Pain in the Pancake

All:

I have been doing MS weekly since the beginning of the year and I am starting to get incredible improvement in a lot of the stretches--in particular, my 90 degree frogs and butterfly are very much improved.  However, my pancake has improved very little and I am not feeling very much stretch in the groin from it at this point.   When I get my legs out as far as they will go, if I lean forward even a little bit, I feel a fairly sharp pain on the inside of my leg just an inch or two above (proximal to) the knee on only my right side.  I have a feeling that my gracilis is adhered to the adductor magnus (or some other part of the hamstrings--my knowledge of anatomy is limited) and when I push, the gracilis is pulling really hard on one of the short parts of the magnus that insert at the distal end of the femur.  That short little bit of muscle doesn't have much give, so it is a lot of force being applied to something that can't stretch much, thus the sharp burning pain.  Or so my theory goes.  

Questions for the community:

(1)  Any way to test myself to make sure the problem is what I think it is?

(2) Any thoughts on other issues it could be?

(3)  Any suggestions on fixing the problem?  I tried self myo-facial release - didn't work.  Had my wife give it a go too - but I think her hands are too weak.

(4)  Absent any ideas on (3) any suggestions on a good physio or massage therapist (someone who knows what they are doing) in/around San Francisco?

Best Regards,

Brandon

Hi 

about the sharp pain in the inner thigh before i started MSS from time to time i had that pain when i stretched but since i started especially with the beginning squats and 2 min standing pancake the pain is gone so if you can do the same stretch seated when u do the standing pancake i think it would help to eliminate the pain 

I sometimes experience the same pain. Seem to get smaller as I get better at MSS, but I would also appreciate insights. 

Adductor hip machines are beautiful for releasing chronically contracted adductors.

Try 3x12r pulls followed by 3x60s static holds with the knees together.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thank you Coach.  I will start adding that in before my MS sessions (next one is tomorrow). 

Be aware however that the adductor/abductor hip machines greatly fatigue the hip stabilizers.  

As I found out painfully on our ski trip this past week.  No pain while skiing, however absolutely no hip stability at all.  NONE.  Skis were everywhere.  Literally felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Extremely annoying, but also educational at the same time.  Had never seriously considered the absolute importance of the hip stabilizers before this.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Always something to learn. I thought those machines were good for nothing.

I tried something similar to the hip adductor machine and it seemed to work.  I no longer have access to a hip machine (ditched the gym in favor of my garage and various parks near my office--happy with that decision so far) so I rigged something with a bungee attached just above my knee and anchored to my stall bars.  I did abduction/adduction (sp?) while seated on a box (femur at 90 degrees to torso, APT, and knee bent to 90 degrees) and while standing on the box with leg straight.  Seemed to work pretty well.  Definitely fatigued the adductors and had less pain/was able to go further in pancake afterwards.  Will definitely keep that in the repertoire.

Also good to know on the skiing.  Makes sense too.  Skiing is one of my primary sports (grew up racing--in eastern Arizona believe it or not) and I am on track to hit 30 days this year.  Could be part of the reason for the tight adductors.  Though more likely it is the years of sitting on my ass with poor posture for hours each day.  

In any event-- Thank you Coach, I appreciate the coaching.  And stay safe on the hill.

On 3/14/2016 at 5:29 PM, Coach Sommer said:

Adductor hip machines are beautiful for releasing chronically contracted adductors.

Try 3x12r pulls followed by 3x60s static holds with the knees together.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Ahhhh, Coach! Thought I'd share: Gave this exact protocol a try today following Foundation deload workout and prior to Middle Split Stretch. Used 100 #. Between sets I "rested" with 60s vertical frogs.  This adductor machine, pulls and holds idea is brutal . This has got to be the male equivalent of giving birth, by the faces I was making. The good news, only "fatigue" and not "pain" like you were describing to Tim Ferriss, and afterwords:

1) On Side to Side squats I did 20r with butt nearly level to knees for the first time.

2) I did 10r pancake roll through starting from straddle on floor every rep for the first time eventhough the form is horribly high. (Usually I stop a few inches off ground after starting from stomach.)

3) Also, supplemental straddle up holds after stretch series improved. Almost ready to move out of step 1 I think with this height/ROM.