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June 27, 2008

Stretching and lifting weights with a hip injury and new article

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First, about the new article:

The fifty-eighth installment of my column on training is currently
available at http://www.stadion.com/column.html. It deals with
causes of common errors in the basic normal-fist punch or thrust.
The errors I write about are those I witnessed during several
clinics on stretching and kicking. You can see these errors, and my
attempts to correct them, on the DVD Clinic on Stretching and
Kicking, available at http://www.stadion.com/clinic_stretch_for_kicks.html.

Now, the question on stretching and lifting weights with a hip injury:

> Dear Mr Kurz,
> After reading your articles and books on strength training, I started
> using weights to complement my training and found it to be very
> helpful to performance. However, I have a couple questions regarding
> some training techniques:
>
> Prior to reading your work I got injured - a combination of a bad fall
> during soccer and kicking the heavy bag during martial arts training
> without the first injury completely healing. The outside of my right
> hip hurts when I do the left leg side raises without warming up or if
> my right foot isn't correctly placed, and the area aches or feels
> uncomfortable when I sit for too long or sometimes when I wake in the
> morning. I tried to rest it, but its been over a year and it hasn't
> healed.
>
> When I rub the area, the muscles feel like they have 'knots', or
> swollen, bunched up areas deep inside - went to see a Chinese doctor
> recently, who said it will require massage over a few months to ease
> out the bunching up and recover. (Western physios/specialists
> generally said to rest, but I found that hasn't helped.) I'm inclined
> to believe the Chinese physicians, my question is whether the
> diagnosis, to your knowledge, has any scientific basis.
>
> Further, I'd like to train for the side split with your methods (I'm a
> few inches from a front split after I warm up, but nowhere near a side
> split) but when I spread my legs far apart, the right hip starts to
> hurt. The area hurts sharply when, with my legs apart, I bend my torso
> forward. Because of this I've practised the side split intermitttently
> and made hardly any progress. Should I keep training for the side
> split, or should I lay off till the hip fully recovers (if ever)?
> Also, should I continue to do squats and deadlifts (I picked those up
> as well on your advice), or should I stay away until the injury
> clears? Generally the hip feels pain free, if sometimes slightly
> uncomfortable, after weights.
>
> thanks for the help,
>
> Matthew
> Singapore

Answer:

Yes, the Chinese doctor is right, and I expect that you will feel
it with this doctor's every treatment until you will be well.

You should follow this doctor's advice on what exercises you may or
may not do.

On your question whether the diagnosis has "any scientific basis":
So far, you know that the advice of the physios you have seen was
useless. If you want to know more on the "scientific basis" of the
Chinese doctor's diagnosis you can read books on injuries listed at
The Athlete's Bookshelf (http://www.stadion.com/bookshelf.html). I
especially recommend Management of Common Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Best regards,

Thomas Kurz

P.S.
DVD Clinic on Stretching and Kicking is available at
http://www.stadion.com/clinic_stretch_for_kicks.html.

P.P.S.
Exchange tips on working out and competing, and discuss training
and performance problems on Stadion's Sports and Martial Arts
Training Discussion Forum at http://www.stadion.com/phpBB3.

Let your friends know about the above-mentioned resources.
Forward this message to every athlete you know.
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