Homemade Torture

These are my favorite instruments of torture these days.

Clockwise, two hard tennis balls, stretch band, foam roller, butter knife and skin lotion, PT Roller. (Not pictured is my Yoga mat on the floor, my dining room table, my phone i use as a timer, and the wall.) I have moved my dining room table out of the way to have space on my hard wood floor and along a wall. I don't bother putting everything back anymore. Weeks 1 through 13, I would put everything away after each use, and even moved the table back into place, but now at week 14, I've decided that as the yoga mat on the floor and sitting on the table happens 2 or 3 times a day, this area is my now my full time rehabilitation center.



I use:
**The tennis balls in two ways:
1- standing against a wall, putting it between my glute(butt cheek) and the wall, and we grind in small circles to loosen the tightness. (medium torture)
2- sitting on a table, put the ball in different parts of your hamstring , then slowly twirls your lower leg in circles, 10 swirls clockwise then counter clockwise. Repeat on many different areas of hamstring. (Very effective torture.) Once a day.

**The stretch band lying down, problem leg straight up for 2 full minutes, then angled towards to the outside (maybe 1 foot distance )for 2 minutes. (feels good more than torture)
Without stretch band, lie on floor, both legs far up on wall, angle legs into a decent V, hold for 2 minutes.
Usually once a day.

**The foam roller is used for outer quad, and other quad areas if too sore to use PT Roller. Also use for inner leg as PT can't get there. (assorted torture levels). Also used as pillow while using the stretch band, per doc's advice.
At least once, but sometimes twice a day.


(This bruise looks worse than it feels. It does not affect walking or anything other than when I have to roll again.)

**Butter knife and lotion. My doctor showed me how to correctly grind on my IT Band and other neighboring quad area with the butter knife adding lotion. I also grind away around the knee too. As you see above, I'm pretty bruised up, so I only do this every 2 or 3 days. I'm no doctor so I'm going to say, don't do this unless you've been shown proper technique. Yes, there kind of is a wrong way. (severe torture - you haven't met self-torture, and tested inflicting personal pain until you've done this on yourself)

**PT Roller. Different things:
1-Roll up and down every angle of the quad on the cushy middle piece. The bruise I have along the side makes it quite painful at times on the outer part.
2-see how the roller has rollerblade wheels on either side? I roll my lower back on those wheels, staying away from spine, but pretty much up and down all around the spine. (high pain as it really digs in deep)
3- I also use those wheels to roll my glute in areas the tennis ball didn't reach.
4- sitting with legs out in a slight V, sit on both wheels and grind the wheels on different parts of the hamstring. Sounds easier said than done as my shorts keep getting caught up on the wheels. Guess I could start doing this naked!? (medium pain as I do this last and the tennis ball exercise #2 usually numbs it up)
I do PT Roller work once a day.

**Sit on table, legs hanging down. Lift leg extending it straight out, and flexing at straight leg, then back down. Repeat 50 times. Angle foot out a bit and repeat 50 more repetitions.
I do this 3 times a day if possible, but minimum 2.

**Clams- lie on side, fetal position with back straight along the wall, and legs bent at 90'ish degree and bottom of feet touching wall. Lift leg like opening a clam, 2 sets of 25 for each leg to strengthen hip flexors. I do this morning and evening.

**one legged squats. Pretty simple. Just go up and down bending at knee. 3 or 4 sets of 12 on each leg. Once a day.

Finish this off with a nice icing on the problem area down by the knee, then a warm shower and big glass of water and some Ibuprofen(anti-inflammatory). My doc wants me to ice 20mins 3 or 4 times a day, but that just becomes impossible, so 2 is the goal, 3 is great, once is mandatory.

So there you have it! What do you do to try and fix your issues?