An unfortunate mishap!

[Last Fearner]

Last Tuesday evening, I injured myself while teaching class. It was a "freak" incident that I still am not sure why it happened. I have been stretching and teaching long enough to walk into the Dojang, and start kicking "cold" at head-high level with no warm ups. It is usually safer to do some, but I don't often require it.

I had been teaching an entire class of kicking combinations, and was holding the kicking targets for my students to do line drills. The last one I wanted them to try was a jumping twin front kick (sometimes called a "tiger kick"). You crouch slightly, jump straight up and bend both knees, then do two front kicks at the same time to two different targets.

I had a student holding the targets for me to demonstrate at about shoulder height and four feet apart. I have done this kick many times with no problems, however, recently I have been stretching a lot more outside of class, and my leg muscles are sometimes tight the next day. I jumped, kicked, and "POP," I felt (and heard) something snap in the back of my right leg, from the back of my knee to my hip. The hamstring (and/or ligaments) tore loose, and I felt the most intense pain.

I turned the class over to a senior rank, and casually left the room (although I could barely walk, I kept that concealed). I sat in my office with ice on the leg for a while. I returned to dismiss the class, and students later said that I was white as a sheet. It was the worst injury I have felt in my entire career as a student and instructor.

I am gradually getting over it, but still hobbling a bit. Has anyone else here been through this particular agonizing pain?

Chief Master D.J. Eisenhart

 

[agemechanic03]

OUCH!!! I really hate to hear that LF! It sucks when training has to come to a halt like that, even if it's only for a little while. Althought I haven't experienced that kind of an incident, I have, however, when TKD in Georgia, I went to do a high front kick and lost my footing and fell on my right side messing up my hip. I never went to the doc about and now 3yrs later, I regret it. I can't completely stretch like I need to and I can only go down so far with a butterfly stretch or even when trying to do the splits. Hope all goes well for you and that you get better soon!!!!

 

[terryl965]

Well hopefully you will recover quickly and alway do warmup before working out, at least I do I'm getting old you know.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

Might need surgery on that old chap, definately worth seeing a doctor! Full marks to the gritting it out though!!

I've done it in my neck (long story) and never saw a doctor. I suffer pain and when I clentch the muscles it twists my jaw and neck! Very bizzare.

A colleague of mine did it to his arm playing rugby and didnt see a doctor either, you oughta see his arm now! All the muscle is collected in a very scary looking lump at the top of his arm! Very painful, doesnt play anymore!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about that and I hope you get better soon. A trip to the doctor may be in order though just as a precaution.

 

[Jade Tigress]

I am sorry to hear of your injury. Don't take it lightly, it you truly tore a ligament you need medical attention.

http://www.mensarticles.com/fitness/820-tornligamentsprain.html

I've been fortunate enough to avoid serious injury thus far (knock on wood).

Wishing you a quick recovery. :asian:

 

[grydth]

I have seen a lot of these, and they happen anywhere from work to sport to just walking around. Some do not need surgery to correct, some do. The folks who have advised a doctor visit are wise... a doctor needs to assess the extent of the damage to determine what methods will fix it. Without this, 'gradully resolving' could turn into gradually degenerating.

 

[Sukerkin]

My greatest sympathy, LF .

I can only reiterate what others have said and I'm sure you already know i.e. that, with such an injury, medical attention is vital as it is unlikely that it will heal 'good as new' by itself.

 

[IcemanSK]

I'm also going to encourage rest & seeking medical attention. You also have my prayers for a speedy recovery, sir.

 

[shesulsa]

Greetings, Master Eisenhart.

I think you know what you have to do - that which we all fluff off on likely too often - see the good doctor and rest, rest, rest.

I've heard mixed reviews on hamstring and hamstring-related injuries, which it sounds like you have. No matter what, you deserve to know exactly what is wrong so you can intervene appropriately according to your desires as soon as possible. Waiting can't do much good here.

Please keep us up-to-date and good luck, sir!

 

[Makalakumu]

I haven't had that particular injury, but I did injure myself with the exact same kick. I was practicing this kick at about head level because I had to break two boards at two different stations for my 2nd dan test. Anyway, I was working the kick over and over and I felt my lower back gradually get more and more sore until finally, I just threw it out. When I went to the doctor, they took some x rays and I found out that I had a congenital issue in the vertebrea of my lower back that was being extremely inflamed by not only these kicks...BUT ALL JUMP KICKS.

This has thrown a rather large monkey wrench in my training.

 

[stoneheart]

Mr. Eisenhart, my best wishes to you and I hope your recovery is speedy. Your students need you!

 

[jks9199]

I did something similar a few months ago; my partner and I were demonstrating a leg trap. She trapped my leg, and I thought she was going to take me to the ground... Instead, she pushed me. My left knee popped, and I went down. I'm stubborn; haven't been to a doc yet. But I still can't quite lock out my leg without pain. Of course, I've reinjured it a few times, too... Including just stupid stuff like stepping into a hole unexpectedly...

My advice... Be smarter than me! Especially if you think you actually tore the hamstring. See a doc, and let them figure out what's wrong.

 

[MA-Caver]

I think that one of the greatest mistakes that any of us can make is thinking that we don't need to do this or do that before launching into whatever else that we do. You stated that

I have been stretching and teaching long enough to walk into the Dojang, and start kicking "cold" at head-high level with no warm ups. It is usually safer to do some, but I don't often require it.

And here you are now on your "bed of pain"... do you think that if you went ahead and did the stretches and warm ups that things might've been different?
Face it, you're getting older and as we get older our bodies need more of the same ole' routine stretches and warm ups before doing the things that we're able to do when we were a year younger.
While it's nice to be able to do these type of techniques "cold" it's better to have the muscles ready and limbered up to do them.
I hope you get well soon and go see a doctor if you haven't already. You only got one body, take care of it.
:asian:

 

[14 Kempo]

Sorry to hear of your pain. Nobody needs to suffer through such an incident.

Growing up with an athletic background, I've seen this many times, and the others are correct, get medical attention. Fortunately I have suffered no more than a muscle pull, but there was no popping. A popping sound would indicate a detachment or minimally a tear.

If you have torn a ligament or muscle, medical attention is a necessity. Sounds as if something may have detached and may need to be surgically corrected. If not, what is lost, nothing.

 

[Kacey]

I injured myself sparring when I was a blue belt - I tried a stamp (a feint) and my knee tried to go backwards in a direction that only works for birds... at which point I fell over. It felt fine after about 10 minutes, but the next day I could barely walk; it took me 3 months to come back from it, and I was 22 then, and healed a lot faster than I do now - and that was after I went to see the doctor, which, as others have done, I suggest you do.

In the meantime, RICE it (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) - and some ibuprofen would probably help too.

 

[exile]

Ouch!!

I can't even think about what you described without wincing, LF. I also start my warmups (in my home workouts, at least) with `cold' front stretch kicks to head height. I've never felt excessive stress on a hamstring or other muscle doing that...but probably some `softer' work-up to full height stretch kicks would be a good idea...

Meanwhile, the advice `see your doctor' that everyone's been giving is the best there is. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[foot2face]

recently I have been stretching a lot more outside of class, and my leg muscles are sometimes tight the next day. I jumped, kicked, and "POP," I felt (and heard) something snap in the back of my right leg,

It sounds to me as if you may have been stretching too much. The principle behind gaining flexibility through stretching is similar to building muscle by weight lifting. You stress the muscle causing minor tears, forcing the muscle to adapt to the exercise. In the case of streching, the muscle adapts by healing with longer fibers, when weight lifting the muscle heals with shorter more dense fibers. The following rest period is just as important as the exercise itself. You have to give your body time to heal, it's in the healing where the benefits are gained. The injury you described is common among eager practitioners who over-train or more "mature" practitioners who don't heal as quickly as they used to. If you stretch and feel soar or tight the next day you should heat and massage you muscles followed by light streching. Hold off on strenuous exercises until the discomfort subsides.

I hope your injury is not serious and you fully recover.

Be Well- Foot2Face

 

[Nomad]

I jumped, kicked, and "POP," I felt (and heard) something snap in the back of my right leg, from the back of my knee to my hip. The hamstring (and/or ligaments) tore loose, and I felt the most intense pain.

Please accept the caveat that I'm not a medical doctor, but this sounds like a pulled or partially torn hamstring to me. I did much the same thing a few years ago, and it hurt for a long time. While you are getting medical attention and a proper diagnosis (preferably from someone who specializes in sports injuries), you may also want to get a referral to a good physiotherapist... they are often very good at helping these sorts of things.

Often, the lessons best learned are the most painful. Get well soon, and stretch next time.

 

[tkd_Jaz]

Sorry to hear about your injury. I had to do the same kick on one of my tests. I had to break two boards though which was pretty challanging. Take it easy on your legs for now and hopefully you'll be 100% really soon!