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Old 07-13-15, 12:47 PM  
mizvespa
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Lightbulb Useful Insight From A Chiropractor Regarding Injuries (TA-Related)

Hey guys! I'm writing to you guys today with an injured shoulder. I won't be able to work out for at least a week or two, but I'm going to take this time to catch up on some writing and Netflix! The purpose of this (likely quite long) post is to share with you some insight I received from a chiropractor today.

As many of you may already know, I have been working out, off and off, with the Tracy Anderson Method since 2010. I recently began doing Ballet Beautiful (which I LOVE), but continued to incorporate TA's upper body stuff (and occasionally abs). While doing a long upper body segment from TA's streaming the other day, I heard a "snap" in my shoulder and had to lie down. Please understand that I was not being reckless, I have a dance background and am pretty fit, therefore I have proper understanding of form. This is not the first time I have been injured with TA (more like the 4th or 5th). While I sincerely adore her and understand that MANY are able to do her workouts with no injury whatsoever, I am sadly "throwing in" my TA towel.

I spent the weekend in pain. My friend has been telling me about a chiropractor who "changed [her] life", so I called their office this morning and was (miraculously) able to be worked in. I have an injury to my rotator cuff as well as to a ligament, and will need to wait until it heals completely before doing any work on all fours or weighted arm work. It hurts! I know it will be fine, though.

So now to the purpose of this post: My chiropractor asked what I was doing that caused the problem. With my uninjured arm, I showed him the exact move I was doing and told him it was TA's method. Now, before anyone gets their feathers ruffled, I am only sharing what my chiro said. I am not discouraging anyone from doing and loving TA's method. I adore her passion, personality and many of the results I have achieved with her, and am only passing on info which may (hopefully) even just one other person. Anyway, he was quite familiar with TA since he has had 2 other patients with injuries which occurred while doing her method (not sure what kind of injuries specifically). He said that while he likes many of her exercises themselves, the "jerking" movements, fast pace and lack of instruction is a recipe for disaster for "people like me". I asked him what he meant by that and he replied, "You have a tremendous amount of flexibility, which makes you more prone to injuries in general, but much more so with a program like hers. If you were to continue with her exercises, you would just get injured again and again. Her jerking movements are a bad combination for patients with heightened flexibility."

He went on to explain that because of my flexibility, I am able to put my body into positions that it really shouldn't be in. I am able to contort it much more easily than most people, and it can cause problems. Because of TA's pace with hand weights, as well as her movements where she changes directions and body positions really fast (such as her all-four work in streaming), injuries can happen for those who have the freedom of flexibility to contort their body too deeply into the movement or transition of movement, even slightly, without realizing it. He explained it MUCH better than I am. Anyway, he asked that I not do her exercises anymore and I almost shed a tear. I kinda almost sorta maybe feel like she is my friend, you know? HA! We have worked out together for years, haha. I did show him some Ballet Beautiful clips, and he gave me the "go-ahead" to return to those once I am fully healed. He said, "The bottom line is that you can do fast-paced workouts and challenging workouts, but the movements must be more controlled and you must be sure of them. Erratic movements create injuries, especially for people with lots of flexibility. I see it all of the time." I am interested in starting Hamelin's stuff, so may share some of his clips with my chiro when I go back on Thursday.

Anyway, I hope at least one person finds this helpful!
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Old 07-13-15, 01:02 PM  
bee
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I'm sorry to read of your injury and that you won't be able to continue with what you have loved. I hope you heal quickly and that you enjoy exploring some "new" methods of working out.
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Old 07-13-15, 01:04 PM  
fidget012
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Wow! Great advice from your chiropractor!

I hope you feel better soon!
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Old 07-13-15, 01:30 PM  
mandie123
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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This may be why I always end up hurting my hip every time I do her all fours stuff,as I'am double jointed and also very flexible
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Old 07-13-15, 01:42 PM  
mizvespa
 
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Originally Posted by mandie123 View Post
This may be why I always end up hurting my hip every time I do her all fours stuff,as I'am double jointed and also very flexible
I'm double-jointed also!
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Old 07-13-15, 03:00 PM  
GeekyGirl
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW area
That's very interesting! I injured my back doing a TA workout, and the injury sent me to a chiropractor. I am very flexible - one of the interns at my chiropractor's office commented on it once while adjusting me.
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Old 07-13-15, 04:39 PM  
Debbie S.
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This is a very interesting read. I'm the opposite of you guys.

I lost a lot of my flexibility after my 3 back surgeries. The last surgery was a fusion in my lower back, and I now have screws. This really shortened my ROM. I have never been injured during a TA workout. NEVER. My kickboxing workouts, kettlebell workouts and TA workouts are what keeps my lower back (spinal erector) really strong.

To the OP, I know you love her workouts, but this is your second trip to a chiro because of her workouts. It just might be time to part ways. No workout is worth repeated injuries.
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Old 07-13-15, 05:00 PM  
desie
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Canada
I have the flexible-more-prone-to-injury body too, and prefer deliberate movements. I don't have a lot of TA stuff, just the one-off dvds that she puts out, not the meta/continuity. I find she goes at a measured pace and I feel like her workouts are time efficient and creative, and since I like them I do a couple every week. I am cautious with the movements though, not because I thought they were jerky, but because she often uses the diagonal reach, and I have to be careful how far my arm or leg rotates in its socket while I'm reaching. I can pull a ligament off its groove across the joint if I'm not attentive. So I think, even if you are controlling the movement, and not jerking, you can still get in trouble with the different reaching angles.
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Old 07-14-15, 10:18 AM  
mizvespa
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by desie View Post
I have the flexible-more-prone-to-injury body too, and prefer deliberate movements. I don't have a lot of TA stuff, just the one-off dvds that she puts out, not the meta/continuity. I find she goes at a measured pace and I feel like her workouts are time efficient and creative, and since I like them I do a couple every week. I am cautious with the movements though, not because I thought they were jerky, but because she often uses the diagonal reach, and I have to be careful how far my arm or leg rotates in its socket while I'm reaching. I can pull a ligament off its groove across the joint if I'm not attentive. So I think, even if you are controlling the movement, and not jerking, you can still get in trouble with the different reaching angles.
Agreed! Excellent observation.
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Old 07-14-15, 11:07 AM  
Jane P.
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My physical therapist told me I was a case of arthritis waiting to happen because I have a lot of natural flexibility. So far, it hasn't happened. I do have some problems with my right knee, but that's because of an accident a few years back.

I don't do much yoga anymore because I found I was hyperextending my joints and was just taking things too far.

Your chiro is right. Protecting your joints is important. I want to avoid having a metal replacements if I possibly can.
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