Sinnamon started this discussion ·
Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge in regards to previously broken tailbones and back flexibility. I am quite flexible in most areas but my back bends are so poor! I thought my hips were the problem so I'm trying to stretch them out, however I wonder if half the problem is my old injury. It acts up quite often. (was fully broken off about 7yrs ago)
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Dwiizie ·
I have terrible back bend flexibility, but good flexibility most other places. I never broke a tailbone, but recently bruised it during a skate fall. My hips have been slightly crooked for many years, I just never did anything about it. As I trained more heavily in dance these last 2 years, I built up uneven muscle tone due to my hips being out of line. This created scar tissue and limited mobility in my lower spine, making it feel "compressed" with every back bend, and making the places between my shoulder blades feel so tight, even slight bends done with good form. I tried to correct my hip problem by counter balancing (as in, my right hip dropped, making my whole body tilt, though my legs are exactly the same length) so I recognized I crossed my legs right over left for years and tried to correct by consciously crossing left over right. Well, now I'm even more twisty lol. I am currently seeing a Chiropractor because of the pain after the skating injury (the one I hurt my tailbone in.) I am AMAZED at the difference I feel after just two visits. The first day, I got in my car, and almost thought I had gotten in the wrong car because the pedals were like an automatic. Then I realized my whole bottom half had shifted toward correctness, and that I was pushing the clutch, thinking it was the brake, and there was no clutch lol. It really was weird, I mean, you climb in your car, your foot placement is second nature, untill an adjustment. The sciatic nerve pain in my back is decreasing by day, increasing mobility in my lower back. I've been told to avoid muscle and flexibility training and anything with impact until we can get me straightened out as much as possible, and then start building small again to put muscles evenly around my core to keep the alignment. I'm more normal structured than before, but because of that, it FEELS like my right leg is longer than my left now. Something I'll get used to. Doc says I'll be better balanced and better protected in any future falls from such injuries. The only reason I even know I had the hip problem for a long time is from X-rays done back then, and it was suggested then that I see a Chiro, but I wasn't convinced. Years later, here I am. Have you tried a chiro? I can't WAIT until I heal a bit and get back into training. I can already feel that I finally have an even arabesque on both legs. AMAZING. Good luck!
Sinnamon ·
Thanks, I've never thought of seeing a chiro....sounds like its something to consider !
Dwiizie ·
Yeah, if your schedule and budget can afford it, you really should. I try to not regret what I can't change, but I so wish I had gone before I sealed in my crookedness with training. My training would've been so much more effective. My dancing would have been 10k times less frustrating. "I can do this, and this, and this, but THAT and its pain! I just need to work more/stretch more/practice more" when that was the opposite of what I needed to do. I use my husband often as a "hip check" and will do leg lifts or something and ask him to spot the differences (back when I was trying to correct through training alone) and it was always just off. I can now actually FEEL my hip on the right side. Before, and because I lived with it so long, it was what my brain accepted as normal, there was gap above my leg/hip flexor and my hip. Now its even. And I have an extra little fat bulge on my right, and little extra muscle on the left lol. I do hope you find relief. I'll report back in about 2 months and let you know how I am on back flexibility vs. pre-chiro.
Sinnamon ·
Please do! It will be interesting to see how it benefits you. It does sound like yours is more of a hip issue, but they're both connected, so who knows right. Maybe I will just call the chiropractor and tell him my story and see what he says. Thanks Dwiizie!
Dwiizie ·
Its funny you say that, I told him when I was talking about my back pain that I had an onrunning hip issue that I thought was compounding the problem. He said "Hips and spine, same system, one can't be right without the other. On hips like yours you've probably had bad posture for your spine for years." Ok then lol! He's so funny. Just cut and dry answers, doesn't waste time, but pays attention when its needed. I wish all my doctors had his personality :)
Sinnamon ·
That was an interesting statement from your doc! Lol makes sense though. My back pain had gotten pretty bad for two weeks so I finally went to the doctor and got an x-ray, finding out that I have mild scoliosis. I decided to take physio, and was happy to hear that the problem wasn't the scoliosis. Apparently, I use a muscle in my back too much, so the others around it tighten up, limiting flexibility and causing pain. I was too scared to try the chiropracter, but after two sessions my back already feels better. I also did a session of acupuncture. Lesson learned- don't live with chronic pain ! haha. Thanks for the support DWIIZIE! P.S highly reccommend the acupuncture!!
Dwizzie, Who is the chiropractor that you see? I have a tailbone pain too and live in Richmond , va
Dwiizie ·
I sent you a message sarichmond. And @Sinnamon my doc is now certified to do some form of acupuncture. I've forgotten what they call it. Getting some money to do that soon lol, its on my list. The tailbone and back pain is gone, I actually sit up straight now, I'm getting core strength like apples from doing backbends on the balance ball, tagging the ground, and doing a full sit up. Gets those lower abs that can be hard to target off-pole. My headaches are a thing of the past, I haven't needed excedrine since the first month of me visiting. Its awesome. I can't wait for October to come around so I can put enough in my flex spending to get a visit plan for my husband too. Life is goood :)