Gracilis Pain

OK, following our auto accident (rear ended at a stop light) a couple weeks ago, I noticed a sharp pain at the very top of my left leg while riding (which I've learned is the gracilis muscle that runs from the pubic bone to the knee). I then noticed that when riding, my left leg was one inch closer to the cross bar than my right leg:eek:

Here's the deal:
- I went to the chiropractor and he made adjustments to my hip alignment and things got straighter on the bike, but the gracilis pain persisted in my left leg.

- Today, I went for another adjustment...and in making the adjustment, my right gracilis went into orbit on pain (like tears to my eyes:()

Apparently the misalignment caused some kinetic imbalances.

I neglected to ask him what sort of exercises I could do to help this...and can't get back to him until next week.

Does anyone have ideas or sites that might help guide me?

Can you call him and ask him to describe a few for you?

Would you consider a physical therapist? I have had more luck with my physical therapist for issues other than back and neck - for back and neck, I love my chiropractor.
If you lived here, you could get into a PT within the week. You will most likely need a referral, which you may be able to get from your chiro. - if not a call to a family doc is usually all that it takes.
I know that doesn't do too much for you over the weekend. Just remember the three I's................Ice, Ibuprofen, and Ignore.

Good luck!

Who made the gracilis diagnosis?
With the switching from side to side and the sharpness of the pain, I'm inclined to think of the sciatic nerve.
Though the gracilis is responsible for adduction.

Disclaimer: But what do I know?

I second the opinion to see a PT! And there are likely other muscles involved, like the psoas, for instance. Since it connects to your back, a change in back alignment might alleviate one and aggravate the other. See a PT. Ice, maybe heat, gentle massage, rest, ibuprofen, arnica rub, be very careful with stretching until you know exactly what's happening in there.

And butterflies to help you heal fast and completely, and to keep you patient while that's happening.

Hugs,
~T~

Ask your chiro about "anterior disc derangement, non-lateral relevant" in your lumbar spine.

They don't happen often, so they look mighty confusing when they show up. (rear-ended accidents are a good way to get one)

PT in Indiana require referral and it takes some time to get in.:eek:

Sciatica is an issue as well and all this originated with the car wreck in Pensacola. There is a hip misalignment causing the sciatica, but I suspect that the same imbalance is leading to pain in the gracilis while riding. After many years, I'm once again shorter on the right side than the left...

I think I'm going to get chiro to continue hammering on the hips and ask him about specific exercises on my next visit.

Thanks All!

Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT dissing chiropractors, but have you thought about going to an Osteopath?

I've been to both---preferred the treatment I got from the Osteopath. This is just me and I know that there are superb chiros out there. ;) I have a slight case of scoliosis that causes my pelvis to tilt.

FYI, you might want to check out a book that Jennifer Rhodes (a PT) wrote. Can't remember the title---Peak Fitness, something like that. It addresses issues caused by misalignment & gives you exercises/stretches that I found useful.

GOOD LUCK!!!

i'm currently trying to diagnose my hip alignment/sciatica/piriformis sydrome/arthritis/whoknowswhatitis with the help of a physiatrist.

Mr. Silver....
before you spend a fortune on doctors and specialists and scans and tests, do just try this out:

1) get a good protein powder from the health food store and drink about 30g worth in a big glass of pure healthy 100% organic juice once a day.
2) get a good calcium supplement and take it daily (about 1000mg maybe) along with a quality multi-vitamin/mineral. Take them with your daily protein drink.
3) stop drinking carbonated soda- either regular or diet.

It's cheap. But it's not easy I'm sure.
If you do these three things as an experiment, I bet you will see a big difference within 5 days and feel much better all over. :)

Can you expand on that? What's the basis?

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Originally Posted by zencentury

Can you expand on that? What's the basis?

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I'll try. I'm no doctor, but....

Replace carbonated soda with organic fruit juice....a no brainer? The silvers have mentioned before that they drink a lot of cola every day, and found it difficult to cut back. This can leach out nutrients from your body, including calcium (overdoing colas can in fact lead to accelerated bone loss according to studies), and put a strain on your kidneys. Calcium helps prevent painful muscle cramps, which might be what Mr. S is experiencing (gracilis is a large muscle, right?). "Real" fruit juice adds nutrients rather than washing them away like sodas do.
Protein is something some of us actually don't get enough of in our daily diet, especially when doing lots of physical exertion like the Silvers do. I had a hip injury from roller skating recently, and had two weeks of totally agony and pain and immobility, where nothing was seeming to get any better at all (plus consulting with my dr. and chiropractor...not much help there, it was a pulled muscle with inflamed bursa at the hip joint and they basically told me just to wait for it to heal). I was in horrific pain and could not sit or put my own shoes on or even lift my legs up to get into bed.
I did some reading and got some supplements which included protein powder. I read that insufficient dietary protein can delay healing of tissues and injured muscles. Though I take plenty of vitamins and calcium, I reviewed my diet and found I was not eating the recommended normal daily requir. of protein for someone like me, and hadn't been for a long time. :( Once I started taking that protein powder, my hip kicked into super-light-speed recovery- within 72 hours I was like suddenly 80% better! It was miraculous to me. I swear I felt better all over- but perhaps that was placebo effect? I'm still taking it (20g/day worth) and am feeling fabulous these days.
Hope this explains my humble suggestions? :) They might be worth a try for Mr. S, and they don't cost much and aren't harmful in any way.

Oh, and another woman I know who skates and works out like CRAZY also injured her hip muscle two weeks before I did, and she had exactly the same experience as I did- she suffered, immobilized and in awful pain, with almost no improvement for a whole MONTH, then started protein supplements and immediately recovered within a few days and was kayaking and skating again. Wild! Can't hurt to try it, I say!

This link is about anti-inflammatory foods-
http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsf...flamfood_2.htm

This one is about calculating protein requirements-
http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm

last but not least, carbonated beverages and bone loss-
http://osteoporosis.about.com/od/die...nts/a/soda.htm

I'm not disagreeing at all, just tossing in some details.

Lisa, good memory...the Silvers both still struggle with Diet Drinks...I'll let you PM some special encouragement to Silver. I go on and off...but she just goes and goes and goes.

I am really getting a lot of protein lately. A LOT.

I don't know what a physiatrist is...and haven't considered an osteopath. Do they make adjustments or do they focus on the source of the problem?

I probably need a professional fitting as well.

Zen, do you find stuff on the 'net at the speed of light?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

I don't know what a physiatrist is...and haven't considered an osteopath. Do they make adjustments or do they focus on the source of the problem?

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Physiatrist

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

Zen, do you find stuff on the 'net at the speed of light?

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:D
This sort of thing was part of my former profession. I just know where to look ;)

Hmmm...how could I go through life without never having heard of a physiatrist? Looks interesting.

Zen, has yours helping with your hip issue? or are the working on it?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

I am really getting a lot of protein lately. A LOT.

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Glad to hear this! :)

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

... helping with your hip issue? or are the working on it?

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I've only had the initial consultation and xrays so far but I liked how he took everything into account.
I'll keep you posted.

This is all very fascinating . . . I hope you manage to figure out what is going on. It sounds complicated.

I think I pulled my gracilis during Pilates last week, so I can only imagine how much pain you're in.

I had a lot of joint mobility problems with my lower back/right hip after fracturing my sacrum two years ago, and apparently my right leg was shorter than the left . . . probably still is. I got pretty consistent feedback from everyone who was working with me on that injury, from PT to Ortho Sports Dr. to Osteopath to Pilates instructors, and I can't say they were very coordinated with each other -- they just all saw the same issues with how I was or was not moving. It may take a variety of approaches to address your issue, but you should definitely seek some consensus about what the root of the injury is.

IMHO, I don't think a chiropractic treatment should cause additional pain. I'm no health care practitioner, but I've spent a lot of time around it (not just the last two years; I practically ran screaming from the family business), and it seems like you need to first figure out the underlying cause of the pain in order to determine the best way to treat it.

Good luck --