Can't get Healthy: Glute Injury

Injury Clinic
1

Over the past two and a half years dating back to my senior year in high school, I’ve had a series of freak injuries, etc, which have kept me sidelined for far too long.

It started with a sprained ankle senior year of high school which took over two months to get back to one hundred percent. Came back stronger than ever.

Than second semester of college year, I had a small tear in my right medial meniscus. Came back to more than full strength after a semesters worth of physical therapy.

Both of those injuries were from basketball and were essentially freak injuries.

Last summer, the summer after the meniscus injury, I learned the importance of lifting and began squating and deadlifting in addition to performing leg curls (vjb novice weights)

I spent about a month getting form down on squats and began my first session. Somewhere during leg curls, I strained my hamstring. I didn’t even realize it until two days later when only my left hamstring hurt. Came back from this in three weeks full strength with my wn rehab.

After six weeks of lifting, I hurt my back. This injury was entirely my fault as I let my form slip. Well, within two weeks I was back and was jumping better than ever getting up to about 11 feet with an 8 foot reach at 5 ft 10.

Still, I took off a couple months from lifting to make sure everything was one hundred percent. After beginning again, hurt my left hamstring in the exact same manner. Tried to self rehab, took too long so went to a physical therapist.

Was finally at roughly one hundred percent, when today I decided to begin lifting again. Started really simple, 50 pound lunges. On my first rep of my right leg, feel a pop in my right upper hamstring/upper glute.

I just don’t understand what’s wrong with my body. I warm up well, my form is supposedly solid. Certainly was no form problem on the lunges. I’m going to see a doctor immediately and right now I’m icing but this is just getting to be ridiculous. This is somewhat of a rant but I’m starting to get really discouraged by all these damn injuries.

2

First off, ankle sprains are dime a dozen so that’s nearly negligible. Meniscus tear was a freak thing ala shit happens.

Your back was only hurt for two weeks, again, shit happens. So far, I’d say you’re a typical athlete.

Next, stop doing leg curls. What did you do for hamstring rehab? Most importantly, did you have soft-tissue work?

Definitely shouldn’t take months off from lifting if you plan on incorporating it. This could very easily be a case of coming back too hard too soon, especially if your hamstrings are weak which could explain them giving out during strength exercises.

All in all, I’d say the only thing out of the ordinary for you is your hamstrings (especially since t’s not even the same one) popping out of no where. I’m guessing you have some biomechanical flaw going on, lower back in combination with hamstring injuries are pretty classic of having a tight lower back and lengthened hamstrings ala a possible pelvic tilt going on. This is just a guess though and what’s common.

Don’t be pissed at your body. Listen to it, it’s trying to tell you something is wrong.

3

For what it’s worth, I have been doing a tremendous amount of hamstring stretching and some quad stretching. The thing is, my quads are extremely tight. I probably stretch the hamstrings more but even when I was doing a lot of quad stretching, they are still ridiculously tight.

Also, I was having some bad hip tightness but I have been doing glute ham raise holds unweighted for about thirty seconds in addition to a couple of other hip stretches which reduced the tightness and pain substantially.

I also agree that I have some lower back issues still present. Nothing that will keep me out but the back could be an issue in some way.

The only reason I did leg curls is because I didn’t have access to a ghr. I’m definitely done with them now though as I’ve injured my left hamstring two times from the curls.

Anyway, I agree that I have some biomechanical issues going on. I am going to the doctor tomorrow. I will do whatever rehab is necessary and after that, I plan on getting some substantial active release therapy.

It’s just annoying because as soon as I figured out what was necessary to take my athleticism to the next level and basically learned the methods that will greatly enhance my speed, vertical and strength coincides with a two year period in which I keep getting injured.

4

And my hamstring rehabd wtih the physical therapist initially consisted of stretching, bike, some strength work in the form of curls (I can’t disagree wtih the therapist) leg presses, balance board squats, one legged semi squats, and eventually dynamic work through lateral slides, karoekes, one legged broad jumps and vertical jumps.

I had one massage but it was not art and was not performed by a sports specialist so it didn’t do much.

5

How much were you lifting ie weight reps/sets. My suggestion would be to start at the very basics, lunges are a good start but with 50 pounds? I know some people are against a little hypertrophy phase but start with that (eg 15 reps) so that you can get strength behind you and gradually build up to heavier weights. Also strengthen your TA, not your abs but your transverse abdominus, as sometimes a miss firing of the hamstring can originate from there as well as keep the back strong.

6

The glute is feeling quite a bit better today. Hopefully, it continues to progress at this rate. I’m going to remain cautiously optmistic.

Anyway, on the weights, I was only doing 25 lb/hand so 50 lb total which did not seem to unreasonable to me. I first lifted with my left leg and it was fine, then with the right and on the first rep, it was injured.

I should also note that during the recovery of the left hamstring, the right glute did begin to very minorly bother me. When I would tough the spot that was injured, it was somewhat tender to the touch but during most movements, it was fine.

Anyway, what are recommended recovery methods for a glute. I have not been able to find much online regarding this injury. So far I’m sticking to ice and rest, eventually I’ll progress to contrast showers etc but what kinds of exercises are effective for the glute. Bridges? Leg raises? And how soon should I begin these?

7

Double post.

8

I’m not too big on resting an injury very long. Even if you have to do supported bodyweight squats, do something. Don’t just sit around waiting for it to heal and then go full bore back into lifting. All you’re doing is basically starting over again and again.

As far as exercises for the glutes, you probably don’t need much more than squatting. Just make sure your glutes are firing, which they may not be considering your hamstrings keep getting hurt i.e. glutes not firing makes hamstrings pick up the slack.

9

Stop stretching your hamstrings so much. Lack of flexibility did not cause your hamstrings to strain during a leg curl or lunge! Don’t manufacture problems that aren’t there.

When you say your hips are tight I bet your rectus femoris (you said your hips are tight, rectus femoris is also a hip flexor) is the tightest of them and probably overactive. Very tight quads/rectus femoris/hips often relate to lengthened (furthermore, why are you stretching a muscle group, hamstrings, that are already flexibile? you see what I’m getting at here?) and WEAK hamstrings. The glutes are usually weak here also.

Do yourself a favor, read this and read it more than once: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1508256

Over the internet, this is probably the best I can think of what’s going on with you as it is just so common amongst athletes and all your symptoms point to an anterior tilt. Hell, do a search on this forum of anterior pelvic tilt and results a plentiful (too many from me) will come up.

Lastly and just a tangent, you most definitely and emphatically SHOULD argue with your physical therapist if you are not pleased with the rehab prescription. Just cause somebody with a bunch of letters and shit after their name tells you something does not mean you, the controller of your body, has to do it.

10

Yea, I read the article by Kelly Bagget on glutes and stuff and after that article I concluded that I had anterior pelvic tilt.

What’s odd is that the glute problem developed slightly after I really started to focus on glute recruitment, in things like body weight squats, bridges etc. I don’t think it’s related as I think I initially caused the glute problem from compensation for the left hamstring but still interesting.

I’m going to read the t-nation article now. Thanks.

11

Sounds good, just remember, it may not always be a glute recruitment problem. Use the various tests to find out what’s going on with you. For example, I pass the straight leg ab test, my glutes contract while I walk easily and my hip flexors are not tight (while laying down, if I pull one knee to my chest my opposite leg does not elevate and my opposite foot does not turn outward), what causes me problems is when my lower spinal erectors tighten up. Therefore, I always do some soft tissue/foam rolling type stuff on my erectors to help loosen things up.