Re: SPOOKED AT MUSCLE SPASM ??

[JPascu <JPascu@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-04-15 08:50:04 EDT, you write:

<< My only thought was
that when I was putzing around with the gate (and leaning to one side) my
horse had to use extra back muscles to counter my lopsided weight and that is
what brought on the spasm. >>

This is very possible. More than just a spasm you may have attributed to a
subluxation of a vertebra. The horse adjusted itself with the buck. 
I won't go into an explanation of the spinal mechanics of the spine, but use
the analogy of a auto transimission, in order to shift without grinding gears
one needs to go through neutral. The spine is also like this, it needs to go
back into neutral before shifting into another position.
 I see quite a few bicyclists in my human practice that have "thrownout" their
backs dismounting after a long ride. Their having spent a long time in forward
lumbar felxion, "fixes" their soft tissue in this position, when they attempt
to dismount their spine is not able to disengage quickly enough and the
muscles spasm.
I was once mounting my horse when he was bit by a deer fly. I threw myself
into the saddle, felt a twinge in my back and ended riding with a leg giving
me electric shock therapy. Being from that "no pain no gain" school I
continued to ride for 4 hours. A chiropractic adjustment helped, but what
really relieved it was releasing the piriformis muscle that had spasmed and
was impinging on the sciatic nerve.

 >>>While I was grooming my horse that morning I
found a muscle and response that interested me.  When I scrubbed his rump
about four inches down and to the left of the top of his tail he would raise
his back.  The location was right were that butt muscle (that goes straight
down the back of the leg) ties in at the top (wish I knew the correct name for
the muscle).>>>

This muscle is a Hamstring, it attached into a large sheet of fascia the
lumbar aponeurosis as well as sending fibers to the sacrum. Hypertonicity in
the hamstrings will cause a shortened stride in the rear. When the horse is
standing still, the same with a human, it can effect the positioning of the
pelvis. 
If you palpate the inside border of the hamstring, just above the point of the
butt, you may find a "soft" nodule. This is probably a "latent" trigger point,
one that is not active and referring pain. It is an area that is not moving
and the circulation is reduced. This means that the cells, muscle cells, are
not getting as much nutrition as they need and their waste products are not
being removed, the squishy stuff is the congestion. 
I recommend Jack Meaghers book, Beating Muscle Injuries as a very inexpensive
way to learn the basics of working with this kind of issue. If you are trying
his techniques and the issue doesn't resolve, have you DVM come out and look
into it.
Sorry this is so long, cold medicine must have caffeine in it.

jim pascucci
Certified Advanced Rolfer