Hip Strain

By Edie, The Salsa FREAK   www.SalsaFreak.com     www.SalsaWeb.com     www.DanceFreak.com

Also See:Right Hip Pain Article

Major Concern: What are we Teaching?

“So what’s this wind-up prep again?”  A student asked me at the last event. 

As instructors, we teach what we’re taught. 

As instructors, we teach what we see works.

As instructors, we always try to do the right thing.

As instructors, we are responsible for the health and well being of our students. 

Well, I’m writing this article to do just that.  Do and teach the right thing. 

There is an epidemic going around in the Salsa community.  It is happening to the hips of people who practice a “coiling-up” type of wind-up preparation of the body prior to high-speed multiple spins.  The problem is inflated when improperly preparing prior to a double spin or more. 

My Own Experience:

I would experience the most excruciating pain on my right hip at the point my body completely relaxed while falling sleep.  .  The pain was so severe at night that at times I would have to cry myself to sleep.  After taking up to five Advil per night, I realized I had to do something. 

My doctor told me that the pain on my right hip was the tendon acting like a rubber band that had been stretched too far.  The pain was from the tendon shrinking back to its original size.  This de-stretching of the tendons is what caused so much pain at night, or while sitting still.

Because I fly to a different country virtually every weekend, for several months I asked dancers from all over the world if they had experienced the same type of pain I was going through.  If I was prepping to spin like they were, I couldn’t be the only one!  When I started talking about it, I was shocked and amazed at how many of the top dancers in the world were going through the same pain I was - coincidentally at night, just prior to falling into deep sleep!  Some of them went through much worse pain.  The age range of the dancers questioned started from 22 through 50.  Age was definitely not an issue in this study. 

I then decided it was my duty as an international instructor and ambassador of this dance, to figure out how to get to the root of this problem, and fix it once and for all. 

THE PROBLEM

When a person preps for a turn they are taught to wind up the opposite direction first.  This is normal.  The abnormal aspect of the preparation however is the placement of their feet during that preparation. 

In ballet and ballroom, we are taught to point he toes outward.  If we nail our right toe to the ground (to maintain this toe-out look) while we prep the rest of our bodies and hips to the left, the result is a slight strain on the right hip.  If we do this often enough, and with enough force and power, the tendons end up stretching out of place.  If we continue this type of preparation throughout the night, over and over again, night after night, week after week, and month after month, we will develop a permanent problem that will never go away – unless WE change. 

My biggest problem was actually getting over the habit.  It felt good doing this type of prep while dancing On Two.  However, I ended up also applying it while dancing On One.  When we dance On One, women have one less second to prep for the turn.  When we dance On Two, women have a bit more time for the preparation.  This extra time has allowed Two-Dancers to develop beautiful hip styling on the back rock of Salsa.  On One Dancers have emulated this, but the result is a rushed look because of the split second less time we have to prep – thus forcing the strain that much more. 

Fortunately, I learned this type of preparation AFTER I created my World Famous Spins DVD.  Thank God I did not teach it in the DVD.  When I created that DVD, I did not have any hip problems.  It wasn’t until a few months after I learned this new prep that I started experiencing pain.  When I was looking for the solution, I actually had to go back to watching my own DVD to see exactly how I was preparing, the correct way. 

THE SOLUTION

First.  Practice the new way of prepping for a spin.  Study my Spins DVD on how to prep.  (I had to go back and re-learn the correct way from MY OWN TAPE). 

Just to be sure that what I was doing was correctly, I went to instructors whom I respect that weren’t experiencing any hip pain.  I analyzed their turns and asked them for advice and instruction.  Susanna Montero from the UK, Jamie Josephson from New York, Nari from Korea, Rioko from Japan, Maribel Maldenado from New York, and Joby Martinez from Los Angeles.  Gypson Pierre from Singapore gave me some incredible insight into the prep from the theories of ballet.  All of them gave me slight variations in what they do. 

To eliminate the confusion, I will break it down into a simple solution. 

Your toes must point the same direction as your hips and knees.

If you prep to the left, point BOTH your toes to the left.  If you prep to the right, point BOTH your toes to the right. 

Susanna Montero is an amazing dancer / instructor that has never experienced any hip pain. Susanna preps completely differently when she dances On-Two, than when she dances On-One.  When she preps On One, she simply plants her right foot to the ground, and spins on her right leg.  Her left foot never touches the ground coming forward.  When she preps On-Two, she points both toes to the left prior to spinning to the right.  She never twists her entire body. 

Another professional dancer is Jamie Josephson.  Jamie is an avid On Two dancer who has never experienced any hip pain either.  Her trick is to tighten her thighs together and place 50% of her weight on each leg during the preparation, prior to the spin.  Again, both her feet are pointing the same direction as her hips.  Jamie uses her shoulders to help her with speed. 

Another dancer / instructor is Maribel Maldenado from New York.  Maribel does not twist her body prior to multiple spins.  She keeps her hips facing forward and uses her free arm and shoulders to help with the power and speed of the spin. 

Gupson Pierre from Singapore has also given some fabulous insight into the preparation from a ballet standpoint.  His theory is the same.  Point your toes the same direction as your hips.  I will be featuring an entire interview / story on his research and findings on the subject (he sent me a TON of info... Thx Gupson!!!)

Nari from Korea, and Rioko from Japan have also studied the prep turn.  Interestingly enough, they both point both their toes to the left prior to multiple right turns.  This eliminates the strain on their right hips. 

Fixing the Immediate Pain - NOW:

You now understand that you’ve got to change the way you prep.  But for now, the pain in your hip is unbearable, and you need to get to sleep.  What can you do NOW that will stop the pain tonight?  This is what I’ve done that works. 

MSM Lotion

You can get this special lotion at your local Health Food store or on the Internet.  I rub MSM lotion on my hip prior and after dancing, and just prior to sleeping.  I’ve recently discovered that it also helps sore and achy feet!  Try rubbing MSM lotion on your feet before you go to sleep.  Your feet will LOVE you that night, and the next day! 

Advil and/or Ibuprofen

Sometimes the pain was so severe I used to take up to 10 Advil per day.  Now I’m down to none.  Thank God!  These types of medications thin the blood, so you want to keep them to a minimum. 

Prayer

Prayer really works.  Pray to just fall asleep peacefully.  You will be shocked and amazed at the results. 

Try Dancing Cuban Style for a while. 

Once I started partnering with Henry Herrera of Cuba / Miami, the pain subsided dramatically!   I literally took a two-month break from linear dancing on accident, and ended up not experiencing any pain after dancing Cuban style for a while.  I couldn’t believe it!   There are no high-speed multiples in Cuban style, so there is no need for a prep – much less a poorly prepped, prep! 

How the Guys Can Help:

Spin Us Both Directions. 

Why aren’t guys giving us any more multiple LEFT TURNS anymore?  They USED to do it all the time years ago, and now they’ve simply just stopped.  I’ve analyzed my dancing lately, and I’m constantly being spun to the right, to the right, to the right, over and over again.  HEY GUYS.  We do go LEFT ‘ya know!  It would be a NICE BREAK to give us multiple spins to the LEFT again.  I don’t know what happened.  Constantly spinning us too much to the right all the time adds to the unnecessary strain on our right hips. 

Give Her One Less Spin. 

Not every woman is a Ferrari.  Dance at her level.  If she can’t do a double, a nice single is beautiful and more relaxing – FOR THE BOTH OF YOU.  If she can do triples, great.  But remember, triples the entire song puts a strain on her hips.  Guys, try putting your SELF into a few triples during that song.  Women are extremely impressed with men that do their own turns and spins during the dance.  There is nothing cooler than seeing my partner do a double or triple while he’s partnering with me – holding my hand at the same time (not just solo!).  Putting your selves into doubles and triples is super impressive, and less stress on the girls.  It’s deflating to see the guy just standing there and orchestrating the woman to do ALL THE TURNS AND SPINS the entire time. 

Spin Her a Tad Slower. 

We can only spin so fast.  When spinning us, don’t make the circle you make with your arms above our heads so small that only our arms end up moving and we slow down, losing our frame. Give us ample time to prepare, and start spinning us at an even pace – in the pulse of the music.  Spin us to the beat of the song, and pulse the spin to our natural speed.  You will feel it.  Spin her at her speed. You will feel her natural rhythm.  The problems start when you try to force her to spin faster than she is physically able.  She should help you with the power of the spin by using her shoulders and free arm, but only after you’ve prepped her well and securely. Remember that she cannot go faster than what she is used to, and you cannot force her to go faster.  If she is forced to spin faster than what she can, you will accidentally strain her hip and do a severe blow to her ego and self worth.  This will make her feel doubly bad.    

Give Her Enough Time to Prep

I can’t tell you how many times a guy attempts to spin me more than three times simply by raising his arm then forcing me to turn fast before I get a chance to step forward and prepare for the turn.  There is a certain amount of time required to prep us for spinning.  It is about a second and a half.  That’s it.  But that second and a half is “oh so important” for us to prep appropriately and safely.  Honor that, and we will give you a FANTASTIC multiple spin.  (Correct preparation samples are in my Spins DVD).  Give the ladies ample time to prepare for the spin by remembering that we turn AFTER we place our left foot forward toward you (left or right multiples, the rule is the same).  We don’t necessarily have to transfer weight completely, but our left leg should be well on its way to coming forward prior to your spinning us.

Hip Strain is caused by a poor preparation prior to multiple spins.  The solution is simple.  Point your toes the same direction as your hips during the prep.  The immediate solution to ease the pain is a light pain medication, proper diet, and MSM lotion.  The long-term solution is education.  Kicking the habit is the hardest part.  We need to make a conscious effort to do so, each and every time we spin. 

Feedback and Letters from Hip-Strain Sufferers all over the world:

I was so happy to read your article about right hip pain. I have
the pain in my right hip joint. Since I couldn't pinpoint exactly
what was causing it, I was beginning to panic. My mind was
thinking all kinds of things. You can imagine!!! My husband is a
chiropractor and treats me almost daily. We never thought of the
pain being related to dancing. He was getting a little frustrated
because the joint didn't stay set after so much treatment.
Although, I am a beginner to Salsa, we have been into right turns
a lot. I was out of class for about two weeks, and now I look
back and recall the pain was almost non existent during that time
frame. Oh well. Since I love Salsa, I guess I will just continue
to get the chiropractic treatments. It is the only thing that
helps. I add 3 aspirins along with the chiro treatment and I am
good for another round of dancing.
At least I know I am not alone in this.
Thanks for the article.
 

I got to thinking I ought to just tell you what I have done so far
(since it is working for me) but I will have to be brief. I will just
go through my written list real fast...

*In order to do 4 hours of massage a day, I have to get at least one 50
minute full body massage a month, and at least one 5-10 minute neck and
shoulder massage a week to keep going. I usually trade with someone to
save money.

* I try to get chiropractic done about once every 6-8 weeks, sometimes
less, sometimes more, but definitely, if I throw something out, it
keeps me going. I would be in a wheelchair without it. He gives me a
slight discount cuz I am a cash patient and my husband works for a
church so we don't make a lot of money. Also, if I am in a bind, he
trades me for massaging his wife.

*I have never done accupuncture, but it has helped a lot of my friends
and family. But I do the lifewave patches which accomplish the same
thing. They have been the final touch that have taken me from being 70%
better, to about 90% better, in terms of pain. But they also have
increased my energy, my focus, my strength and my endurance, and have
given me the hope that I will be able to keep being active as I age,
and maybe even do the triathon I had made a commitment to do before I
hit 50. I was getting depressed and feeling very old before I found
them a few weeks ago!

*Orthotics is the next thing I am going to try, when I have the money.

*Getting more sleep has been crucial for my recovery since the body
rebuilds why you sleep, but I was having trouble with insomnia until
the Lifewave sleep patches. Now I sleep deeper, dream more vividly,
fall asleep sooner, etc. becuz of higher delta waves and oxygen levels,
and so wake up more refreshed. I also try to dance a little less, not
so late at night, not so long of periods of time, etc. It has made a
great deal of difference, and I thought I would miss it more, but I
keep myself busy with a good book on days I take off from dance, so I'm
okay. I had to do a little letting go. Life needs to be balance,
including those things we are passionate about. There is a balance
betweeen focus, which helps us excel, and whipping ourselves and
disregaring our boundaries, which wears us out. I also gave up caffeine
in any form after 5 PM, and that made a difference as well, as it takes
me 5-6 hours to relax after consuming it.

*The Epsom salt and Masters Miracle Baths always make me feel so much
better and more relaxed! I have been using the salts for many years,
they are tried and true! Heat packs and ice packs alternating
(especially frozen peas), are also helpful when I remember to use them.
I don't like using ice alone, it makes me to tight.

*I have always relied on prayer to get me through, and time spent in
the Word, meditating on it, as well as time spent in nature, just being
quiet and listening, have been very helpful to my thought life and
peacefulness, as well as decision making.

*I have been going through some personal things, that have needed help
 from a counsellor/ psychotherapist, and so she has been very, very
helpful, especially with things I did not understand, that went way
back and had caused me problems for a long, long time.

*Changing my diet to 50% or more raw produce (with its naturally
occuring minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, alkaline pH, and high water
content) with a lot of greens (for good protein) added to my smoothies,
and about 90% vegetarian has made me feel younger and more energetic
and had taken me from about 40% well to about 70% better. Prior to
that, increasing my minerals and cleansing the heavy metals had taken
me from almost dead with a major disease, to about 40% well.

*Core muscle exercize (in particular, sit ups and some weight lifting,
which are both quick to do, 20 minutes minimum a week is all it takes
if you do them slow enough, 14 seconds per rep) I got behind on, becuz
of my health problems knocking me down repeatedly. I am trying to get
them strong again, and when I do, they make all the difference in the
world in terms of my back not going out as much, and my speed, agility,
balance, coordination, grace, etc being sharper and dance, and any
sport really.

So this has been my journey so far. I do hope you find some things that
reduce your pain and create better balance, greater health, wellbeing
and peacefulness for you. Blessings to you! Kathi

The two books I am looking into that I think would benefit you are...

**Trigger Point Therapy- A Visual Guide to Techinque, by Clair Davies

**Chiropractic Self Help for Back Pain by Samual Homola

Of course, you can always come see me at Burke Williams Day Spa in
Mission Viejo and get a massage. But meanwhile, pray about each thing
here and see if God gives you some direction.

Hope you find something of use in all these! Kathi

DanceKatW@aol.com wrote:
  I am a dancer, tho I only do a bit of Salsa, I do a lot of dance
(mostly West Coast Swing, but also all other dances, Lindy, East Coast,
Ballroom, Country, Latin.) I have taught 6 sports (ice skating, snow
skiing, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball and personal training), and am
currently a Massage Therapist. I am 48 years old at this point and very
active. Without seeing how you are winding up to spin and being able to
give you specific pointers, I would like to toss out some general ideas
to check out in your search for answers.

I will start with a list of things you can do before each paragraph,
and then comment on why you might want to do those things.

MASSAGE THERAPY, CHIROPRACTICS, ACUPUNCTURE, LIFEWAVE PATCHES,
ORTHOTICS. First of all, pain comes from several sources- one is
tension, which can be relieved through massage therapy for muscle
imbalance, or chiropractics for bone misalignment, or acupuncture for
energy imbalance. Often tension comes from something we do over and
over again, which can be the type of dance or sport we do, the way we
sleep, the way we work, etc. Our posture starts to take on the shape
that we move, sit, stand or sleep in several hours a day, and parts of
our body's begin to shorten while others begin to lengthen. Golfers,
Bowlers, Baseball and Tennis players, etc, get twisted, and I can
usually see a twist happening in their backs when they come to see me
and lay down on my table. In West Coast Swing, my left hip goes back
over and over again on my anchor, and I am thinking it is effecting my
back/hip in a similar way to what you are describing, tho I control my
pain becuz I take care of it through massage and chiropractics, etc. on
a regular basis. But my chiropractor recently mentioned that my left
arch is collapsing and that is causing my knee to twist and my hip to
drop when I walk or run, so I keep popping my fibula out (which causes
pain in my knee when it happens) and the dropped hip is causing me to
develop scholiosis (s curvature of the spine). So it is possible that
the feet, knees and hips are also all being affected in your senario as
well, especially due to the high heels often worn by salsa ladies. I am
looking into getting orthotics made to support my own arches, which I
never thought I would need since I have such strong feet and high
arches. Acupuncture is a great reliever of pain, but for those who are
nervous about needles, I found a product that works in a similar and
effective manner to balance the energy of the body. I have been having
such success with them, that I now distribute them. They are Lifewave
Energy Patches, that tell the body to burn fat, create energy, stamina,
strength, focus, and relieve pain (all the things I need as a Massage
Therapsit). They are approved by the Olympic committee becuz nothing
enters the body, and they are being used and researched across the
country by a large number of people at most major universities and on
major athletic teams. They also have available Sleep Patches that tell
your body to create more delta waves, and put more oxygen into your
brain, so you sleep deeper and heal more while you sleep. I won't go
into all that they do for you here, but if you want more info, check
out my website by pasting the website address below into your address
bar, or email me your questions.

www.lifewave.com/katw

SLEEP, REST, RELAXATION, BATHS, MIRACLE SOAPS, PRAYER, MEDITATION,
COUNSELING, PSYCHOTHERAPY (just make sure you only get help from
someone really good if you seek counseling of any sort)- Another cause
of back tension can be emotional/ psychological/ spiritual. When you
have a lot going on in your life that is causing you a lot of negative
emotions like grief, anger, anxiety, etc, you might go dancing a lot to
unwind, relax, let go, forget, etc. but the tension might still be
there. There might be a need to relax more, to pray or meditate, to
take some time off, or talk to someone wiser than you about things. But
dancers often do not want to take time off, they push themselves to the
limits! I know, I do. Dance at that point may be more of an addiction
or crutch, tho a healthy one at that, but maybe the better thing to do
is to take some time out to deal with the problem you are experiencing
rather than avoid it. Maybe you need to make some life changes, like
get away from an abusive relationship or a job that has a very negative
environment. Maybe you need to consciencely give things to God in
prayer or get away to a quiet place surrounded by quiet and nature. We
need to listen to our bodies and take care of them. We need to make
sure we rest them, and stretch them, and maybe soak in a hot bath on
occasion. If it is a strain, then you need to stop dancing and let it
heal. But most of us do not want to listen to that wisdom. Here are
some of my favorite things to put in a bath. One of the best soaks for
sore muscles is Epsom Salts. They are cheap and you get them at any
drug store and some markets, in the first aid department. They usually
come in a container that looks like a milk carton. I put 2 cups in a
bathtub filled with the hottest water I can stand and I stay in
optimally 40 minutes or more (take a good book to read with you, or
listen to some music). It takes 40 minutes for the blood vessels to
come to the surface and fully release their toxins and take in the
nutrients. Epsom salts are magnesium, which is a mineral that is a
muscle relaxant. (You can also take a good calcium/ magnesium
supplement to reduce pain from the inside out, and make the body more
alkaline. I recommend the citrate version. More on that next
paragraph.) Take a washcloth or loafa sponge in the bath and scrub down
your body while you are there and your skin will feel wonderful and
your muscles will get a bit of a massage! For additional relaxation,
add some pure essential oils like lavendar/and or orange. But don't add
regular soaps or fragrances, most of them are chemicals and harmful to
the body, and definitely not things you want to soak in. Anything put
onto the skin of the body is in every organ in the body within 1
minute, make sure it is beneficial. If you want to use some soaps that
are made of all natural ingredients, mostly minerals, that cleanse,
alkalinize and detoxify your whole system, then check out my other
website below where you can get The Masters Miracle Soaps. You put 1-2
ounces of Neutralizer and 1 ounce of either green Soap in your bath and
soak 40 minutes. All kinds of wonderful things happen when you do, but
I don't have time to go into them right now. Write me if you are
interested, or order directly online. I personally alternate between
the Miracle Soaps and the Epsom Salt baths. (Oh, and by the way, their
Mineral Deodorant Spray is terrific for eliminating food odor by
spraying it on your feet before you go dancing.)

(there is no www in the address)
http://katw.themastersmiracle.com

DIET, ENZYMES, MINERALS, PH, HYDRATION- What you do inside yourself is
very important in terms of pain reduction. Many dancers/ athletes
forget how important it is to hydrate themselves and to eat properly.
It seems as tho, when we are young and in good shape and our muscles
and skin look good and we have energy, that we must be healthy. But the
body can only go just so far on exercise alone. If you are not
replacing lost minerals, lost water, lost nutrients, then your body is
going into a negative state, and that is going to start taking its
toll. You need to eat raw fruits and vegetables and their juices!!
Everything else you put into your body creates an acid pH. Only raw
fruits and veggies, with a couple exceptions like cranberries) create
an alkaline pH. That is becuz of minerals. Raw means that they have not
been heated above 116 degrees, have not been processed, nor microwaved,
and so their nutrients are intact and unaltered. The enzymes also are
not destroyed and therefor the food is far more absorbable. We need to
eat a diet that is no less than 50% raw produce, otherwise you are
going backwards nutritionally. At 65% raw, there is an energy explosion
in the body. Plus, eating a raw food diet will help you to stay
hydrated, or as one friend put it, you will be juicy. That is the
difference between youth and age- youth are more juicy. Again, I don't
have time here to go into all that, but it is certainly worth studying
if you want to remain healthy, energetic, young looking and pain free.
Pain is nothing more than a bunch of chemicals in a place that ought
not to be there. They can be waste products from stress, or from
injury, or from energy or nerve blockages, or from putting things into
the body that don't belong there. A muscle that is not hydrated will
not contract properly. If it cannot contract properly, it can get
injured. Sweating, alcohol, soda pop, tea, coffee, chocolate
(caffeine)... these are all things that dehydrate us.

CORE MUSCLE EXERCISE- Lastly, if you want to keep from getting injured,
then you need to make sure your core muscles are strong and balanced.
Dance does work the core muscles generally speaking, but not
necessarily evenly. Basically, if you are an advanced dancer and very
graceful and strong, you probably have developed your core muscles.
But, it is possible you have an imbalance if you are doing only one
kind of dance, and if one body part is used more, it may be stronger
than another part. You are only as strong as your weakest link. Social
dancers ought to be doing either ballet, pilates, yoga, ball exercises,
or gymnastics if they want to keep limber and balanced. And they may
need to do full body weightbearing workouts with dumbbells that
includes situps to keep the muscle strength balanced. I know that
especially when I was teaching the various sports, I had to make sure I
took care of my own strength and flexibility outside of the sport
itself, or I started to lose my edge in the sport.

Sorry I do not have time to go into more details, maybe someday I will
write a book on this subject of pain, but for right now, I hope this
gives you some things to look into and that you find the solution you
are looking for to you and your student's back pain.

Sincerely, Kathi Wormald
 

Edie~ Thank you for your personal reply, that is much appreciated! I
have had a passion for health and fitness since I was 14 (34 years now)
and have studied a great deal on the subject. (Note that I attempted to
take 34 years of research and put it into one email, which does not do
the information justice). I do suggest you print out what I sent and
try things that interest you that I listed, one at a time. For example,
Epsom salt baths are cheap, but very effective. (Under $4 for a box,
and you can get several baths out of it.) Only you will be able to tell
what will work for your body, and God will guide you. Injury and
disease are often caused my multiple factors, so it usually takes
multiple remedies to get well. Taking pain pills or putting things on
the skin that relieve pain, do not deal with the cause, they only numb
you to what it really happening in your body. You cannot tell what is
working if you drug yourself, tho I do know what excruciating pain is
like, and you may have to slowly wean yourself as you find things that
really work. Pain pills work in the body to distract it by causing side
effects that are worse than the condition you are experiencing,
therefor, your body stops paying attention to the other problem and
focuses on the new one. I wish I had time to tell you more, but you
have enough to check into and experiment with. I have been doing all
these things, and I am finally 98% out of pain for the first time since
the original accident that disabled me for 10 years. I can only say
that each one works to a certain extent, and that each one combines
with the other for greater benefit.

I also wanted to let you know about two books I just discovered and
ordered due to the recommendations I have been receiving about their
helping people in pain. Thought you might like to go on amazon.com and
look them up, and read what people had to say about them....

I will include them in the next email since I have to go to another
browser to look for them, and it is requiring me to send this email
now. Kathi
 

Hi, Edie.

My name is Erin Brandt and I live in NYC.  Do you have any video online
of the specific prep you use before the outside/right turn that causes
this pain?

I do movement analysis for a living, and would be happy to take a look
at the movement, analyze it, and offer a suggestion for a slight change
in the movement, or an exercise/stretch combo to balance this pattern.

Let me know if you would like some help.  I am happy to offer it.

Sincerely,
Erin Brandt

Hello Edie, So how are you ?  I was surprized to see that you left L.A.  Well new opportunities....   I trust all is going well.  I'm Jacqueline , I spoke with you @ your classes in Downey, about Men ...you had me listen to a disc...do you remember ? Actually we have talked sevral times...also in Palm Springs. I want to wish you the "Best of Luck". Well I wish to respond on the Hip problem.  I have pain after dancing on the Left hip, not the right.  In fact @ this moment it is hurting.  Well I did dance last  Fri.,Sat. Sun .!!  I always Ice when I return home, & I try to ice before I go out.  I also stretch.  My Dr. think, it is a result  of transfer pain from my back because I have problems here.  My trainer believes it is the dancing movements that  are causing it.  The hip action. So what do you think ??? Well take care ....Oh I enjoy reading you newsletters. Jacqueline

Hi Edie, I am an Orthopedic Massage Therapist and work with many clients with hip pain, dancers, golfers, etc. with great success. I am located in Delray Beach, FL and can be contacted by email to discuss the matter or schedule appointments. My primary business is accomplished through outcalls to my clients' offices/homes throughout southeast florida area. Thank you, Shellie     Dr. Shellie Gretah Fraddin, Ph.D., LMT  Personal Health Coach  Transforming Health and Wellbeing Conversations    Orthopedic Massage Therapy - FL License #MA30502    Stress/Management - Diet/Nutrition - FitnessTraining - Energy Medicine - Reiki, EFT Free Consultation- 561-495-0644 or 561-702-0570

Hi Edie,
My name is Alexandra, I was in your spins class on
Sept. 1st. I was the one that declared myself your
biggest fan, and indeed I am. Of course I'm looking
forward to being in your class tonight as well,
especially since I've watched your styling videos
endless times and love them.

But to answer to the article now.
I got better at spins by learning from your video and
from other dancers, but the prep that you were talking
about is what helped me the most and now it almost
seems like I can't do without the prep...it comes
naturally.

I can't say that I have experienced this type of pain
yet, and I hope I will not in the future either, but
that is probably because of the good turnout and
flexibility that comes with a ballet background. But I
was wondering in the spins class why the prep you were
teaching was different than the one on the video that
I learned from. And now it finally hit me, when I read
the article... It is amazing that a teacher cares
enough about their students as well as other female
dancers to bring this up and to change her moves to
better everyone.

Thank you for that!

I look forward in seeing you tonight in class and
perhaps if you have some time, one of these days, I'd
like to sit down for a few minutes to tell you about
the Salsa in Romania and why all the schools there
would give their life to have you come. ;)

Sincerely,
Alexa
 

Hi Edie,





In response to your article about right hip pain, I


was talking with a friend/salsa instructor who


recommends that, during the prep, women angle their


right foot so that the toes point slightly to the


left.  This way, when they twist, there isn't a


stretch/strain in the right hip.  It's a simple tip


but I've found that it makes spinning a lot more


comfortable.  I'm sure you're aware of this technique,


but as a veteran of severe hip pain, both from dancing


and joint affliction, I thought I'd offer what


knowledge I have just in case it proves useful to


other women. :)





Thanks for your time!





Lora J.





"Un grano de poesía es suficiente para perfumar un siglo." -- José 


Martí

Hi Edie

This is Lia here from Derby in UK - well well, I have had severe almost
disabiling hip pain now for 2 years, my gluteus goes into acute spasm,
I
have pain most days. The doc has even labelled me as disabled as I can
no
longer work at a conventional office pc and desk. I have invested £4000
in
state of the art office equipment. Some days I hobble around
University...
(studying law)

In 1996/97 I has a gym accident on a stepping machine which put my
sacro
illiac out and so, I have been assuming along that my hip pain is due
to
this old injury. When I visit my Chiropractor, he manipulates my sacro,
it
makes a huge noise and then I get an instant let up from the pain but
it
comes back.

I take prescription diclofenac and sleeping pills when its bad, I have
to
put a warm wheat bag on it too to get some sleep. I cannot drive long
distance. I cannot stand still to do dance classes its too painful, I
HAVE to keep moving!!! I am always telling people my hip is hurting they
must be sick of me

I have now been to UK's leading physio who works with our england
cricket
team. whilst i dance I has assumed it was the old injury and I did
convince
myself that the dancing had to be good for it because it kept my hip
moving
- You see over 40 I had visions of ceasing - am sure you understand
where I
am coming from.

The best tip I have had is that it is very important to stretch the
gluts
and the inner and rear leg muscles before using the muscles intensely
ie:
for a night of danicng in london or birmingham. This physio has written
down
the excersices and stretches and drawn little stick me to demo each -
Would
you like me to scan these in and send them to you??? it will help give
all
you lady instructors some idea of maybe how we need to be bringing warm
ups
into the dance lesson environment and, if its good enough for the
England
Cricket team and top tennis players here, well its worth passing it
around.

The particular stretch I find good is lying on back with legs straight,
hooking a towel around the foot and pulling the leg up so to stretch
all the
glut and back thigh. The there is also the figure 4 glut stretch.

When tendons over do it without pre stretch they are incredibly
painful, so
even if the hip area is in pain, the pain will refer to the front of
the upper hip,into the groin and even down tha back of the leg.

I'm not going to be at bognor congress, shame otherwise I would glady
show
you all the excersises that I have only very recently started to work
on
because of the sheer severity of MY problem. I have studied anatomy and
physiology and done remedial sport massage and can advise that there is
also
a pressure technique that is used after excersise to release any
muscles
that may have gone into spasm. Maybe I need to be coming to some dance
weekends and specialising in hip work - any ideas of how I can help
just let
me know.

mail me if you want my stickmen!!! (they don't ansa back)

Any way that aside, spent time with Colin from Southampton, asked after
you
when I realised you'd moved to Miami to work with Henry - Well good for
you
Edie!! You work so hard, I hope the personal aspects of the "moving on
,up and forward"  have been bearable. 8 years ago, I had to make a break,
different reasons, it was tough but it was RIGHT!! All the very best
Edie
and may an  inner strength be with you always.

Stay fit and well - go stretch!!

Lia Jane