Sore inner thighs ??

[AJM]

Crikey I feel like I've been posting a lot lately Not sure whether this should be in Ski Tips or not but I think it might be due to some technique issue.
So I think many of us have experienced the good old thigh burn due to being in the backseat but I've experienced inner thigh burn twice now this season, first it was early in the season when I was on my Sheeva 9's and now its happened again after skiing yesterday on my Mindender 85's. My quads as a whole are fine (I've done a lot of rehab work on my quads which has paid off) but this inner thigh thing has me stumped as Ive never had it before.
Has anyone else experienced this ? Is it a technique thing or is it all part of coming back from injury?

 

[MissySki]

Interesting.. I find early season that I get soreness in my outer thighs, but can’t say I’ve had the issue with inner thighs.

 

[AJM]

Interesting.. I find early season that I get soreness in my outer thighs, but can’t say I’ve had the issue with inner thighs.

Me either until now Its only happened twice but I havent a clue why !!

 

[liquidfeet]

@AJM, I'm wondering specifically where this inner thigh burn is located.
Here are the muscles of the upper leg. Can you identify which muscles in this illustration are located where your inner thigh burn happens?

 

[AJM]

@AJM, I'm wondering specifically where this inner thigh burn is located.
Here are the muscles of the upper leg. Can you identify which muscles in this illustration are located where your inner thigh burn happens?

Thanks for the diagram @liquidfeet , it would be the Vastus Medialis . Its so strange as I've never had it before.
I've had the Lateralis burn before, usually on the first couple of days of the season then it goes away.
Its also strange that it has affected me both on my wider Sheeva's and my narrower softer Mindbenders.
So not sure if its a technique issue or something else.

 

[Jilly]

@liquidfeet - would getting the skis on a higher edge angle do this? I'm thinking the narrower skis can get a higher angle than her Sheeva's.

I'm like @MissySki, if I don't do enough abductor and adductor work in the fall....the whole outside will hurt for a few days.

 

[AJM]

@liquidfeet - would getting the skis on a higher edge angle do this? I'm thinking the narrower skis can get a higher angle than her Sheeva's.

That's what I was wondering but it happened while I was still on Sheevas as well

Perhaps its a sympton associated with my injury and follow up PT ie we didnt focus on this area but mostly on my quads, glutes etc ?

 

[marzNC]

Perhaps its a sympton associated with my injury and follow up PT ie we didnt focus on this area but mostly on my quads, glutes etc ?

Can't say I've ever had issues with inner or outer thigh muscles when skiing, but abductor and adductor exercises were emphasized by my physical therapist and my personal trainer during and after knee rehab. The personal trainer knew I intended to ski.

 

[geargrrl]

Vastus medialis is related to knee stability. How's your workout program? Focus on multiplane lower body stability and strength. Sideways and rotational lunges, stepdowns, different types of squat and single leg deadlifts plus add some balance work.

 

[AJM]

Vastus medialis is related to knee stability. How's your workout program? Focus on multiplane lower body stability and strength. Sideways and rotational lunges, stepdowns, different types of squat and single leg deadlifts plus add some balance work.

Aha well that explains it !!
My workout program has been huge due to my rehab program but I've been limited by what I can do ie lunges and stepdowns (now they were a disaster !) have all been out of bounds at this stage.
I've pretty much cycled the length of NZ on my stationery bike, done loads of balance work, wall sits, clams, single leg squats etc etc.
I did wonder if it was an injury related sympton rather than a technique x

 

[geargrrl]

I used to have constant knee pain from a weak VM muscle. Six months of functional movement strength training fixed it forever (as long as i keep it up lol)

 

[liquidfeet]

@liquidfeet - would getting the skis on a higher edge angle do this? I'm thinking the narrower skis can get a higher angle than her Sheeva's.

I'm like @MissySki, if I don't do enough abductor and adductor work in the fall....the whole outside will hurt for a few days.

I'm going with what @geargrrl has posted.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I mostly get inner thigh soreness from Nordic skiing, but definitely engage the muscles you mention on the hill too. Sounds like the suggestions on focusing on side body work are good ones. Even trunk som de strength will help with skiing balance reciveries. Hopefully just sore muscles not true pain.

 

[AJM]

I mostly get inner thigh soreness from Nordic skiing, but definitely engage the muscles you mention on the hill too. Sounds like the suggestions on focusing on side body work are good ones. Even trunk som de strength will help with skiing balance reciveries. Hopefully just sore muscles not true pain.

Spoke with my PT today and yes its all part of the injury/rehab cycle. As long as its not constant its to be expected and these weird anomalies will crop up from time to time. That's a relief, I thought for a moment it must be a technique issue and I was doing something terribly wrong !!!

 

[liquidfeet]

Thanks for the diagram @liquidfeet , it would be the Vastus Medialis . Its so strange as I've never had it before.
I've had the Lateralis burn before, usually on the first couple of days of the season then it goes away.
Its also strange that it has affected me both on my wider Sheeva's and my narrower softer Mindbenders.
So not sure if its a technique issue or something else.

I remember now times way back in the past when I'd be driving home from skiing and the area above and to the inside of my knees would be HOT. This would be the vastus medialis. The muscle would sort of hurt, but the more important issue for me was the heat. That heat would sometimes last two days. At the time I thought it was the result of skiing "hard" all day.

I don't have that happen any more. My skiing is much better, and I no longer ski in the back seat. Back then I didn't think I was in the back seat, but I was. I now think the back seat issue somehow created the inflammation and its accompanying hear. Given the image I posted, the muscle generating the heat would definitely be the vastus medialis.

 

[liquidfeet]

I just found this about the vastus medialis.

The portion of muscle just above the kneecap is often referred to as vastus medialis oblique or VMO. There is some debate as to whether the VMO is anatomically and functionally distinct from the rest of the muscle or just a part of the muscle.

The VMO plays an important role in stability particularly of the kneecap by resisting the tendency for the patella to move laterally (outwards) due to the femoral angulation and reducing the risk of kneecap dislocation.

In some cases, usually following an injury or due to biomechanics, vastus medialis oblique can become weak, fatigued, mis-fire or switch off altogether. This can lead to problems with patella tracking (how the kneecap moves) and anterior knee pain such as patellofemoral pain syndrome.

(https://www.knee-pain-explained.com/vastus-medialis.html)

So now I'm wondering if the heat I experienced may have been because of A-framing or something like that, not backseat skiing. The A-framing might cause my patella to be in danger of sliding outward, thus triggering the muscle to hold it in place. All day. While I was skiing hard. Just guessing wildly here.

@AJM, does this sound anything like what you are experiencing?

 

[AJM]

I just found this about the vastus medialis.
View attachment 21553
The portion of muscle just above the kneecap is often referred to as vastus medialis oblique or VMO. There is some debate as to whether the VMO is anatomically and functionally distinct from the rest of the muscle or just a part of the muscle.

The VMO plays an important role in stability particularly of the kneecap by resisting the tendency for the patella to move laterally (outwards) due to the femoral angulation and reducing the risk of kneecap dislocation.

In some cases, usually following an injury or due to biomechanics, vastus medialis oblique can become weak, fatigued, mis-fire or switch off altogether. This can lead to problems with patella tracking (how the kneecap moves) and anterior knee pain such as patellofemoral pain syndrome.

(https://www.knee-pain-explained.com/vastus-medialis.html)

So now I'm wondering if the heat I experienced may have been because of A-framing or something like that, not backseat skiing. The A-framing might cause my patella to be in danger of sliding outward, thus triggering the muscle to hold it in place. All day. While I was skiing hard. Just guessing wildly here.

@AJM, does this sound anything like what you are experiencing?

I havent experienced the heat just the feeling of them being strained.
The A framing is definately a possibility as I have really bad alignment esp in the right leg. I've tried canting plates with disasterous results !!
I'm now accepting of the A framing as any external fixes ie canting plates, shims etc just seem to cause me too much pain. I'm conscious of it and really focus on it when I'm skiing but trying to fix it is no longer my mission.

The really weird thing is that I've only experienced the inner thigh pain twice and both of times were weeks apart.
After talking with my PT I've come to understand that all sorts of issues will crop up from time to time while I'm in this recovery stage.

I don't think she's all that happy that I'm pushing myself so hard but she's accepting that I'm like that and we're just rolling with the punches !!
I am now aware that I really cant do 2 days skiing consecutively at the moment. I skied yesterday and had a great time, managed to get off piste for most of the day with great success, even popped off a couple of lips (PT was NOT amused by that!!) so I'm having a rest day today and I'll go back out tomorrow x