NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Eeek... I tweaked my shoulder last week and rested a week (no poi) and it's still not 100% better. I think the added stress of doing repeditive wraps is finally taking it's toll on my aged body.What's a good way to warm up/stretch out before or after poi? I never had this problem with glowsticks but I'm finding with bigger wicks and more wraps the added torque is pulling on my shoulder muscles...I guess I'll take another week off. frown

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
dont know if this is the streach your after but if you put both arms out straight from the body, (parralell, not out infront) and then point your fingertips to the sky and rotate your hands in both directions it gives a really good streach to all the ligaments in your fingers/forearms.As for shoulder stuff, a stadard runners streach (pulling each elbow round, rotating the shoulder, clasping both hands behind the back etc) sshoudl do it, tho there was a study recently that seemed to sugest that streaching didnt make any diffrence to injury rates atall. But try telling that to a pro sports coach.Hope it clears up,LoveNics

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


Peregrinemember
428 posts
Location: Mystic, Ct. USA


Posted:
hi ho, lingering back injury girl here...still not dancing, still not really doing fire poi after doing it when i shouldn't have back in AUGUST so...I tore the muscle there, I guess, which really isnt cool so this is what I have to do...take advil or aleve or whatever for a while (I take it every day) with lots of water. do hot and/or cold 20 minute compress to relax muscles, reduce inflammation let it heal up..do some stretching, but not to point of pain. not all of these at once...some stretches, raise/lower shoulders, really push them down. roll shoulders forward, and backward.stand feet about shoulder width, knees slightly bent. raise one arm straight up and hold your hand palm up, hand flat fingers facing away from you to the side (sort of like an egyptian painting position). stretch the other arm down in opposition with palm down, fingers facing away. this should also stretch the back of your hand and wrists. switch position and repeat, hold for a little while (count of ten).same feet as above. raise both arms above head and alternate reaching up with them while keeping arms straight. when one is down, your shoulder blade should sink into your back and the other is reaching up giving a stretch under your arm.. you can do this with hands flat, or you can add a wrist twist each time you reach up. its like you are picking apples from a tree. do this relatively quickly, (we do it in time to our music, obviously) but not so quick that you dont' get a good stretch on each reach and the movement isnt deliberate. you can lower your arms so you are reaching in front of you, and shoulders going front to back, and also bend over at the waist as if you were pulling weeds. another variation is to pull your elbow down each time and look over that shoulder (stretches your neck). the movement is as if you were drawing a bow. stand in a lunge sort of stance...one foot out in front, other to the back with knees dropped and hips facing forward. clasp your hands low behind your back and with your torso up right stretch back so you feel it across your chest. then bring hands to front and with hands clasped push away from you. do above your head, keep head upright. change legs so the other is in front, repeat. theres probably some yoga name for this but i dont take yoga so i dont know it smilestretching may or may not make you less likely to injure yourself right after you do it, but it would certainly help to make you overall more flexible and less prone to injury. they're good stretches to do even when you're not doing poi to keep flexible. I have a routine of a bunch of them i am supposed to be doing 3 times a day now.... Pere(who injured the back being dumped by a big wave in the ocean, not doing poi, thankyouverymuch)

SickpuPpyNinja Rockstar!
1,100 posts
Location: Denver, Co. U.S.A.


Posted:
Before starting exercise it is much better for your body to do "Active stretches" (such as doing aerobic style kicks, as an example), as apposed to "Static" stretches (like just bending over and trying to touch your toes). I hope that makes sense. Active stretching warms the muscles up and loosens them at the same time as opposed to Static stretches that just tug on cold tight muscles. For shoulders (I've had some pretty bad shoulder injuries too) I like this stretch: Grab a staff, or broom handle, or whatever stick you can find that's about as long as your entire arm span. Put it up over your shoulders and hold the ends so that you do sort of a Jesus impression, now start rotating at the hips back and forth, swinging your arms around. You should be able to feel the stretch in the front of your shoulder, about where it would start to join with the pectoral muscles if that makes sense. IF you play around the "Jesus" position you can come up with all kinds of great stretches, but be shure to work through your full range of motion and use smooth, fluid movements. Bouncing and jerking your muscles is probobly what messed up your shoulder in the first place. When you finish with your poi or workout or whatever (when your muscles are all warm and loose) then do the static stretches for a cool down. When you stretch at the end of a hard work out it helps greatly to reduce soreness.Anyway I hope this helps.Oh, I almost forgot once the injury begins to heal being more active with the injury will actually speed up recovery time (that is if it is a muscle injury and not cartilage damage, or bone damage) but you have to be careful. Poi would probobly be good exercise if you practice with some thing light like a rope with socks on the end instead of chains and wicks.

Jesus helps me trick people.


vacagiradoGOLD Member
Member
1 post
Location: USA


Posted:
I have a shoulder problem as well.

had some pain in my shoulder a few weeks ago so I have been taking it easy. Now it does not hurt and I was going to start practicing again, however, when I rotate it around it does not seem as smooth as normal. I don’t know if it has always been like that or I am just noticing it now because I am paranoid. You know how sometime you can kinda feel stuff grating along inside your shoulder, mine seems to have a lot of that. So I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about or just work through it if it does not hurt. Or might I be risking some kind of serious injury and making it worse. Any help would be great,

thanks

Vaca

natasqiaddict
489 posts
Location: Perth


Posted:
erm... Trying to answer this as best as possible, but I'm sure you understand advice from and Australian medical student just doesn't compare to a visit from the doctors.

It would depend on what type of pain it was before... on what movement etc.

Was it a traumatic injury? do you think you tore a muscle (the rotator cuff is the group of muscles that form a capsule around the shoulder)

Could it be arthirtis? How old are you? have you damaged the joint much? do you have a family history of arthitis, ether osteo or rheumatoid (this is a long shot if you haven't previously injured it)

Have you dislocated this shoulder before? maybe a bit of cartilage broke off and is now in the joint, causing the grinding.

So, there's a lot it could be and it would be best to go see a doctor who can do specific tests to know what it is.

If it's a tear, yes you can make it worse.. but that usually doesn't cause grinding.

If it's arthritis, yes using it can make i worse... but nothing can really reverse the damage thats done already.

And if you have something in the joint making trouble, yes using it will make it worse as it will rub the smooth covering off the joint.

That said... lots of joints just creak... both my shoulders and knees do. It's called crepitas. and a lot of the time there is no reason for it, and it doesn't mean anything is damaged and moving the joint doesn't make it worse.

So, I can't diagnose you, but at least you have some more idea of what could be happening.

Go see a doctor! :P

su2ponewbie
12 posts

Posted:
i have simalar trouble with my shoulders. i pulled a muscle while hooping. i started african dance a while ago and the warm up did wonders for my shoulders although did not stop the problem completely but if i could stop moving for 5 minutes id probably get better.

shoulder stretch: raise both shoulders together and drop them, repeat several times. make circle with your right shoulder forward, then do the same with your left shoulder but backwards, repeat several times. then trie to do this both at the same time (right forward while left backward). repeat the process the other way round (right backward etc.) push your chin forward and backward slowly, then move your head from side to side several times, do some head rolls slowly and your all warmed up..
it worked for me hope it helps.

PhaiGOLD Member
member
113 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
I've found the following exercise immensely helpful to release tension in my shoulders. I use it both before dancing, and as a cool down. As well as anytime I feel that unwelcome twinge in my right shoulder. wink



Rotate one shoulder anti-clockwise while the other shoulder simultaneously rotates clockwise. However, you should practise this, er, 'split-time'. So one shoulder is at the peak of it's rotation clock-wise while your second shoulder is in the trough of it's anti-clockwise turn.




This will feel abit weird the first few times you try it (strangely enough, I always feel like I'm imitating Thomas the Tank Engine ubblol) but I've found it gradually relaxes tense muscles running from your shoulder blades to your neck. Don't aim for speed, instead try to visualise a full circle so you don't end up with your shoulder 'jogging' up and down.

However, natasqi is right, and I also visit my chiropractor on occasions where I feel a persistent burn or swelling throughout my back.


Hope this helps any and everyone out there with dodgy twinges hug


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