Left side invert pain

SissyBuns started this discussion · 10/8/2009

OK, so I have been getting this pain that runs along my left side lately after inverting. It doesn't hurt during my invert, but after I'm already down and walking away. It feels muscular and it's only on my left side which is the side I invert on mostly. I make sure I'm not jumping into my inverts and at first I thought it was muscle pain from my oblique being used more (as I'm inverting more these days) but it's been happening for weeks now. I would think that muscle would have adapted by now. It's really confusing me and basically pissing me off because even after 1 invert I feel it and I have to stop. Well I don't have to, I could keep going but it will get worse and worse with each one. What am I doing wrong? 🙁

10 replies

Fleur · 10/8/2009
If it isn't your obliques, it could be your lats? Not sure what you're doing wrong without being able to watch you invert. It could be that you just strained that muscle but haven't given it the time off to fully heal so it keeps coming back? Hope it feels better! Fleur
SissyBuns · 10/8/2009
I knew someone was going to say they would need to see, LOL. 😂 I will make a short vid of me inverting when I get home. I already have some videos up of me inverting but they're rather old and I wasn't having the pain when I did those...maybe I'm doing something different now.... You're the invert expert Fleur! Help me! LOL
bebeduckie · 10/9/2009
i invert on my right side and get pain in my mid back on that side all the time, especially when I do chopper, and when I try to reverse out of the invert. i think it's because of misalignment in the body. I tend to lean back before my legs are nearly as high up so i put a lot of weight on that portion of my back while gravity is pulling my legs down. i found that concentrating on putting my waist on the pole and trying to keep it in the same place as I go up helps a lot!! I think it all comes down to timing of when to tip your body over as your legs go up.
Dayanara · 10/9/2009
Do you usually slide down of an invert or do you sometimes jump out of it, feet back to the floor? I don't know much about this, but my instructor popped a rib once in class...yeah, It was quite the shock, when she reversed back down from a chopper, ab control is needed even when you are going down. if you slide down always, then I don't know. ignore me. LOL!
azriel · 10/9/2009
This used to happen to me too. And just like you, it didn't start hurting me til after i had been inverting for at least a month or so.. and i also noticed it was more intense with the chopper. I remember Veena telling me that it was because i was using mostly my lats to invert, rather than my arm muscles & abs. So maybe you could try focusing on engaging those muscles more. 😉 Another thing that really helped me with this, was that i started warming up my back really really well : lift your arms straight up over your shoulders (keeping knees slightly bent & pelvis tilted front) and then pull them straight down behind your ears- as if you're trying to pull down elastic bands attached to the ceiling (for resistance). 😛 Also make sure to stretch your back. I found that the one where you're sitting down, legs straight ahead, & cross one leg over the other & then twist torso to the other side while pushing elbow against the crossed leg really pinpoints that spot of the back. Hope this helps, and hope you feel better! 👽
SissyBuns · 10/9/2009
Do you usually slide down of an invert or do you sometimes jump out of it, feet back to the floor? I don't know much about this, but my instructor popped a rib once in class...yeah, It was quite the shock, when she reversed back down from a chopper, ab control is needed even when you are going down. if you slide down always, then I don't know. ignore me. LOL! Lately I'm sliding down and sometimes coming out of it and lowering myself down. I try not to jump out of it...although I can't say that never happens. Damn I didnt make my vid and now its 1130.....I would try now but I have to warm up a bit.....
SissyBuns · 10/9/2009
This used to happen to me too. And just like you, it didn't start hurting me til after i had been inverting for at least a month or so.. and i also noticed it was more intense with the chopper. I remember Veena telling me that it was because i was using mostly my lats to invert, rather than my arm muscles & abs. So maybe you could try focusing on engaging those muscles more. 😉 Another thing that really helped me with this, was that i started warming up my back really really well : lift your arms straight up over your shoulders (keeping knees slightly bent & pelvis tilted front) and then pull them straight down behind your ears- as if you're trying to pull down elastic bands attached to the ceiling (for resistance). 😛 Also make sure to stretch your back. I found that the one where you're sitting down, legs straight ahead, & cross one leg over the other & then twist torso to the other side while pushing elbow against the crossed leg really pinpoints that spot of the back. Hope this helps, and hope you feel better! 👽 I think this might be the problem! In my attempt to roll into my inverts I have been engaging everything by my arms. The pain is all up my upper side area LOL (lats). This all makes sense. I need to use more arms. Ive been so concerned with not using too much "kick" that I think I over compensated 🤔
hipshaker · 10/9/2009
"Do you usually slide down of an invert or do you sometimes jump out of it, feet back to the floor? I don't know much about this, but my instructor popped a rib once in class...yeah, It was quite the shock, when she reversed back down from a chopper, ab control is needed even when you are going down. if you slide down always, then I don't know. ignore me. LOL!" omg this is exactly what's just happened to me! Exactlyl the same move, same feeling - but I take it I would know if a rib was broken? Normally get this pain every once in a while but never like this... just posted on the health and fitness forum; http://www.studioveena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1927.
Dayanara · 10/9/2009
Oh I think you would know if the rib is broken, my instructor was crying in pain. but yeah...ab control, better to slide down to the floor rather than to swing back down like a monkey. hehe.
hipshaker · 10/10/2009
Haha yeah so true. Think I got a bit over paranoid 🙂 Definitely just muscles 😉