Injury from poor breathing?

seatlavery9278 started this discussion · 2/2/2015

Hi guys :p I am having some trouble with my inverts. I'm a confident inverter and comfortable in the aerial invert too, however when i invert i get a pain in my left side, sort of around my rib... (i invert to that side) when i am out of my invert i have a deep heavy breath that needs to be released. i try to breathe when i invert but just cant seem to focus on it and its straining only in that move... does anyone have any suggestons or experienced this?

5 replies

Meggie · 2/2/2015
probably not an injury from the breathing, that would be bilateral and inferior (where your diaphragm is. I think you have a strain of you intercostal muscle, which just needs rest to get better.
Runemist34 · 2/2/2015
I agree, it doesn't sound like something related to breathing. There are all sorts of muscles that it could be, depending where "around the rib" it is, and when the pain happens. Best to remember that inverting on your weaker side may take time, because you aren't used to using those muscles in that way yet. Pushing it too far may just create more problems. Case in point: My biceps are usually pretty strong, but I strained one pushing the left a bit too far. I've NEVER had an injury there before, and it was really, really painful. I'm healed now, but I sure learned my lesson! Left side and right side are not the same, and should not yet be treated as such.
seatlavery9278 · 2/2/2015
The pain hapoens when i release my breath - my left side iv been inverting on is also my strong side. thx
Meggie · 2/2/2015
Your pain is almost definitely muscular in origin, but is not the diaphragm as you diaphragm is relaxing during exhalation. Might I suggest that you take a break from inverting for two weeks and ease into in slowly after that. Do some light thoracic stretching. If the pain is still there after a rest period or two weeks, consult your family physician or a physiotherapist.
Lucca Valentine · 2/2/2015
It sounds like you might be recruiting the wrong muscles when you invert. Do you go to a studio or are you a solely self taught poler? If you go to a studio I would ask the teacher to really look at your form...if you are solely a home poler I would suggest checking out Veenas lessons and trying out her strength training lessons. Sometimes just trying a certain exercise can show us what muscles are weak or overcompensating. It sounds like you might be using too much strength from your rib cage, and the sooner you correct the imbalance the better off you'll be. In the mean time, if something is causing you pain like that it's your body telling you that that movement is not good for it! So take some time off the inverts, stretch, look into strengthening in ways you haven't been before, and seriosuly try out veena's lessons theres a free trial but truly they are worth every single penny and more