Splits Injury. Lesson Learned: Don't Overdo It.

So, remember when I posted about how I'd come very, very close to doing my splits? Well, it's been about five days, and I would like to note that I definitely injured myself! It's nothing major, and I am positive it came from that loud "pop" I heard (in the exact same spot, and my other leg is not injured). I was not able to even work on much flexibility with that leg tonight- I spent that time instead working on it with a tennis ball and my foam roller.

I didn't attempt anything close to a split on the other leg, but I wonder if I've gotten more flexible on it. I wish that pop hadn't happened- I knew then and there it was extremely likely I'd done something wrong.

So, lesson learned: don't try the crazy stunts I pull on here for yourself, for injury can definitely occur!

Update 3/27/15: I am STILL recovering from this.

In love with foam roller

I mentioned in another post that I'm pretty sure that my foam roller has improved my turnout in only two sessions. Except when doing my back, I've only been focusing on my left side- especially my IT band, because of how messed up my left side is with the tibial torsion. (My turnout is decent on my right side, but on my left side, when my feet are facing forward, my left kneecap facing inward. When I'm in first position, my left foot can go out further than my knee can, which makes my plies and lots of other stuff look like I'm forcing my turnout... and that I basically don't have ANY turnout on that side.)

When my foot is turned out, my knee points more towards the inside. Ideally, it should be facing somewhere around the middle of my first and second toes.

 

Today I was rolling on that side. I was rolling slowly, stopping at each hot spot. You know how when you do that (or press on a sore spot on a muscle), it kinda "gives" and loosens up? Well, several spots today "gave" more than once. Like 2-4 times back to back.

It hurts more the closer to my knee that I get with the roller. I'm assuming the IT band has tightened up with my kneecap facing inwards, and that if I can get it to loosen up towards the knee, the kneecap will sort of be "released" and able to get itself in the position it's supposed to be in. This is my theory, anyway, and I have been reading that a tight IT band can cause tibial torsion.

So I'm close to my knee, maybe a couple of inches above it and on the outside of my leg. I find a hot spot and I stop. Suddenly there is a HUGE release on that spot. It wasn't a little "give"- it was a full-out release right there! I moved away from that spot once that happened, but wow! I'm totally in love with this foam roller. I really believe it's going to help me (and that it already has)!