Team Myles

Injury Report #2: Sciatic Nerve in the Lower Leg

April 16th, 2010 at 4:35 pm | No Comments

 What a mess this was.

12 KM into a 16KM run in early February and I was suddenly hit with extreme pain in my right leg.  I could barely walk, let alone run.  It took me forever to get home, as I hobbled up the hills of Bedford.

The pain extended from my ankle to the top of my hip, and I first went to IT band.  I have had IT band issues in the past, and although this pain was different, it did feel familiar.  I booked an RMT appointment to get my ITB stripped, which seemed to help (in retrospect I think it was part placebo, part leg flush that resulted in me feeling better!). But the next day I was hobbling around the house.  Not good.

Monday came and I booked an appointment to see Rob at Scotia Physiotherapy.  The RMT thought that it was one of three things – ITB Syndrome, Compartment Syndrome, or Shin Splints. I did have some tibialis issues late last year, so anything was possible.  But Rob felt it was neither of those.  One of the joints in my knee was close to locked, and this happened to be where the sciatic nerve transits the knee.  Although there was no obvious neurological symptoms present, there was also no acute tendon or muscle issue.  All strength was there (no strain), no swelling, and extreme pain that followed the path that the peronel branch of the sciatic neve takes on its way to ones foot. So the remaining possibility was some damage/pinching/issue related to the sciatic nerve.

Very odd to say the least.  Something was causing me pain, the root cause of which was unclear.  I put my feet up for two weeks.  My first run after that period was barely 15 minutes, and it was horrible.  An obvious off-balance gait spread muscle tension across my lower back and both legs!  And it hurt. Big time.

I hunkered down and we tried a shotgun approach of therapies – hoping that one or a combination of them would solve my problems.  ITB rolling, tension band exercises, muscle learning exercises, new stretches, ice, heat, massage, ultrasound, and intra-muscular stimulation.  You name it, I tried it.

Five weeks after the original symptoms presented themselves, I could run without an obvious limp and without grimacing every step.  Today I am about 85% or 90% there….I have no problem with the miles (see my earlier post below), but there is still pain and I ice after every run. 

Although I was worried at one point, I am fully committed to the half, although my goal of a new PB has been blown out of the water!  My new goal is to finish, and perhaps a week out I might attach a time to that.