Good morning, Readers! After a busy weekend, I am carving out some time to blog today. Unfortunately, I have some bad news to report. Last week, probably during an overly enthusiastic Zumba moment, I pulled a muscle.
Now I have suffered pulled muscles, knotted muscles, back spasms, and once I even gave myself whiplash in a dance performance. That was really bad as I could not even turn my head without pain. However, I have never felt anything quite like the shooting, burning pain of a pulled psoas.
The psoas is a major postural muscle which attaches to the lumbar vertebrae, runs through the pelvis, and then attaches to the femur. This extremely strong, thick muscle is used constantly for postural stabilization, walking, running, standing, sitting, and any kind of hip flexion. In other words, it is pretty darn difficult to stop using it.
In case anyone else out there is currently suffering from muscular pains, I thought I'd offer some thoughts on how to deal with such problems.
First of all, when a muscle is in spasm-- that is, continuously tightening, clenching, shortening, and pulling-- this is NOT the time to attempt to stretch that muscle. Sure, it seems like a good idea to stretch out a short, tight muscle. But a muscle in spasm is irritated. It is angry, my friends. And the first step is to simply allow the muscle to relax. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. Drinking LOTS of water is mandatory. This may sound odd, but dehydrated muscles tend to go into spasm. If you think you may be neglecting some of your minerals, you could also try adding mineral supplements to your regimen. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are the most vital for proper muscle function, with magnesium being the one most likely to be low. You are probably getting enough sodium unless you severely restrict your salt intake.
Second, try to find positions that allow the muscle to relax. For me and my psoas, lying on the back with both legs bent at a 90 degree angle, lower legs supported on a chair or couch is the best position I have found. This position is called Constructive Rest and I would recommend it for any back or neck issues as well. The spine is thus allowed to relax in a correctly aligned position, maintaining all of its natural curves. Stay in Constructive Rest for at least 10 minutes, 20 if possible. Concentrate on relaxing all the muscles and allowing your tension to melt away.
Third, do everything in your power to remove the stressors from your life. Again, easy to say and hard to actually accomplish. Our bodies and minds are inextricably linked. When life becomes stressful, our bodies respond by tightening. The psoas, I have learned, is a major flight-or-fight muscle that prepares the body to run quickly when threatened. I didn't realize how much stress I was facing until this central muscle decided to derail my plans for the week. Instead of cleaning the entire house, yard, deck, etc. in preparation for my mother's arrival (for a 2 week visit), my oldest daughter's graduation from high school, more family coming into town to help us celebrate, yadda yadda, I am mostly lying down on the floor attempting to relax! If this sounds like a ridiculous Catch-22 to you, I agree! It is impossible to remove every source of stress from our lives. Instead, it is vital to adjust one's attitude to the stressors. I tend to freak out about company coming, the state of the house, the food I will serve, what crucial details I will inevitably forget. I am now attempting, with the help of Mr. Balancing Act, to let go of the need for everything to be perfect. A tall order for a confirmed perfectionist.
Fourth is more water. Put your body in the water! Floating in water is like returning to the womb. It is soothing, relaxing, and healing. A warm bath with a pound of epsom salts dissolved in the water will do wonders for those aching, sore muscles. A hot tub is also great and even a pool can help tight muscles relax. Concentrate on floating and relaxing rather than swimming laps!
I will apologize in advance if my blogging takes a backseat to relaxing, recovering, and healing this week. If anyone has experienced a psoas injury and has advice to offer, I will be grateful to hear it!
Now I have suffered pulled muscles, knotted muscles, back spasms, and once I even gave myself whiplash in a dance performance. That was really bad as I could not even turn my head without pain. However, I have never felt anything quite like the shooting, burning pain of a pulled psoas.
The psoas is a major postural muscle which attaches to the lumbar vertebrae, runs through the pelvis, and then attaches to the femur. This extremely strong, thick muscle is used constantly for postural stabilization, walking, running, standing, sitting, and any kind of hip flexion. In other words, it is pretty darn difficult to stop using it.
In case anyone else out there is currently suffering from muscular pains, I thought I'd offer some thoughts on how to deal with such problems.
First of all, when a muscle is in spasm-- that is, continuously tightening, clenching, shortening, and pulling-- this is NOT the time to attempt to stretch that muscle. Sure, it seems like a good idea to stretch out a short, tight muscle. But a muscle in spasm is irritated. It is angry, my friends. And the first step is to simply allow the muscle to relax. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. Drinking LOTS of water is mandatory. This may sound odd, but dehydrated muscles tend to go into spasm. If you think you may be neglecting some of your minerals, you could also try adding mineral supplements to your regimen. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are the most vital for proper muscle function, with magnesium being the one most likely to be low. You are probably getting enough sodium unless you severely restrict your salt intake.
Second, try to find positions that allow the muscle to relax. For me and my psoas, lying on the back with both legs bent at a 90 degree angle, lower legs supported on a chair or couch is the best position I have found. This position is called Constructive Rest and I would recommend it for any back or neck issues as well. The spine is thus allowed to relax in a correctly aligned position, maintaining all of its natural curves. Stay in Constructive Rest for at least 10 minutes, 20 if possible. Concentrate on relaxing all the muscles and allowing your tension to melt away.
Third, do everything in your power to remove the stressors from your life. Again, easy to say and hard to actually accomplish. Our bodies and minds are inextricably linked. When life becomes stressful, our bodies respond by tightening. The psoas, I have learned, is a major flight-or-fight muscle that prepares the body to run quickly when threatened. I didn't realize how much stress I was facing until this central muscle decided to derail my plans for the week. Instead of cleaning the entire house, yard, deck, etc. in preparation for my mother's arrival (for a 2 week visit), my oldest daughter's graduation from high school, more family coming into town to help us celebrate, yadda yadda, I am mostly lying down on the floor attempting to relax! If this sounds like a ridiculous Catch-22 to you, I agree! It is impossible to remove every source of stress from our lives. Instead, it is vital to adjust one's attitude to the stressors. I tend to freak out about company coming, the state of the house, the food I will serve, what crucial details I will inevitably forget. I am now attempting, with the help of Mr. Balancing Act, to let go of the need for everything to be perfect. A tall order for a confirmed perfectionist.
Fourth is more water. Put your body in the water! Floating in water is like returning to the womb. It is soothing, relaxing, and healing. A warm bath with a pound of epsom salts dissolved in the water will do wonders for those aching, sore muscles. A hot tub is also great and even a pool can help tight muscles relax. Concentrate on floating and relaxing rather than swimming laps!
I will apologize in advance if my blogging takes a backseat to relaxing, recovering, and healing this week. If anyone has experienced a psoas injury and has advice to offer, I will be grateful to hear it!
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