It’s been a while since my last post and I have had a number of people asking how I am getting on. So, by popular demand, here is the latest edition of my quest to become bendier, less achy and less groany (is that even a word?).
Unfortunately, since my last blog, I have received some devastating news. Apparently, I will never make it as a ballerina! My ambition of playing the lead in Swan Lake hangs in the balance as not only do I look terrible in tights but, according to Jill, my turnout is atrocious.
I personally think that the tights issue might be the hardest one to overcome as you can only get away with shoving so many pairs of socks down your crotch before somebody realises you’re a fraud. The turnout issue, fortunately, I can hopefully work on. Turnout, for those of you who are more in tune with dad dancing and Agadoo rather than the technicalities of a prima ballerina, is the ability to turn your feet outwards from the hip (external rotation of the hip).
I am currently only just at the 5 to 1 position which is a long way from the 1/4 to 3 position required before I can think about an audition. This is all down to tightness in my hip, groin and adductor area. Whenever I do exercises that involve my legs being more than hip-width apart, I struggle – badly. Wide-legged squats are still very difficult and incredibly painful for me so there is a lot of work still to do and I seem to have stagnated in trying to improve this area.
As a result, Jill advised that I go to see a physiotherapist so I have been to see Gordon Ellis who is based in Willington.
Gordon comes highly recommended by many people and boasts a client list that includes some top sportspeople so I have let him loose on my body. Lucky him! Once he had got over his surprise at how little movement I had in both hips he quickly diagnosed me as having Piriformis Syndrome on both sides of my body. The piriformis is a deep muscle in each butt cheek that can tighten up and put pressure on your sciatic nerve. This probably accounts for some of the sleepless nights I have been having. I was given ultrasound treatment, which I have never had before so I didn’t realise how gentle and pain-free it is. I must admit when Gordon started the treatment I honestly thought he was just gently massaging my arse cheeks before I realised what he was really doing.
Another first was having Kinesiology tape applied to my butt (or anywhere else for that matter). This is the tape that you see an increasing amount of sportspeople wearing these days all over their bodies. Apparently, this tape lifts the skin away from the swollen tissue below allowing it to recover better. Once applied you cannot feel this tape at all and I forgot I had it on most of the time. That is until 4 days later when it was time to remove it.
Stupidly, I asked my two sons if they would like to remove it for me – an offer they gladly accepted. Bugger me, am I glad it wasn’t applied to an even more sensitive area. That back, crack and sack wax treatment has been crossed off my Christmas list I tell you. I will be seeing Gordon over the next few weeks so hopefully, this, along with my Pilates classes will help continue my progress.
On a positive note, I have now achieved one of my original challenges. Following one of my Friday night Pilates classes, I actually managed to touch my toes. Woohoo!! Any of you who saw the photographs on my first blog will see how much of an improvement this is. Admittedly, my legs may appear slightly bent, but I put this down to an optical illusion due to my “sticky out knees”. This is an excuse I have used ever since my rowing days, so perhaps, thinking about it, maybe I have never been able to truly touch my toes with straight legs.
I guess that’s my next challenge – watch this space!
If you’d like to make an appointment to see Gordon, you can find out more information on his website http://www.info-physio.com