Pain in glute/hamstring area...

[MaLiBu24]

Hi everyone,

I have had this on and off for a couple months and I was hoping some of you could give some insight/advice on some pain I’m experiencing. Here goes:

My right hamstring (which is also my weaker leg) constantly hurts when doing squats, lunges, one legged leg press…The pain is in the area where my glute and hamstring meet and the pain feels really sharp (different from the cramps of DOMS). I only feel it in my right leg when I do certain leg exercises, i.e. doing lunges (right knee down). There is no pain when I do lunges with my left knee down and the pain doesn’t radiate to any other part of my body. It usually occurs when I try to straighten from a lunge/squat and I only feel it intermittently. I asked my PT about this b/c I thought I might be doing something wrong but he said he liked my form.
I was doing stationary lunges the other day and the pain made it nearly impossible for me to continue and this pain prevents me from doing various exercises as effectively as if the pain was not there. I’ve never really injured this part of my body before.
I would just like the pain to go away so that I can continue on with my training without this at the back of my mind.

What do you think is the problem and how can I fix it? Also, what do you think caused it? I always warm up with cardio first for 10-15 minutes so my body is already warm…

Your help/advice is much appreciated!!!

[freebirdmac]

I looked this up in my Trigger Point Therapy book. They describe pain in that location as coming from the semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The semi's attach to the sit bone and help flex the hip and extend the knee. To work on those trigger areas get a tennis ball and put it between your leg and a surface (like a chair). Roll it around to find the trigger point(s). They may be mid-lower thigh and not where you'd expect them to be. Use deep stroking massage, short repeated strokes, massage in one direction only, go slow, limit massage to 6-12 strokes 3-6 times a day.

It's a good book http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-...5195949&sr=8-1

Deep tissue massages are even better.

Oh, and they say stretching the hams won't help until you've released the trigger points.

[summertown74]

Freedbirdmac is right, you can probably get this problem worked out!

Do you have access to a foam roller? I use that on my hamstrings as I like the broader pressure.

There are also frequently trigger points in the gluteus medius that will refer to the glute/ham tie in. However, there is actually a tiny muscle there called quadratus femoris, that does sometimes tighten up and cause problems. That one will be hard to get on your own! Definitely have a massage therapist on that one.

good excuse to get a massage, in my book.

[freebirdmac]

Freedbirdmac is right, you can probably get this problem worked out!

Do you have access to a foam roller? I use that on my hamstrings as I like the broader pressure.

There are also frequently trigger points in the gluteus medius that will refer to the glute/ham tie in. However, there is actually a tiny muscle there called quadratus femoris, that does sometimes tighten up and cause problems. That one will be hard to get on your own! Definitely have a massage therapist on that one.

good excuse to get a massage, in my book.

Oh! I was having deep glute pain, about the center of my butt, that I had been working with a tennis ball. One deep tissue massage significantly alleviated the pain. Mind you, deep tissue massages can test your pain threshold But they work and the therapist will back off if you reach your limit.

I'm getting them regularly now. Ideally every two weeks but realistically about every 4-5 weeks. There's always something. My upper body has been such a mess that my therapist hasn't gotten to my lower body since the summer. And I don't think I could last through 2 hours with her in order to have time for the lower body

[MaLiBu24]

Thank you all for your help.

I'll try stretching/foam rolling the area and hopefully it helps. I'll check with a doctor as well.