May be giving up high kicks for a while...

[astrobiologist]

Hey gang, I just pulled my left hamstring, again, the other night. In the past two years I've obliterated the backs of my legs on several occasions. The injuries appear to be chronic now due to my lack of patience in letting them heal. I'm considering no more kicks above the waist for a few months or a year maybe. I know I also need to take some down-time on my legs all together. Anyone have any other suggestions for helping my legs in the healing process?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Sorry to hear you're hurt! For what it may be worth, I can't do those high kicks anyway, hurt or not. I'm awfully glad that Isshinryu doesn't go in for kicking above the waist...:angel:

 

[Yossarian]

Use it as an opertunity to improve on your punching.

 

[exile]

Sorry to hear that, Astro...

Use it as an opertunity to improve on your punching.

There is that. And you don't have to give up on your kick training completely, probably. If you just practice the chamber for the kick, working on balance and strength, you're probably doing something very useful right there, and you wouldn't have to extend your leg at all.

 

[dancingalone]

As a general interest question, how do you keep your hamstring limber during recuperation without injuring it again during stretching or exertion?

 

[Makalakumu]

Because of a chronic back injury, I cannot perform jumping kicks anymore. I feel your pain. However, don't feel so badly, because those kicks are just the showy part of TSD. They aren't worth much in a self defense situation. How did you pull your hamstring?

 

[astrobiologist]

Thanks everyone.

The first time I pulled the right hamstring, I was doing a jump split front kick (for show). I didn't realize until the next few days that it hurt to walk.

The first time I pulled the left hamstring, I was stretching with a partner. I had my legs strecthed open and I was leaning down to my left side when I felt a snap and I heard a noise that sounds kind of like a rubber band gun shooting. My leg got really warm and then ached for weeks. A physical therapist treated me with electrical stim and accupressure a few times following the injury and suggested BioFreeze and an anti-inflammatory.

The problem with both injuries is that I was too impatient to give my legs a proper chance to heal before working out again. I ride mountain bikes, hike, and do martial arts; all of which strain the legs. A few days ago I was doing a high axe kick and I felt that left hamstring go again. It's not as bad this time, but it's been two days and the leg is still really tight and a little painful. That's why I think I'm gonna give up on the high kicks (and jumping and spinning kicks too).

 

[Brad Dunne]

Just a suggestion, remove yourself from the kicking discipline (for a while) and look at a different discipline that does not focus on kicking (Judo). This may eliminate the desire to do kicks long enough to heal and you just may pick up some additional good training in the process.

 

[Carol]

Ooooh...I don't know much about TSD, but I know a lot about injuries!

Sorry to hear that you are hurt Astro.

What I can suggest is...if you still have access to a PT, work with him/her to devise stretches to help keep you lose and limber as you heal. Your insurance may even cover seeing a therapist, nurse, or orthopaedist with an interest in sports medicine. If you have access to that kind of resource...use it to your best advantage.

If you don't, work with your instructor and the black belts at your school. Many of us have been there done that with injuries and the support of the senior folks of your school can do a lot to keep you going and motivated while your legs heal.

Also pay a lot of attention to your diet. Maximizing the healthy stuff will maximize the good stuff that goes to help you heal. I don't know how you feel about vitamin supplements but 500 mg of Vitamin C twice a day may also be beneficial (it is with me). Hang in there :asian:

 

[Montecarlodrag]

Hey gang, I just pulled my left hamstring, again, the other night. In the past two years I've obliterated the backs of my legs on several occasions. The injuries appear to be chronic now due to my lack of patience in letting them heal. I'm considering no more kicks above the waist for a few months or a year maybe. I know I also need to take some down-time on my legs all together. Anyone have any other suggestions for helping my legs in the healing process?

I have the same problem as you do.

A few weeks ago I pulled my left hamstring, again. I had several months of rest and everything felt fine, then the injury came.

No matter how much I rest my legs or how long I keep away from high kicks, the same old injury returns (worse each time, last time I could barely walk)

Now I found that doing stretching helps healing those injuries, along with therapy.

I started slowly, doing warmup, then stretching the injured area. Not pushing hard, leting the muscle stretch and heal. The result are good. Slow but consistent.

I have read books about stretching. I found most of the injuries happen because the muscle is weak, and the stretch reflex triggers. The muscle contracts and the injury happens.
One way to avoid being injured is AVOIDING dynamic stretching, kicking higher than you really can.

So I found my mistake: pushing myself too hard trying to kick higher than I'm really capable of. I started kicking mid height for now

 

[Gi1]

Sorry to hear of your injury. I've not had as much bad luck with hamstrings as yourself but both times I've injured them they've needed time I'm affraid.

 

[Manny]

Hey gang, I just pulled my left hamstring, again, the other night. In the past two years I've obliterated the backs of my legs on several occasions. The injuries appear to be chronic now due to my lack of patience in letting them heal. I'm considering no more kicks above the waist for a few months or a year maybe. I know I also need to take some down-time on my legs all together. Anyone have any other suggestions for helping my legs in the healing process?

I'm not big fan of high kicks or flying/jumping/spining kicks. I'm 41 and when I was a teen high kicks and spining/jumping kicks were easy now I'm returning TKD from 17-18 years without working out. In the last couple years I've hurting my feet besides I can not kick high to the head so instead of regreting it I am more focused on above below belt kicks and I do power kicks, my favorite is de side kicks,back kick and spining back kick.

For me no more high kicks I would rather be safe so I focus in roundhose kicks,side kicks and combiations of them where they can really hurt I mena the stoach and rib cage.

Manny

 

[Nomad]

Ouch! I feel your pain (fairly literally, as I've pulled/strained my hamstrings a couple of times in the past few years).

I'm going to echo Carol on this one; if you can, get into a program with a good physiotherapist. Cold treatments, deep tissue massage, anti-inflamatories, and the right kinds of light exercises are among the best ways to deal with this type of injury. Once the injury has mostly healed, deep stretching (prolonged, say 1/2 hour to an hour of different stretches, obviously spending quite a bit of time on the hammies, a few times a week) and yoga could both help to prevent the recurrence.

While training, think of kicking the knees and you probably won't put too much stress on it (obviously, if it's painful, stop and just work the hand techniques).