Cultivating My Inner Tree

Recently, I’ve noticed that I’m getting daily traffic from Google searches on the subject of groin injuries relating to yoga and acupuncture. I thought I’d try to make it easy for the information seekers to find some answers, so here goes.

 If you read more of my blog, you’ll find out that earlier this summer I somehow sustained an injury to my groin and outer hip. I do yoga several times a week and had originally thought I could heal my injuries by stretching them out in my yoga classes & in my daily walks. Once my groin started seizing up on short walks, I realized I wasn’t taking the right approach. My main yoga instructor also threatened to ban me from the studio if I didn’t seek some medical advice to work on the problem. This threat and the constant pain were the final straws.

I called my acupuncturist and set up an appointment. She happens also to be one of my yoga instructors. She worked on my injuries through a combination of massage, cupping, acupuncture and acutonics. (I’ll let you google those terms or search my blog for prior postings detailing these items.). She did not use acupuncture needles in the groin area itself; its too close to arteries & can be approached from other directions. I saw her a total of 3x over the course of about 4 weeks. During this time, I also scaled back my yoga practice significantly.

I have fairly open hips, so its easy for me to over stretch them. So, I stopped doing a lot of deep lunges & hip openers. I started using a block under my knees in cobbler pose to make sure I didn’t let myself open “all the way”. I really tuned into my body and took my practice slow.

Now, about 4-5 weeks later, I’m feeling much better. I know my groin isn’t completely healed, but I’m on track & getting stronger every day. I’ve been able to ramp up my yoga, walk every day, and I don’t have any acupuncture scheduled on my calender.

Oh, one other note. I corrected my non-ergonomic desk situation. That wasn’t helping at all!

If you got to this post because you have a similar injury, please get in touch with questions. Pain is no fun at all, and I’m glad to help if I can. 

I did go to yoga today. Took it very easy…no hip work & no groin work for me. We did do a lot of upper back opening & shoulder work, which is a good place for me to focus. We did partner handstand work & I managed to engage my core & hold myself up for a while  on my own — no wall, no helper. I’m very happy about that. Hip is a little sore. Groin is okay today.

 …off to brunch

Workout:

• Type: Flexibility
• Date: 07/28/2007
• Time: 09:15:00
• Total Time: 1:30:00.00

I had a great session with my acupuncturist today. Heather incorporates many therapies together with great results. As well, she’s one of my yoga teachers, so we’re able to discuss stretches that are appropriate (and inappropriate).  So, here’s what happened in my session.

First she talked to me about what’s been going on & evaluated the sore points, finding the real “trigger” spots. And, yes, they were hip points that tie into the groin & down the IT band. She noted that I have strong IT band definition in my right calf — its taught & tired! One thing she pointed out was that my body tends to run on the anemic side. I’ve been upping my exercise & part of my issues may be that my ligaments aren’t getting the support they need nutritionally to support my increased work on them. So, I’m going to start taking my herbs again & continue to try to improve my anemic tendencies.

She then set me up face down on the massage table & began by running some electrical tests on my right ear. She uses a tool that tests the electrical signals going to the brain & indicate what nerve groups are firing hard. My hip was yelling. This helps tell her how to proceed with needles to help calm down the firing….then the ear needles went in. Then the hip. Some on my left arm to “ground” the right side work. And a few in my right foot. One in my right thigh about killed. Then she added an infrared lamp over the sore area & added an electrial pulser between a couple of the points to perform electroacupuncture. While all of this was “settling” she performed some tuning fork work. I find this really grounding & relaxing. (Acupuncture needles rarely bother me.)

{If you want to read more on acupuncture, this is a good quick read/reference: http://www.breathebalance.com/services/services.html }

She then took out the needles over my hip & did some hot stone massage over the area. Then she did some cupping, which I’ve been skeptical about in the past. However, I’ve had amazing recovery when its been done, so I’m pretty sold on it. (She uses the pump kind of cup rather than the flame kind!) She then removed the rest of the needles & had me flip facing up.

Because the groin injury is so close to the femoral artery, she didn’t put any needles in that area, but did apply some hot stones. She also inserted a couple of needles in “main points” along my right leg. One that she inserted immediately sent a “trigger” into my groin sore spot!

After this, I asked for some ear seeds. These are little metal balls “taped” over acupuncture points. By pressing them, you can work on your sore spots. She put two in that are just to release general stress & one for my hip. Its 4 hours later & the spot where the hip ear seed is is really sensitive, which ties into the hip being sensitive.

Likely I’ll need a couple of add’l sessions, but she suggested we see how it goes. She gave me a couple of safe IT band stretches & told me to take it easy for a couple of days. Honestly, after acupuncture, I tend to be a little charged up & then exhausted. (The exhaustion is coming on now.)

Good News! Diane encouraged me to come to yoga class tomorrow — even if I modify my practice from what she’s directing the class to do. I don’t like to ignore a teacher’s directives & always want permission. I find it rude when people come to a class & then “do their own thing.” Modifying is one thing; disrespecting a teach is another. Anyway,  I agree with Diane that I should go & do my best. Being in the studio space helps me a lot to relax & gain focus. I know I’ll be sad & frustrated not to kick it into high gear, but I’m focused on healing right now & will mediate on listening to my body & healing it!

This morning I woke up with a still-not-better hip. My groin feels a lot better, but the aches are still throbbing in my hip. I slathered on a few layers of tiger balm last night, which definitely felt good — even if the dog wouldn’t come near me — but that wasn’t enough. Diane & I had a work-motivation party (we single, small biz owners need to get together sometimes just to motivate each other to get the boring biz stuff done), and she pushed me to deal with my hip, reminding me that yoga can’t fix everything. Knowing that I’m on a tight budget right now, she even brought me a sliding scale acupuncture clinic flier. And, she told me she won’t let me back into the yoga studio ’til she knows I start working on this problem in other ways. Hey now what’s that — no yoga pour moi? The threat of denial got me to pick up the phone right away!

So, I have an appointment with my favorite acupuncturist/massage/acutonics/cupping therapist & sometimes yoga teacher, Heather. She got me in for tomorrow morning. She’s helped me with other nasty pain issues in the past, so I’m encouraged & positive this will help. I’m hoping to be in shape to go to class by Saturday morning, but will take it day-by-day. (I know Diane will have my back — or is that hip — should I try to sneak in on Saturday.)