Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › General › High Hamstring

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    • 10/14/2014 at 12:32 pm #71160
      AvatarBeckie Painter
      Participant

      I have been having a high
      hamstring issue and sciatica when sitting for about a year with no relief to
      this point. There is alot of high hamstring info that I have found on this site
      and I have tried to implement as much as possible. Sitting and running seems to
      irritate it alot so I try and limit that as much as possible for now. My
      question is this. I seem to get instant relief when I use a lacrosse ball right
      on the insertion point and down three or so inches. This relief is very temporary,
      only lasting 10-15 min. How often should I do this per day and should I
      continue doing it the next day if that area is tender from the previous day? Can I smash 10 times per day? I
      really don’t feel any grisley areas but I can feel a rope/tendon right in the
      center of my hamstring at the insertion point that causes electric/nerve pulses
      down my leg. I do realize that the sciatic nerve is running through this area but should it be getting impenged like this when smashing with the lacrosse ball? Any advise would be greatly appriciated. 

    • 10/14/2014 at 5:29 pm #75377
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      Have you had anyone take a look at your running and sitting technique/posture?
      This may be where the problem lies.
      It can take some time for your muscles/tissue to hold a change as it is breaking an old habit/positioning and learning another.
      How long the situation has occurring can factor in too.
      Keep chipping away at it.
      How long are you spending at a time?
      You may need longer on the area.
      You can do it as many times a day as you want.
      If the area is tender on a following day using another technique can help.
      Yes you can smash 10x per day if you want to.
      If you are getting nerve pulses stop doing it. Something is not right.

    • 10/23/2014 at 2:12 pm #75402
      AvatarTom Matchinsky
      Participant

      A lot of people who get hamstring tightness and pain while running are not able to hold a stable trunk and pelvic position while running. I agree with Kaitlin and having your positions checked while you are running. If you are constantly running with your lower back hyperextended, it will give you the feeling of hamstring tightness. That rope between your hamstrings is probably your sciatic nerve and I would avoid it with the lacrosse ball. 

    • 10/30/2014 at 2:00 pm #75427
      AvatarBeckie Painter
      Participant

      I have not had anyone look at my running technique because i am not running anymore because of this. I will have someone take a look once i get back to running. I do not have the feeling that my hamstrings are tight. I just get a sharp pain in the high hamstring/butt when sitting or running. I can really feel it if i do a bent leg toe touch even when laying on my back to protect my back. Any type of static streching also seems to inflame the area. Currently I am working on my calfs, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, piriformis with the lacrosse ball multiple times daily and the results are always for just a few minutes to a hour. 

    • 11/03/2014 at 8:24 pm #75435
      AvatarGeorge McLaney
      Participant

      Definitely continue working on the glutes as you mentioned, as this will then feed slack into the high hamstring area. Persistence is key, even if it seems like you’re just smashing the same areas day in day out. As you wrote in your initial post, avoid sitting when possible as it’s death on the hamstrings. If you do have to sit, add in movement (air squats, walking while talking on the phone, etc) when possible. Also, add in banded mobs such as: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rj5YOleets to give a different stimulus. 

      Good luck!
      Phil 
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