Using a tennis ball for piriformis release?

[Fire8085]

Hi, I have a thread here in this section about my back pain.

I started doing piriformis stretching and hamstring stretching.

I noticed rolling on a tennis ball on my glutes seemed to loosen me up nicely.



I did this for a bit, felt wonderful. Then I did it one day at the gym, same exact thing except I felt a deep seated tense muscle. Woke up the next day and have had extreme sciatic pain ever since. Now let me say that before this, I had very very mild sciatic pain, but mostly lower back pain. Thread here:http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116067071

Any idea what I did? I did some stretching that day as well? Did I press a muscle against a nerve? now it's like moving my right leg around specifically (right side of my glute was the tight spot) hurts like hell and I get an intense pain in my hamstring/calf/foot.

Ideas? Thoughts? Maybe I pressed too hard?

[braindx]

It's possible you did a bit too much, and your muscles tightened up again which is leading to your pain.

Definitely stretch it out and possible do it again lighter and see how it feels.

If it doesn't resolve, I would definitely see a doc about it just to get a second opinion since this is the internet after all...

It's also likely that your glutes are weak. Weak glutes often give rise to back pain. There's a long series that is still being posted on this type of topic if you want to read it:

http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2009/1...-dysfunctions/

[Fire8085]

I have been doing a ton of glute bridges for reference. Now if I try them though, they hurt my nerve like a bitch.

I did do lunges and some box squats on saturday. Maybe that's contributing to it.

[braindx]

Is this an "all the time pain" or does it only hurt with certain movements?

Try this stretch and see how it feels:
http://ericcressey.com/wp-content/up...ch-300x225.jpg

It's less aggressive than the tennis ball.

[Fire8085]

it feels ok in certain positions, but everytime i have to get up or sit down it hurts all down myhamstring and calf. my stride is also greatly shortened i've noticed so yeah. When I extend my leg as well I feel a deep seated pain in my sacrum/coccyx.

I'll try the stretch. It's just so odd to me the tennis ball could have done this, but honestly nothing else happened that day really...

additional times that it hurts: when i try to put weight on the leg in bed/getting up.
when i extend it to get up as well...

[anmol_khanna]

It's just so odd to me the tennis ball could have done this, but honestly nothing else happened that day really...

.

These issues develop becuase of years of over use or root cause. 1 exercise wont cause it.
I can assure you - If anything tennis ball will help with sciatia. IF I were you I will
1) work on posture
2) do core work

[Fire8085]

These issues develop becuase of years of over use or root cause. 1 exercise wont cause it.
I can assure you - If anything tennis ball will help with sciatia. IF I were you I will
1) work on posture
2) do core work

I've been doing both for the past year now as I've had to deal with this injury for a long time. I have followed instructions from my PT, Chiro and M.D. This sciatic pain is a VERY new development because it is very different and the only logical catalyst in my mind was the tennis ball at the gym. I never had it before that, in the months before. (injured myself in march of 09 to clarify).

[braindx]

That's odd.

How'd the stretch go?

[Fire8085]

That's odd.

How'd the stretch go?

I'm still trying to understand what to do exactly. I'm looking at the picture, I have seen it before too (familiar with some of cressey's articles).

Mind throwing me a link to the article to read the description?

[anmol_khanna]

I've been doing both for the past year now as I've had to deal with this injury for a long time. I have followed instructions from my PT, Chiro and M.D. This sciatic pain is a VERY new development because it is very different and the only logical catalyst in my mind was the tennis ball at the gym. I never had it before that, in the months before. (injured myself in march of 09 to clarify).

It could be that when you use tennis ball for massage you arch your back. Get someone to look at your form as you use the ball.

On next steps: Core work. There is a good book by Stuart McGill.( ultimate back performance for athletes)you may want to read.

[Fire8085]

It could be that when you use tennis ball for massage you arch your back. Get someone to look at your form as you use the ball.

On next steps: Core work. There is a good book by Stuart McGill.( ultimate back performance for athletes)you may want to read.

Yeah I'm currently reading:

Lower Back Disorders (Mcgill)
Treat Your Own Back (Mckenzie)

I have been doing a lot of plank work, situps, hip rotation movements, stabilizer ball exercises etc.

I'll look into the other mcgill text.

What would arching my back have to do with hurting myself on the tennis ball? Do I need to be hunched forward?

[braindx]

I'm still trying to understand what to do exactly. I'm looking at the picture, I have seen it before too (familiar with some of cressey's articles).

Mind throwing me a link to the article to read the description?

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...er_back_savers

[dizzyspell]

You may have put direct pressure on the sciatic nerve with the tennsi ball and that could irriate enough to cause you those symptoms.

[Fire8085]

You may have put direct pressure on the sciatic nerve with the tennsi ball and that could irriate enough to cause you those symptoms.

That's what I was thinking. I wonder why they have lasted so long though, kind of annoying to be honest.

When I "take it easy" it seems to alleviate some of the pain. I did lunges this last week and my legs were absolutely killing me. So maybe I'll have to cut leg work out for a while...AGAIN. Argh.

[Fire8085]

So I've been trying to do piriformis stretching lightly as advised by a PT in training I know. It really hurts to do it, but feels good afterwards. I'm thinking I may have done something in terms of stretching or the tennis ball rolling triggered something because I can feel the pain originate from my glutes and piriformis.

I put my leg(ankle) over my other knee and lean forward and try to press my knee that is up, down. I can barely move it, always had an issue with this one, don't know why.

Anyway, I can do it fine with the other leg

Maybe my piriformis is inflamed, not sure.