| nj1996 |
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Im a sophmore in highschool, in love with running from my veys first day. I started running track a year ago, and towards the end of the season i developed some shooting pain and numbness in my leg. My coach told me it was siatica and explained the problem and showed me some streches for to get rid of it. It went away for some time, througout summer training, then came back during XC. i took time off, and ran with a bit of pain at the end of the season. this winter i swam, in hopes that it would some how help. during the season i still ran alot, without much pain, but now not even a week into the outdoor track season its returned, and hit hard. i need help some suggestions, the chiropractor only made it worse, and i olny have a week untill the first meet. an appointment with a deep-muscle message theirpist has been made. one of my coaches suggested accupuncture, is this a good idea? i feel like im out of most of the "typical options" and at a dead end, anyone have some suggestions, or expirence with this problem? thanks |
| Neliah2507 |
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Research physical therapists in your area and find one that is exceptionally good with pelvic/lumbar issues. The key is to find someone who has knowledge in how your hips interact with your lower back so they can check your alignment. What brings on your "sciatica"? Sciatica is more of a symptom than it is an injury. You are treating it more as if it's the sole problem when it most likely isn't. Granted, swimming may make it feel better because it involves less impact and hip flexion. However, it doesn't mean that structurally you have fixed whatever problem is causing it. If this pain has gotten worse I would strongly recommend getting lower lumbar imaging to check for any type of dynamic disc bulge that might be occurring (especially around L4-L5). That would mean that there could be a disc that protrudes slightly in your lower vertebrae when you do certain movements like spinal flexion (bending forward or doing repetitive hip flexion which places compressive loads on the spine when running). You want to make sure there is nothing structurally wrong. Stretching could potentially make a disc bulge worse. Lay on your back with your feet planted flat on the floor and both legs extended straight out resting on the floor. Raise the leg straight up as high as you can lift it keeping your knee straight. At the end of the motion (as far as your range allows) point your toes towards your body by pushing your heel towards the ceiling. Note the feeling of tightness/tension in your hamstrings (the muscles on the back of your thigh. NOW, do the same thing but on your bad leg. Be slow and gentle when raising the leg straight. Try to see if your range of motion in the "bad" leg is worse. Can you extend the leg as high as you can in the "good" leg? What does it feel like when you pull your toes towards your body? Does it recreate the shooting pain or giving you a lot of discomfort? If so, I definitely recommend getting the MRI of your spine and being evaluated by an orthopedic. |
| Moronic |
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Googling 'piriformis syndrome' may help. I.E.: http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/piri.html "piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the buttocks and referring pain along the course of the sciatic nerve. This referred pain, called "sciatica", often goes down the back of the thigh and/or into the lower back. Patients generally complain of pain deep in the buttocks, which is made worse by sitting, climbing stairs, or performing squats. The piriformis muscle assists in abducting and laterally rotating the thigh.". Above all, avoid chiropractors like the plague, especially where back/pelvis are concerned. |
| Neliah2507 |
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There is always the possibility of the piriformis aggravating the sciatic nerve but the fact that she has experienced sciatica on/off for multiple seasons tells me that if it was simply a "tight piriformis" that the stretching would have helped her by now. Only about 15% of the population has their sciatic nerve running through the piriformis. The piriformis doesn't just randomly stay tight for no reason. It's a SYMPTOM -- which means it's normally a secondary issue and there is an underlying biomechanical stress somewhere in the lumbar/pelvic area that is causing it. Chances are this girl has an underlying issue. I don't mean to impose with any arguments, but I also think it's unfair to claim that all people who practice a particular profession are worthless. This might ruin the chance for someone to help a patient with a particular problem simply because you've had a bad experience. While I will say to the original poster that there are a fair amount of careless chiropractors, there are also many great ones. The same goes for physical therapists. That is why I suggested doing some online research or even asking a PT/Chiro over the phone what areas they consider their specialty and what specific techniques they provide. The other reason I suggest imaging at this point is because 15 years of age is a key time for congenital issues to slowly creep to the surface (it's shortly after the onset of puberty for most girls). It's not only a big time for a growth spurt but also when the hips are changing rather drastically. Current research has shown that many girls your age who are going through this developmental period have been found to have dynamic disc bulges or slightly herniated discs because of rapid growth changes, sitting in classrooms for long periods of time, and then doing demanding activities after school. I actually just worked with a 16 year old girl who was complaining of the same symptoms this winter who played basketball. We had her gently stretching for about 2 weeks and foam rolling but the sciatica was not improving. She showed a lot of signs of flexion intolerance and also had some vague symptoms of hip pain. I suggested an orthopedic to her to look at not just her hips but also her lower back to get an MRI. Turns out she has a mild case of dysplasia which predisposed her to a disc bulge at S1-L5. She had a great rehab and her sciatica is gone although she still has mild hip pain. In that instance continuing to stretch would have hurt her in the end because the stretch is placing her into flexion at the spine. |
| nj1996 |
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There is always the possibility of the piriformis aggravating the sciatic nerve but the fact that she has experienced sciatica on/off for multiple seasons tells me that if it was simply a "tight piriformis" that the stretching would have helped her by now. Only about 15% of the population has their sciatic nerve running through the piriformis. The piriformis doesn't just randomly stay tight for no reason. It's a SYMPTOM -- which means it's normally a secondary issue and there is an underlying biomechanical stress somewhere in the lumbar/pelvic area that is causing it. Chances are this girl has an underlying issue. I don't mean to impose with any arguments, but I also think it's unfair to claim that all people who practice a particular profession are worthless. This might ruin the chance for someone to help a patient with a particular problem simply because you've had a bad experience. While I will say to the original poster that there are a fair amount of careless chiropractors, there are also many great ones. The same goes for physical therapists. That is why I suggested doing some online research or even asking a PT/Chiro over the phone what areas they consider their specialty and what specific techniques they provide. The other reason I suggest imaging at this point is because 15 years of age is a key time for congenital issues to slowly creep to the surface (it's shortly after the onset of puberty for most girls). It's not only a big time for a growth spurt but also when the hips are changing rather drastically. Current research has shown that many girls your age who are going through this developmental period have been found to have dynamic disc bulges or slightly herniated discs because of rapid growth changes, sitting in classrooms for long periods of time, and then doing demanding activities after school. I actually just worked with a 16 year old girl who was complaining of the same symptoms this winter who played basketball. We had her gently stretching for about 2 weeks and foam rolling but the sciatica was not improving. She showed a lot of signs of flexion intolerance and also had some vague symptoms of hip pain. I suggested an orthopedic to her to look at not just her hips but also her lower back to get an MRI. Turns out she has a mild case of dysplasia which predisposed her to a disc bulge at S1-L5. She had a great rehab and her sciatica is gone although she still has mild hip pain. In that instance continuing to stretch would have hurt her in the end because the stretch is placing her into flexion at the spine.[/quote] uhm... im a dude. |
| Neliah2507 |
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Haha, sorry! I can't tell what made me assume you were female. While it does leave you a bit less predisposed to having a hip or lower back condition I would still suggest the same clinical route in terms of having someone do some quick imaging of your lower back to check on the possibility of a disc issue...that is if you don't see permanent responses to stretching and PT. The reason I say that is because you are potentially playing with fire if there is an underlying disc issue. And if there isn't you can be assured that you won't injure yourself doing specific strengthening for other areas. Sorry again! Good luck. |