I think I tore a muscle...

I've been working out a lot lately, mostly interval weight training with my own body weight, I got this book called Be Your Own Gym which I've been really enjoying...
Anyway, the workouts they suggest are super intense, like 12 minutes or so but you are working at your maximum intensity. Usually I can't do a whole lot of the arm exercises and I give out while doing those, but I always push through with the leg and butt exercises.
Well, one exercise called a pendulum proved really challenging, and I did it the day after doing jumping side lunges which really wore out my legs and butt. So I got really, really sore to a point where after quickly sprinting from the parking lot to the store the next day, my legs and butt went from shaking really bad to where I couldn't feel them and was unsure if they were really holding me up or I was going to fall down...
Well, after 2 days I thought the soreness was gone, but I bent down today to pick up Jake and felt this really sharp pain, the same kind of pain that you get after getting penicillin shots, or also similar to when your muscle involuntarily contracts and balls up (this happens to my calfs in my sleep pretty often). It was only on one side near my butt/leg. And it didn't just go away I've basically been in pain since...
I'm worried because I wanted to keep working out and this is making me stop ....Does anyone who has experience working out know anything about this? Can I go back to working out or should I stop until the pain goes away completely?

Stop till the pain subsides

I agree hun, you don't want to cause any further damage. I would wait. Hope you feel better soon though!

Ice, heat, and anti-inflammatories. Naproxen has some muscle relaxing properties, so it's usually what's suggested/prescribed in these situations. You could go to the doc if you wish, but you'll get the same advice unless you want expensive imaging done. Though, the prescription naproxen is a slightly higher dose than OTC (aleve) and a little stronger formulation - plus costs about the same as the OTC.

Where precisely is the pain? Inside/center or groin area or is it more on the outer part of the butt/hip - leg area?
I'm thinking you didn't do anything to any muscles, but instead may have done a twisting motion at some point and have some inflammation in your back now (nerve compression can cause numbness). In any case, you'll know it if takes a while to go away and comes back in the future.

What strange_wings said. I'd definitely do the ice thing and then some heat to the area to try to reduce any swelling or inflamed muscles. And yes, you need to stop until that pain is gone; if not, you could risk doing further damage.

that you'll be feeling fine in no time!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Ice, heat, and anti-inflammatories. Naproxen has some muscle relaxing properties, so it's usually what's suggested/prescribed in these situations. You could go to the doc if you wish, but you'll get the same advice unless you want expensive imaging done.

Though, the prescription naproxen is a slightly higher dose than OTC (aleve) and a little stronger formulation - plus costs about the same as the OTC.

Where precisely is the pain? Inside/center or groin area or is it more on the outer part of the butt/hip - leg area?
I'm thinking you didn't do anything to any muscles, but instead may have done a twisting motion at some point and have some inflammation in your back now (nerve compression can cause numbness). In any case, you'll know it if takes a while to go away and comes back in the future.

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It's in the butt/hip area ..Actually it's more towards my lower back on the right side, but it seems to start hurting when I move my leg a certain way
I think you could be right that it may not have to do with the muscle- it seems to be that I feel the sharp pain only when I do certain movements, like if I bend down to pick something up and it doesn't go away for a few minutes, and then it slowly gets better and after an hour it's gone, but if I do the same movement again the same thing happens. It happened like 3 or 4 times since last night..It's weird because most people complain of that sort of thing in their back not their hip...
I dunno, thanks for the vibes anyway I just hope it gets better so I can keep working out...I don't want it to mess up my routine

Originally Posted by ut0pia

It's weird because most people complain of that sort of thing in their back not their hip...

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Actually, L4-L5 and L5-S1 commonly refer pain out into the hip and pelvis, and usually to one side. Mine usually refers out to the left side of my pelvis. My DH's usually refers out to the right side of his pelvis - he'll get the butt/hip/leg numbness occasionally. Try icing your lower back (just a bit above your tailbone) instead of your hip or pelvis and see if you feel a bit more relief from that.
You're just now getting into or towards your mid-twenties, correct? If so, you're certainly within the range to start having a few back issues, especially if you've been active when younger (school sports) or just had negligent lifting practices (we're all guilty of that when we were younger).

In any case, rest you back and muscles for a while and get the inflammation better. Look up back friendly stretches and strengthening exercises and make sure your core muscles are strong enough to support the other exercises you wish to do. Pilates are good for this.

A little at a time will eventually get you more fit. But injuries will majorly set you back, so always be careful. I hope you get better.
If you notice this becoming a chronic issue see a doc, but they'll need to get you in for an MRI to properly check your spine.

its just a little inflammation and you'll be back using your body as a gym in no time. !!!

That sounds like the pain I get when my back "goes out". I tend to have herniated disks in my low back (L4/L5 and L5/L6). The pain starts in the middle of my back usually on the right, then goes down my hip and my hamstring. In addition to using Biofreeze (similar to Icy Hot), taking Midol (it has an anti-inflammatory in it), doing ice & heat, I hightail it to the chiropractor. I also have some yoga stretches especially to strengthen the low back which has helped tremendously.

^No wonder your herniated discs aren't healing. Any "adjusting" can cause further tearing of them.

You can't "tend" to have them, btw. Either you do or you don't. If you're lucky they can heal after a couple years, though once one gets around their 40s that doesn't tend to happen. And unless you have a spinal deformity, there's no L6. It ends at L5 and goes into the scarum.

Actually, I did spinal decompression and then had another MRI. The disks were back in line. Now the adjustments keep me pain free and moving easily. However, if I get too stressed, those muscles will start pulling on those disks and pinching on those nerves.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Actually, I did spinal decompression and then had another MRI. The disks were back in line. Now the adjustments keep me pain free and moving easily. However, if I get too stressed, those muscles will start pulling on those disks and pinching on those nerves.

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You know that the discs aren't attached to the ligaments in your back that get tightened up, right? Sublaxation in a normal person's spine doesn't happen like chiros try to tell people, either (hypermobile individuals are different). Your back is naturally flexible and the spine moves and adjusts itself on it's own to it's proper alignment. Things like chronic bad posture will have an effect on the spine, but again over time.

If an MRI showed torn discs and they suddenly went away it's suspect that the first MRI was either poor quality, misread, or not even yours. They just don't go away, your body has to actually heal them and it takes time. Anytime a bulging or torn disc is suspected and especially if it's diagnosed doctors (you know, real doctors with a degree in medicine) advise you to stay away from chiropractic care - my own included, though he really didn't have to tell me that.
Nothing proves that it does any good, it's actually been studied quite a bit without real findings to prove it. But in some cases it causes damage and in a worst case scenario paralyzation or cauda equina syndrome.

My own mother never listened to me and now her neck is seriously messed up from years of going to chiros - she thought they were helping because she had temporary pain relief at the time. She never questioned that it kept coming back and getting worse each time.

I'm not going to argue with you about it. I know what's helped me and what's worked for me. I've had long term improvement, not short-term, unlike many who opt for constant pain pills, surgery, and other things. My primary care physician, an MD with many years of practice, originally sent me to another MD (neurologist) with many years of experience for decompression therapy. This particular neurologist ONLY does decompression therapy now because of the better results he's seen over the years with his patients. Because the neuro was out recovering from a heart attack, I decided to talk to my chiro about it. Not only did he have the exact same machine (the neuro's office had sent me a big packet of literature including info on the machine), he charged me half of what the neuro would've charged me.

I am merely giving the OP an alternate form of treatment that is less invasive. Let's leave it at that.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I was just trying to offer the OP an alternative to invasive measures.

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I'm not really getting why you think proper stretches and strenthening of the back is more invasive? Unless it's because of the work involved to exercise. Surgery isn't an option unless your back is bad. If you had it suggested to you right off the bat you should have sought another opinion - PT and anti-inflammatories are usually tried first, or even several times.

Its possible that either you have another spine issue, such as arthritis, if you're getting relief. Consider yourself lucky, it ruined my mother's neck and because my parents were idiotic enough to take a 7 year old to a chiro - it started my spinal issues at a young age.

Oh the joy of bipedal locomotion....
At the moment stretching hurts more than any other movement..So I won't be doing any of that any time soon..
But I think it's a little better than last night.
Thanks for the suggestions and vibes.

I'm glad you're feeling a little better than you were.