Thread: Yeow! Floorwork pains...

so I'm taking a floor work class and my quads have been super sore for a few days. (for those of you who are anatomy savvy: Rectus femoris hurts more than the vastus medialis/lateralis).
no swelling or redness, but they're quick to fatigue and sore enough to make me sit with a 'plop' and hobble up and down the stairs quite slowly. ..cr.:

I've recovered for the most part but the muscles are easily fatigued if I try to squat, say to get something out of my book bag.

any ideas? Is this a normal pain of the start of practicing floor work? Am I just out of shape or did I seriously over do it?
Thanks for your thoughts!

This is DEFINITELY a normal part of practicing for floor work! Don't worry, they'll be better in a few days, but I'd suggest taking your floor work practice in small doses for a couple of weeks, gradually increasing the amount of it you do, until your muscles are better developed. One of the things I like about floor work is that it gives you quads of steel! But don't forget to do some hamstring-strengthening exercises to balance your stronger thighs.

use your bath tub!

Use Arnica gel immediately after your workout. It helps reduce muscle pain and soreness. I don't think I could live without it.

Thanks guys! It makes me feel a little less sheepish knowing it's not just me! It's a weekly class and the instructor is fantastic about making sure we don't go past our limits. I was just really surprised about how sore I was afterward!

I've never heard of Arnica gel...Can I find that at CVS/Walgreens? Is it similar to icy/hot or biofreeze?

I know the pain you're talking about! I had a guest instructor in my studio once who pushed us all through some floorwork drills -- none of us could walk much for days afterward, and whenever I spoke about bringing that instructor back my students would sort of whimper.

I don't think it's good for the body (or necessary for the technique) to work at a level that causes THAT much DOMS. A strong, healthy individual may not be harmed by doing it once or twice, of course.

I personally developed trigger points in my outer quads at one time (from yoga, not floorwork) which caused me debilitating knee pain that nearly crippled me for months before it was diagnosed. Apparently those muscles can become so tight they can cause the knee joint or patella to track incorrectly? Anyway, that would be my main concern with someone doing a weekly floorwork class that doesn't build up slowly enough.

My massage therapist told me to go over those quads with a rolling pin. It's not a comfortable treatment (maybe biofreeze THEN roll?) but it does help a lot.

Another thought for you... in certain yoga poses, I can shift the workload of supporting my bodyweight from my quads to my hamstrings just by shifting my weight from the balls of my feet to my heels.

I wonder if it would be possible to do something similar while kneeling, by shifting the weight more back onto the feet and away from the knees?

I do know that curling the toes under (getting the tops of the feet off the floor) seems to give a much sturdier base of support and reduces the workload on the quads... so you can give yourself little 'breaks' that way during class.

I buy my arnica ointment at wholefoods. Dont know if a mainstream drugstore would have it. It doesn't tingle like biofreeze or icyhot. Just helps promote healing.

You can buy Arnica gel on Amazon for CHEAP.
This is the brand I use and it is fabulous. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Arnica-Gel-2-6-oz/dp/B000LD529K]Amazon.com: Arnica Gel 2.6 oz.: Health & Personal Care[/ame]

Hm, there's a wholefoods right across from school, so I'll check and see what the prices are.

Yeah I did whimper at the thought of having signed up for a 9 week floor work class, but after a few days I did improve (now at day 6 with barely any pain).
Luckily my school is all about trigger and motor point therapy in addition to the eastern traditions, so I think I'm gonna grab a classmate or two to help needle those quad points.

Lauren, yeah- the rectus femoris muscle/tendon connects to the knee cap (patella). If that muscle can't relax I can only imagine the discomfort you must have felt! ,f::

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I personally developed trigger points in my outer quads at one time (from yoga, not floorwork) which caused me debilitating knee pain that nearly crippled me for months before it was diagnosed.

Hi! Could someone explain what "trigger points" is?
Meredith

Tiger Balm rocks for that kind of thing, too...

Originally Posted by Meredith

Hi! Could someone explain what "trigger points" is?
Meredith

Hi Meredith!
trigger points...they're specific points in your muscles that are pretty darn sensitive and it relieves pain when pressed into. kind of like when someone is able to release a knot in your muscle by pressing down on it...and they have referral patterns-for example some of the trigger points located on the side of your head-when irritated-can actually cause pain in the upper jaw, mimicking a toothache and headache.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point]Trigger point - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
wikipedia puts it better, i think.

Originally Posted by Azhia

Tiger Balm rocks for that kind of thing, too...

oooooo I can surely get my hands on that tomorrow.

Originally Posted by taobellydancer

Hi Meredith!
trigger points...they're specific points in your muscles that are pretty darn sensitive and it relieves pain when pressed into. kind of like when someone is able to release a knot in your muscle by pressing down on it...and they have referral patterns-for example some of the trigger points located on the side of your head-when irritated-can actually cause pain in the upper jaw, mimicking a toothache and headache.
Trigger point - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wikipedia puts it better, i think.

Thanks! Much appreciated!

Sore back/muscle bath (recipe from my friend)

15 drops thyme oil
4 drops eucalyptus oil
diluted in a small amount of jojoba or other skin-friendly oil

Add to your warm bath and soak for 15 minutes. I did one tonight and feel great!

Use the arnica before bedtime too; you'll wake up feeling much better.

Originally Posted by SaraKat

You can buy Arnica gel on Amazon for CHEAP.
This is the brand I use and it is fabulous. Amazon.com: Arnica Gel 2.6 oz.: Health & Personal Care

Do you have any sources for arnica lotion? I prefer that over anything gel-like.

Another thing that helps is to drink a lot of water to reduce the lactic acid and massage. I once overdid it stretching for splits. The day of a big show I could barely walk. A runner friend recommended the water and massage. I ran out and got a hand held massager. I was fine in time for my show.

Don't overdue your practice with floorwork though. Another friend of mine, an experienced dancer, overdid it and ended up tearing her ACL.

Thanks for the tips!! The epsem salt bath worked like a charm this week!!
Oh man, tearing the ACL is just awful! I hope she recovered alright??

You'll get used to it. :) I recommend hot as you can stand it baths with Epsom Salt right after dancing to soothe most of the muscle pain. :)