# Riding caused me to have a muscle strain



## Stosigoe (Feb 17, 2021)

I wrenched something pretty bad in my upper back after my horse spooked. It burned for a couple of months, but eventually cleared up. Massage was helpful but nothing felt like a miracle cure, it just took time.
I’m not sure if this would be helpful for you since the psoas is pretty deep, but bio freeze is a lifesaver for me for aches and pains. It’s got a strong menthol smell, so be warned. I like the roll on version so I don’t have to get the stuff on my hands and under my nails, and it doesn’t get in my nose and eyes like the spray does. 
A year sounds like a long time for a strain though, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that! I wonder if a physical therapist might help if you haven’t tried that?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Ouch...back pain is lousy and it can/does change a routine of/in life cause it hurts!

_Have you had physical therapy?_
Strengthening the surrounding muscles as therapy can and will do with the proper exercises can offer some relief and help long-term.
The secret I've found though is when therapy stops of you actively going to a therapist you yourself continue to do those home exercise routines as they continue to work and strengthen the surrounding area or you revert and stagnate in your care.
I wish you well and even if you had therapy, a return to it may be needed...not everyone is "cured" in _xyz_ visits but it is a process of time and addicted to continued aftercare done by us.
Some deep tissue massage may also do you a world of good that a physical therapist does cause there is a huge difference in intensity and accomplished with a therapeutic massage and a feel good one....HUGE difference!

Sadly, I can also say once injured it is very hard to return to before-injury status of your back.
Its never the same, just never on bad back injuries...they plague you it seems forever and indeed a lifestyle change must be done.

_Have you ridden since your injury?_
Weird as it sounds, when my hip and lower back go wonky the best thing for me is to go take a gentle ride only walking...
The rhythm of the hips following the motion, the lower back following the motion is soothing, calming and does indeed help me to have relief from the muscle spasms I suffer terrible from along my entire spine some the size of a baseball...that walking motion astride is magical for me in what it helps unkink. I wonder if it is muscle memory putting body parts back to "original" .....
Best of luck.
🐴...


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## Elessar (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm not sure what you are describing as muscle strain, but I am very familiar with muscle pain. I have found that yoga can really help to loosen those hip flexors and relax a lot of the tightness that I carry around throughout my back and lower body. Maybe it'll help you. I watch a video on YouTube called Yoga with Adriene: Yoga for Beginners 20 minutes workout. This is the only yoga I have done but it seems like just the thing for me.

I suffer from muscle cramps, a lot. Most of the cramps come at night and wake me up with some severe pain. Some are major and some are minor. Many have resulted in torn muscles and tendons and nothing seems to be able to relieve or reduce them except regular exercise. I have been to doctors and tried every remedy that I could find: nothing works.

The different leg muscles used in riding creates a entire new set of problems for me and the only way to reduce these attacks is to ride daily to maintain conditioning. If I skip more than a few days I will pay the price. Only by riding very regularly am I allowed to sleep more than a few hours each night. I only expect to sleep through the night once or month, maybe.

Good luck with your muscle strain.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Zambiesaur said:


> It's been over a year now, but I am still suffering from a pulled psoas muscle I got from riding without stretching last year in December. Has anyone else ever struggled with a muscle strain? It's ruined my life.


Agree with the questions from @horselovinguy above.
How was the injury diagnosed? (MRI? CT?)
What therapies or treatments have you done so far to try to remedy it?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

please explain how you experience this pain? I mean where? constant? anything make it better/worse?

The psoas muscle is little known by most people. most don't know what it is, or how to consciously contract or release it.. I did take a fall once, about 10 years ago and really wrenched my pelvis. The joint in front, on the pubic arch, was really wrenched and to this day sometimes it hurts to transfer weight from one leg to the other in activities like , oh, you know . .. walking!


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