Right Hand Dominance

[Ottocs]

Hi Guys,

 

I just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced what I am experiencing at the moment, just so that I have a heads up as to what to expect? & possibly what I could do to speed up the rehab process?

Initially I thought I was just unfit, I noticed when I was riding with some mates, the switchbacks I used to have no problem on, on my bmx were now almost impossible to ride, my bunny hop wasn’t working out too well, in fact almost not existent, overall control was not great so I decided to start riding more frequently – as this should build my strength. Quite the opposite, I actually starting hating riding, walking running, pretty much everything. The more I did the weaker I got ...the last “race” I did was the 94.7 30km MTB, I came off 7 or 8 times – On none of these occasions was I actually moving, I would stop, put my leg down and it would just cave in. I could barely walk when I finished.

I have been to neuro surgeons, chiropractors, podiatrists and a randomly, out there herbal healer.

No one really diagnosed anything, the podiatrist said I had drop foot – at least that’s what the symptoms looked like, MRI told the neuro there was nothing wrong with my spine except for an old injury that had pretty much healed. My chiropractor after a while diagnosed that it is a possibility that I have piriformis syndrome, and he believes that this could have been aggravated by a fall off the roof two years ago (don’t ask). He then recommended that I go and see a biokineticist as he felt my right hand side of my body was dominating all movements.

I’m my head I realised that this hypothesis made sense- Basically everything I was doing was with one leg - so I went to the bio – not telling her anything – just hoping she would have some answers, she said that my core muscles are almost not existent and my right hand side had dominated movements to such a degree that my left calf and quad was even slightly smaller than my right... Anyways she gave me some exercises to do, very basic exercises, however I almost cry when I do them, not because they hurt, just because I guess these were movements I had always taken for granted, and now I’m shaking like a old man when I do them.

I’m experiencing some pain in my right lower back, but the bio believes this is my body realigning (something to that extent) ... I’ve been like this for two years so I don’t expect to heal overnight, but just the exercises she has given me are giving me huge confidence and I feel like my left leg is now reconnected to my body.

It would be nice to know what to expect from someone whom has experienced something similar?

[V12man]

Are you saying you are getting progressively weaker? I think you have to find the right diagnosis first before trying to rehabilitate things....

[Ottocs]

I'm saying that I was progressively getting weaker. The diagnosis now makes sense and things seem to be improving, i was told by the bio not to overdo it as the muscles have been sitting in an almost dormant state for a while. Essentially if someone says "hey i experienced this try swimming, its great for you spine" that would help, rather than "hey man go bang out 100 calve raises because your leg is well rested" essentially ... if anyone has recommendations that are mild in nature, but will help, or what i can expect. Like i don't understand why my right lower back is sore, because i'm only exercising my left hand side? Is that normal ?

Edited September 12, 2014 by Ottocs

[V12man]

It is true that there is a certain amount of crossover when you train 1 side only - especially with back exercises where there is a fair amount of torso stabilisation needed, I would imagine that there could be some stiffness/pain related to that, depending on the exact exercises you have been doing. What other investigations have been done? have you had an MRI done and where, have you had an EEG done? any others?

[Skylark]

Majority of people have noticeably more developed muscles on their dominant sides leg/arm muscles etc, that alone wouldn't cause what you are experiencing unless it's to a very extreme level. It would cause imbalance, perhaps sore compensating muscles rather than weakness?

[Ottocs]

Not too much investigation work done to be honest, I had a MRI at Sunninghill - Dr Retief, which he said nothing looked too much out of the ordinary. EEG was recommended, which I will possibly looking into. I`ve only been with the bio a week and I can actually feel a shift, which I have not got from anyone else, so im gonna give it a month or two, worst case, back to the drawing board, but I feel positive, things seem to be looking up. Just seems like this has never happened to anyone else... which makes it a little harder to remain positive, I`m gonna head out for a ride today see how it feels, in the last two years my longest ENJOYABLE ride has probably been about 15km. So I don't expect miracles, but ... it would have been nice to know anyone else has experienced something remotely similar so that I know its not just psychological.

[Ottocs]

Yeh look its an unusual case, which everyone I see tells me. Right hand side dominance to a degree that Iast week I could do maybe 2 calf raises (no weights) second one shakey and could not hop on just my left leg. Stand on my left leg and bend my knee, and come back up ... not possible. I`m feeling like this is gonna come right, but Rome wasn't built in a day. There is no question that my left leg is a problem as well as my core, so ill address what I know and hopefully take it from there..

[V12man]

Yeh look its an unusual case, which everyone I see tells me. Right hand side dominance to a degree that Iast week I could do maybe 2 calf raises (no weights) second one shakey and could not hop on just my left leg. Stand on my left leg and bend my knee, and come back up ... not possible. I`m feeling like this is gonna come right, but Rome wasn't built in a day. There is no question that my left leg is a problem as well as my core, so ill address what I know and hopefully take it from there..

Interesting case - I would send you for that eeg, and do a brain MRI - your symptoms don't look like a dominance problem to me at all - I think you need a reputable neurologist to help you track this one down.

[Ottocs]

Yeh interesting - after explaining symptoms to anyone you have this feeling that people looking at you like you just told them you have been abducted and molested by aliens. Dr Retief wanted the Brain MRI, but medical aid only cover 1 MRI a year and at 12k a pop, yeh. I will track it down in the next 3 months and get it right. The theory from the bio is that hip and glute are providing no stabilisation and therefore the pelvis is not aligned (something to that effect), and therefore, this squashes nerve endings and creates numbness and the back pain? Damnit, I was hoping for some positivity, this is depressing me. But should the bio fail ... ill seek out a neurologist and hopefully put this thing to sleep. Thanks anyways.

[Dirtbreath]

I have had right abdominals removed so my whole body is out of tilt. My main pain is in the right SI joint with deferred pain to the right hip/pelvis. I saw my surgeon about this recently as I thought my mesh might be detatching which he confirmed was not the case but rather nerve pain. I spent 2 weeks on Celebrex which seems to have helped and reduced the pain in the SI and hip. There is however a new dull pain in the lower sacral spine but I now have more mobility.

 

I work with a pilates instructor doing stretching exercises and what I have found is that some stiffness/pain/nervous reaction is on the weaker side and other times on the compensatory side.

 

Doubt it has any relevance but hope you come right.

[mada3400]

dude, you cant say that you fell off a roof and then tell us not to ask...

 

thats like putting peanut butter infront of a dog and saying "NO"