the tightness I felt this winter was not migratory, a distinctive characteristic of sciatica. Nonetheless, I was suspicious of a pinched nerve. My parents pestered me to visit their chiropractor, who has basically become their general practitioner. To them, everything can be solved by “an adjustment.” So I relented and made an appointment. He listened to my symptoms, put me on a massage table, and then twisted my neck and jumped all over me. It was hella awkward. He gave me ultrasonic treatments — on my back, which did not help at all. I returned for a follow-up and it seemed to loosen me up, but the tightness was still there.
Last week I ran a mile on Wednesday and another on Friday, just to test out my hammy. The tightness accompanied me the whole time. My hammy bothered me during Sunday’s double-header and I decided to foreswear all running. I also decided to stop riding my bike and walking everywhere. Basically, I decided to sit on my ass all week to see it if would help. It has been torture, mentally and physically. I need to walk, need to be outside, need the Vitamin D. I drove everywhere. To the Co-op, to the Post Office, to my parents’ place. It sucked. Tonight, though, I walked to the Wednesday farmer’s market… And the tightness returned.
What the hell?! This is by far the most aggravating injury I have ever had. But now I am going to switch gears. Causes of hamstring strains and tightness include weak glutes and tight muscles. The remedy: stretching and strengthening — and that is exactly what I will try.
Much like the annoying Wheel of Crotch Misfortune two years ago, I am now coping with the Mysterious Hamstring Discomfort.
Sometime over the winter I began to feel a nagging tightness in my right hamstring while running. It always kicked in along Friendship near First Avenue. In February and March it became tighter and tighter. Bull headed for months, I eventually conceded and decided to stop running.
I only felt discomfort while running. After doing some Internet research I assumed I had an acute hamstring strain and did hardcore RICE treatment for a week. However, I began feeling discomfort when I walked. What?! Muscle strains usually improve with rest but this bugger was defying. Perhaps, I wondered, it was not a strain but a pinched nerve.
I am fairly familiar with pinched nerves. Three years ago I pinched my sciatic nerve while playing basketball. When it happened I felt a dull stab in my right hamstring. I did not think much of it at the time but the stabbing continued off and on. I thought I pulled my hamstring so I stopped running. However, despite wrapping and icing the stabbing persisted — and migrated to my groin, knee, and Achilles. It even switched legs. After a little research I realized it may be sciatica, which in fact can be remedied by exercise; running would help realign my spin and unpinch the nerve. So I started running again and it disappeared.
However, the tightness I felt this winter was not migratory, a distinctive characteristic of sciatica. Nonetheless, I was suspicious of a pinched nerve. My parents pestered me to visit their chiropractor, who has basically become their general practitioner. To them, everything can be solved by “an adjustment.” So I relented and made an appointment. He listened to my symptoms, put me on a massage table, and then twisted my neck and jumped all over me. It was hella awkward. He gave me ultrasonic treatments — on my back, which did not help at all. I returned for a follow-up and it seemed to loosen me up, but the tightness was still there.
Last week I ran a mile on Wednesday and another on Friday, just to test out my hammy. The tightness accompanied me the whole time. My hammy bothered me during Sunday’s double-header and I decided to foreswear all running. I also decided to stop riding my bike and walking everywhere. Basically, I decided to sit on my ass all week to see it if would help. It has been torture, mentally and physically. I need to walk, need to be outside, need the Vitamin D. I drove everywhere. To the Co-op, to the Post Office, to my parents’ place. It sucked. Tonight, though, I walked to the Wednesday farmer’s market… And the tightness returned.
What the hell?! This is by far the most aggravating injury I have ever had. But now I am going to switch gears. Causes of hamstring strains and tightness include weak glutes and tight muscles. The remedy: stretching and strengthening — and that is exactly what I will try.
