[ire]

I raced mini-moto on Saturday night and now my legs have a bunch of knots in them (along the outside/top of both quads) and I can't seem to get rid of them. They are so bad that I'm limping when I walk, and it is really painful when I stand up. Any advice on how to remedy this problem? I've taken several really hot baths and used a rolling pin to try and apply pressure on the knots. Any help is really appreciated

 

[LordOpie]

You haven't used ice yet?

hot baths are fine, but you also need to control the swelling... hence ice.

Perhaps you need electrolytes (not sodium).

Also try arnaflora/arnica.

 

[ire]

You haven't used ice yet?

hot baths are fine, but you also need to control the swelling... hence ice.

Perhaps you need electrolytes (not sodium).

Also try arnaflora/arnica.

I thought heat helped release knotted muscles? Where can I get arniflora? Would Fred Meyer have it? Thanks for the advice, I should be drinking more water

 

[DirtyDog]

Don't listen to doctor Opie, last thing you want to do is put ice on cramping muscles.

Put some rice in a big ziploc bag and heat it up in the microwave. Apply warm rice packs to muscles. Take warm baths followed by lengthy stretching sessions. Sit in front of the TV and self massage with a tennis ball - for a long time.

Repeat - for as many days as necessary.

 

[LordOpie]

Don't listen to doctor Opie, last thing you want to do is put ice on cramping muscles.

You want ice after a hot bath on any injured body part.

 

[jaydee]

The rule is cold or contrast baths (alternating warm and cold, finishing with cold) for 48-72 hours post-injury. You've missed that pretty much. Now you can use warmth or ice massage, followed by gentle stretching below the point where it hurts. You can use gentle contract/relax techniques to help the stretching. That type of injury is just microtrauma to muscle fibers and resultant bleeding into the muscles. The idea now is to prevent any adhesions between healing muscle fibers and maintain full muscle length. It adhesions happen, you'll need active release to break them up. Most likely you'll be fine and live to do it again. I'm not just making this up or googling it up. I was a sports physio for years and worked with a lot of teams and high caliber athletes.

 

[ire]

thanks for all the advice. One of my problems has been stretching, I can't seem to properly stretch the knotted muscles. How do you stretch the muscle that runs down the outside of the quad?

 

[Cant Climb]

thanks for all the advice. One of my problems has been stretching, I can't seem to properly stretch the knotted muscles. How do you stretch the muscle that runs down the outside of the quad?

I have that problem....have you tried a foam roller...?....i never have but was thinking about going that route....

What i do that works fairly well is lay on my back and have both legs strecthed out. Lift one leg til th bottom of the foot is facing the ceiling, then drop it to the opoosite holding that position. This really stretched the low back, hips and good bit of the outside of the quad....adding in some Tennis ball type stuff seems to help also....

Regular strecthing prevents alot of aches and pains for me. But i've been told (on the net, citing university study) that strecthing really doesn't prevent injury. Well maybe it doesn't, but at least it helps me tie my shoes in the morning.....

 

[ire]

I have that problem....have you tried a foam roller...?....i never have but was thinking about going that route....

What i do that works fairly well is lay on my back and have both legs strecthed out. Lift one leg til th bottom of the foot is facing the ceiling, then drop it to the opoosite holding that position. This really stretched the low back, hips and good bit of the outside of the quad....adding in some Tennis ball type stuff seems to help also....

Regular strecthing prevents alot of aches and pains for me. But i've been told (on the net, citing university study) that strecthing really doesn't prevent injury. Well maybe it doesn't, but at least it helps me tie my shoes in the morning.....

Cool, I'll have to try that when I get home. I have a foam roller and that thing makes me want to cry

 

[jaydee]

thanks for all the advice. One of my problems has been stretching, I can't seem to properly stretch the knotted muscles. How do you stretch the muscle that runs down the outside of the quad?

It's easier to learn stretches visually rather than try to decipher words, so check out the stretches under the Hip Abductors section here.

 

[Wumpus]

The bike doc over on TMBRA always recommends this book for stretching.

 

[Cant Climb]

It's easier to learn stretches visually rather than try to decipher words, so check out the stretches under the Hip Abductors section here.

this is the one is was describing....

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipAbductors/LyingCrossover.html

I can feel the strecth the whole way down the outside to my ankle.....

 

[jaydee]

The bike doc over on TMBRA always recommends this book for stretching.

That is the stretching bible. 20th anniversary of its publishing and I've had my copy for 20 years.

 

[ire]

this is the one is was describing....

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipAbductors/LyingCrossover.html

I can feel the strecth the whole way down the outside to my ankle.....

Wasn't quite how I pictured it, but close