Thread: Muscular anatomy question

Here's a question for all of you who've taken that muscular anatomy type class I've always been meaning to take. I've been doing a high level of training and practice lately. Well, last week I hit the wall. My muscles were too tired to shimmy and I felt like all my practice was making me worse not better!!

I took the weekend off from rehearsals and spent some time resting and stretching my weary body. By the end of the weekend I was feeling much better!! But then...

I taught class last night. And I specifically felt my lower back tighten the moment I started doing down hips (the kind you use when doing 3/4 down shimmy). I'm not sure what muscle that movement uses, but I think it's a bit tight and hasn't been reached well enough with my stretch routine.

It's not an issue of posture or technique--it's a tight unhappy muscle.

So, my question is who knows what muscles are being used for this move and what are some good stretches??

In yoga, the child's pose helps stretch the entire back. That gives the fastest most instant relief from back tightening. I'm not an expert but it always works for me.

ExRx is a really helpful website, Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology

If you go to the Muscle Body Map, you can mouse over the body and click on the bit that hurts on you, and it will take you to a page showing exactly what muscles those are. Then you can go back to that first page and look up that muscle in the Exercise & Muscle Directory.

I hit that same brick wall a couple of weeks ago after a Yousry Sharif workshop followed by two nights of classes and compounded by not enough sleep--you have my sympathy!

It sounds like your muscles were just slightly strained from class and when you taught again they were not warmed up enough-they cramped/tightened. Give them a bit more rest, do the child pose stretch, add the knee to chest stretch and be sure you are more warmed up next time.

ETA: if you feel the need, during child pose, place a pillow/bolster under your chest for comfort. I find it easier to do the cat/cow pose/stretch first, then relax into child pose. I concentrate less on shoulder extension, more on back stretching. In the mornings, I do the knee to chest stretch before rising.

Badriya, that site is awesome! Thanks for the link.

I suspect that the unhappy muscle is the top of my psoas, which is difficult to reach in stretches. I'm not sure child's pose will help, though I do use that pose a lot when my back is stiff. Taila, your probably right about having strained it. I'm doing my best to nurse it back... I probably just need to rest it for a bit. ,f::

That's a harder muscle for me too. When mine stiffens up I sit with my knees in front of me then slowly open them in the beginning sitting pose. After that, I place the bottom of both my feet together with my legs bent then do the backbend resting on my elbows. You don't have to let your head hang down but it does help stretch the back while getting a stretch in the psoas as well.

Then again maybe a good dose of ibuprofen will do it and a day off, which I am guilty of hardly ever taking.

Originally Posted by aazura

Badriya, that site is awesome! Thanks for the link.

I suspect that the unhappy muscle is the top of my psoas, which is difficult to reach in stretches. I'm not sure child's pose will help, though I do use that pose a lot when my back is stiff. Taila, your probably right about having strained it. I'm doing my best to nurse it back... I probably just need to rest it for a bit. ,f::

I have a couple of stretches for that muscle , have no idea how to describe them in writing....will try to find a couple of pictures.

If you can find something, let me know--thanks Palmier!

Not sure what you mean by the "top" of your psoas, but for me, I have an issue with my iliacus. (the top of the hip). When I get tight there, my lower back really seizes up. I find that traditional psoas stretches (eg. low lunge, pigeon) don't get to that spot.

I actually find that any action sliding the hip sideways really helps, (i.e. feet shoulder width apart, big hip slide to right and then reach up with right arm.) I also find this one often helps: http://www.stirlingchiropractic.com.au/images/ex2.gif

It's probably your Quadratus Lumborum or Psoas. For the QL, side stretches help. You can also lie on your side at the edge of a bed/couch with your bottom leg on the couch and your top leg behind it, hanging off the side (hard to describe, but you should feel a deep stretch down the side of your back!). For psoas, lie on your back on a bed, with the hips at the edge. Bring one knee to the chest and let the other leg hang off. The stretch should be felt in the front of the hip.

I'm a massage therapist, btw, and these are stretches I learned in my training.

It depends.

If a muscle is cramping I'd stretch and make sure you've taken enough fluid (electrolytes) and a good old hot bath works wonders.


If you've been working hard you need to rest. Exercise breaks down tissue. Rest builds it back up & I don't think stretching helps at this stage any more than a good deep tissuse massage and the hot bath. They're working to bring a fresh blood supply to the area either actively or passively.

If you're sore I wouldn't just stretch because you may have a muscle pull. You'd be better off taking a walk (gets the blood moving, not too strenuous) to gently warm the muscle and then do some light stretching and a massage.

I sometimes experience the same pain with the same move, and for me, standing with a flat back, bending my knees, and pulling in my lower abs and really stretching out the small of my back helps. Do reps. I know you said that it is not a posture problem, but I find that the more firmly I hold in my lower abs when doing down hips, the less I experience pain.

Take Hadia's courses: any of them. Teacher training, technique class, workshop . . . her body logic approach to dance is unlike anyone else's. As a manual therapist (advanced massage and manual therapy) she really understands the body and as a Master Dancer/Instructor she really understands MED. In my personal experience, 2 years after my whiplash incident and physiotherapists, chiropractors and massage therapists later I was still hurting. 2 sessions with her and I was healed! She is awesome. A tough teacher but so willing to share the 30+ years of knowledge she's acquired.
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