Sports massage instead of run - good swap

[Joy57]

No run on Tuesday as I managed to book a sports massage at short notice. I've had a niggly pain for a while when running - top of my right leg where the hamstrings insert. Latterly I've felt it when walking and sitting as well and Saturday's Parkrun seemed to aggravate it.

The massage was painful! But good as it felt better afterwards. Thought I'd try a short exploratory run this afternoon - village, field and canal towpath - 2.5k. The discomfort was a bit lower down in my thigh but not a problem today. Hope I will be okay to do Parkrun with my daughter on Saturday - first time running together.

[melly4012 Graduate]

Sports massage sounds great - think next time I get a niggle in this cold that's what I'll be booking myself in for! Enjoy the first run with your daughter.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Hope that's fixed it. It's a good sort of ouchy experience isn't it!

[Joy57 Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Yes very! 'Stingy' as my masseuse aptly warned me! So glad I had it though.

[MrNiceGuy]

Sports massage is seldom comfortable, largely since it employs the use of trigger point techniques to release the muscles/tendons, so it's unsurprising to hear you found it largely uncomfortable.

As such, if you found yourself making sounds similar to those of primates (ooh-ooh-ah-ah) as you were manipulated, the release was certainly working.

In between sports massages, to help ease the discomfort and tightness further, if you don't already do so, perform stretches for your piriformis (a small muscle at the base of the buttocks).

[Joy57 Graduate in reply to MrNiceGuy]

It was more like ow-ow-ow (mostly under my breath). I feel the benefit now though.

Good advice about stretches, I did think it was likely to be a piriformis problem.