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Approaching My Pole After Injury
January 2010 I had been poling about a year, taking the self taught/watch and learn approach but surprisingly things were moving along well. I had a few long time goals met along with some more advanced move success under my belt… Needless to say I was exstatic and began to get the courage and faith in myself to try and conquer even more. Working on my iguana mount one night I began to get over confident in myself and ended up attempting a lunchbox without my spotter (he had stepped out on a call) I slipped my grip falling straight down from a lunchbox. The pressure of the fall landed between my neck and shoulder breaking my collarbone. No doubt I was very irresponsible & foolish. However, that was almost two years ago… Now I see my pole sisters and how beautifully they have flourished and by far bypassed my abilities. I can’t help but feel envious and a huge dent of discouragement. I’ve lost so much strength. It’s been 2 years… I feel like what’s the point. I look back on the moves I once could do in my sleep, now have my heart bout to explode. My gracefulness has faded and my moves are sloppy. I recently moved so now I have no pole lovers around except for all of you online. Which I’m still very grateful for don’t get me wrong, if it wasn’t for this site I don’t know what I would do! I just wanted to know if there were any others out there who share a story similar to mine and what I can do to get my groove back so to speak??? I LOVE my pole… But my body doesn’t seem to flow with the pole as much as my heart does anymore. I guess I also have some fear from my fall as well, ugh… I feel like a failure!!
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5 Replies
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Amber, I know how you feel. While I may not have had an injury (besides, if you count it, my stupid tendonitis!), I do tend to fall in and out with my pole…I'll usually be doing awesome things! Have done a great CKR, or started working on more advanced spins…and then, I'll just stop. My longest was for 8 months.
I've lost all my flow, all my strength, and gone back to the beginning. A few times. It's been 3 years since I first started pole dancing, and I've never once done a basic invert. I see so many people here who start and surpass me by FAR, within a few months.
However, Pankake told me something that really hit home, and it was so simple: This isn't a competition!
You had a very unfortunate thing happen, and whether or not it was silly, it happened, and I'm sure you suffered more than your share for it. These things happen to many, as this is a dangerous aerial sport we undertake! I'm sure we're all well aware of the dangers, even if we're not expecting them to happen at the time. This is the nature of humans, I find.
Your brain remembers, you want it and you love it…so get back to it! This is all part of your journey. Yes, things may not be the same as they were before…but would you really want them to be? Do you think that the pole would keep bringing you back if, every time you did a move, it was exactly the same? I know I love the subtle varieties. Every time I come back, I learn something new.
The tough thing for me is that I remember these moves, and yet I cannot physically do them. I remember doing a carousel spin, but can I do one properly right now? Nope. Not strong enough. I remember doing a Cradle spin (the brief time that I could, in fact, do one) but can I do it again? Not a chance. It continues to elude me…but I think I'm getting closer!
Your fear and flow will change over time. You'll get better and worse as you go. Things happen, and sometimes you just have to take a step back for a while and consider. But, you can embrace it again, and get just as much joy from it as you did before! Perhaps even more. 🙂
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Runemist, what a great reply. I needed to read that too! I blew my knee out early this year and had ACL reconstruction about 6 months ago. I can pole again finally, but yes – all of my strength is gone and so is my confidence.
I am having a hard time enjoying pole just to enjoy it – I keep comparing myself to where I was and it is taking all of the fun out of it. AmberJade, I hope it gets better for both of us!https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
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Yes, it feels so frustrating to be starting over … I had a fall last January, and still haven't recovered to where I was last December. But I have to remind myself, I did that before, so I can do it again. What we need to remember is how much we love it, and just do it for the love of it!
Runemist, tendonitis IS an injury — an overuse injury. I learned during PT for my fall-injury that tightness in my forearm flexors and extensors were causing my wrist pain, by pinsching nerves. So I've been massaging and stretching (Veena has stretches for that) the dickens outta'em! And it has improved, but recovering from that has taken longest of all.
For anyone who hasn't suscribed to Veena's lessons — they are a wealth of information, even if you are at a studio. And they are a bargain, a year's worth of lessons for less than what most of us pay for a month at a studio. Pay special attention to the progressions she teaches. There are multiple strengthening and stretching exercises, and well as instruction for beginner thru advanced moves.
The foam roller exerciseo alone are worth it! I've been using my foam roller for 4-5 years, and learned plenty from that series. The splits lessons is another treasure. The routines. And plenty of inspirations ne'm everyone's vids here!
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descalzada- Well, good to know then! Unfortunately, I don't think I can massage my rotator thing in my shoulder… it's sort of buried in there! I've had tendonitis in my ankles, my forearms…lots of places. The shoulder, though, that's been the worst, and the most painful!
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Rune, I strained all the muscles from my mid-line (chest & back) thru wrist, including all the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. I went for physical therapy for all that. Where there's injury, there's scar tissue, and that's what massage can soften up. I've found the pole is a great massage tool, especially for those small forearm flexors and extensors, and the muscles in my back and shoulder where it's too hard to use the foam roller.
Back yourself up against the pole and wiggle around until you feel an area begging for release, and then press a little, wiggle a little, press a little more.
Note that using the foam roller on a tight or injured area is painful! procede with caution. But very effective, and got the PT's blessing for it. Also got her approval for doing some supported holds, the traction seemed to loosen things up. Requires "listening to your body" — and if you know how to do this, you might find benefit from constructive use of pole.
Veena's lessons were extremely helpful in my recovery … stretching, re-strengthening, re-learning everything! My PT recommended warming up an area with heat before, reducing inflammation with ice afterward. The hooping lessons Veena introduced a few days ago are also helpful! just a more interesting kind of warm up, if done with care and not too ballistically (ie, without momentum)
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