My leg is going numb in the middle of speed workouts!

Yes I have experienced somethign similar first thing I did was go to the doctors to have it checked out, then I began taking longer to stretch my quads... and I also took time at night to ice my quads as well.... Try going a few lunge stretches... lift up just right so you can fel you quad being pulled and hold it.

When you say the quad ...how much of the quad. I mean is this numbness streaking up the quad and around the hip at all? Have you had a bad step or damage to the lower back? How about a lift of something where you might have felt a tweak of pain to buttock area either side? My worry is Sciatic, mine was 30 years ago, right buttock. Numbness eventually went away in buttock but still today 30 years later, right thigh can go numb when I am moving out a little doing hard miles. Yours sounds different though...but watch that sciatic. The nerves will generate pain and numbness all over the thigh. let me know ok.

Thanks for the replies.

No tweaking of the lower back or butt, although I have been experiencing a slight pain in my upper hamstring on the same leg, although it does not affect me when I run.

I'm going to try the lunge stretches and see if that helps.

the siatic nerve does NOT run to the front of the leg (quad) it rests in a canal in the hamstrings. occasionally, runners experience an off sequence firing pattern which can result in some general numbness or power discrepency within the quads (on each leg, not each quad muscle). this can be due to a possible leg length inequality also, but to address the issue one must usually look at the glutes.

i think the lunges are a good place to start as they activate the glute muscles. also, try a simple exercise with proper firing: on your stomach (flat), squeeze ONE glute (left or right) FIRMLY, HOLD THE FLEXION and then lift your leg up. continue for 3x12 (building to 15-20) times on each side. this can be done prior to a workout if you like to initiate the proper firing sequence.

to test the firing pattern, same position as above, lift your leg up with your hand on your glutes. do the glutes exhibit a flexion IMMEDIATELY upon initiating motion? if so, might not be a firing issue. if NOT (meaning the glutes remain relaxed initially) a firing issue is present.

First of all I never said the sciatic/siatic whatever, was in the quad. Many medical sites are available with symptoms etc. other things come into play. The nerve runs from lower back ,down the glut and leg. However, there are freakin nerves all over in these areas. My injury caused major swelling around the nerve and the numbness started at right hip with tired feeling...then came around into thigh into major numbness in quad! First question Doctors had was questions about the hamstring. I did have some pain running down hamstring also. For some reason though I think yours s different. SEE A SPECIALIST. OK (Good Photo.)>>

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sciatic/DS00516

P.S. Read up on this sciatica. This nerve has effected runners really different. Some just constant tired feeling running all the way down the butt+ hamstring. Another guy I knew had such horrible pain moving out along glut to right hip. At worse times though mine ran around from right center of glut, to hip and down front quad and back hamstring. I believe PREFONTAINE had the onsets of this at Oregon. I am real glad though your symptoms might not be sounding like this...but I would still see specialist. You got nerves and discs...yada yada....but numbness that is a little strange. Become a researcher yourself....good luck and protect your body....DIRT ROADS maybe:))

P.S.Where is your coach?

P.S.S. One last thing. Think about it ..what might cause numbness? Strange in quad above knee but also some pain same leg in hamstring? My opinion is, first check out what might cause numbness. To me that says possible nerve...or soft tissue swelling around nerve or disc. Before you start lungeing and jolting that leg quickly, I would get educated. Numbness is a sign that should at least be looked at close. pain to hamstring in back, numbness to front quad. See a specialist , lower back disc exrays and figure it out. Don't increase your milage right now and maybe some cold pool swimming. Question: Do you feel a tired sensation to that leg after running? Right now I would not do anything that might cause additional swelling if there is any. Don't screw with numbness! OK

Watch out for nerve damage, Thats what ended my competative and collegiate running. I favored my right leg after coming back to hard and to fast from an injury,then all of a sudden the leg went numb. Didnt see a doctor for a few weeks because i figured it didnt really hurt so there really wasnt a problem. In the end it started messing up my form and causing pain everywhere. Anyway im pretty much fine now i still run a few miles a day but when i limped for a month and had no feeling in my leg i decided permanent injury wasnt worth it to continue competative running. If i were you i would see a doctor, they even do a fun little test where they stick you with needles in your legs and shock you.

Agree with you 100% Mine was senior yr highschool. Was running 100 to 118 per week. I know nuts, but it was the 70's. Big CC race coming down steep hill and around oak tree. All out blazing front right spikes hit root of tree and entire heel went under root in hole. Impact caused my body to crunch down very fast and as I came up out I felt mean tweek to my right rear butt. Limped for 1 and 1/2 months, pain unbelievable, numbness etc. For years I tryed to come back...but at about 5miles a day...5 days a week, bang it hits. I still feel it..like tired tweek in right glut, always there. I am sorry for your career but know there are many of us out here. Damn it!

WOW IM SURPRISED YOU DIDNT GET ANY SMARTASS REPLYS. take care numb leg, remember . . take care of your legs and incompetition they will talk care of you.

Ok, over a month later I still have this problem. My left leg right above the knee is going numb during tempo runs and long runs. It feels like my lower quad is tensing up and I'm losing control of my leg.

I get it just over 3 miles into a tempo run, and about 9 miles into my long run. It happens like clockwork everytime. I can run an easy 8 miles or do hill repeats or half mile intervals and I don't have the problem. When the symptoms occur, if I stop running for a few seconds and continue running again, the problem goes away.

I have no symptoms at all when I'm not running hard (no back pain, no muscle problems). In fact, I'm actually running faster workouts now than ever, but I still have this nuisance.

Any ideas???? I've tried ice baths, time off, lunges, and nothing seems to work.

post your email and I will get in touch with you, trust me it has nothing to do with a nerve problem.

I know its hard to explain what your feeling, but you are probably not suffering from any numbness, it's more less lack of control as your leg spins inward because your glute shuts down. I am sure you have no nerve problem. the problem is your glute is shutting down because your quad and hamstring are very strong and your glute is weak. You need to get your quad to fire as your foot strikes the ground. Now there can be some problems that are leading to this, maybe you have a leg length descrpency which is causing supination on one leg and the pronation on the shorter leg, and the shorter leg is the leg that is causing you problems since the glutes job is to externally rotate your leg. when it happens does it feel like your foot and leg is spinning inwards and your knee is turning in?

i am sorry, I mean you need to get your glute to fire as your foot strikes the ground.

You're exactly right, when it happens one of the things that I notice is that my foot wobbles and generally lands inward. And yes, its hard to explain what it feels like....it may not actually be numbness. I also think you're right about the strong quads, because I was doing weightlifting with an emphasis on quad strength for the last 6 months. Any idea what I can do about this?

I have the same problem with my right leg going on for a couple of years now. The problem arises just after two to three miles into a tempo or race and the quad stiffens up leaving me with a dead leg and poor form. In my half marathons and marathon races, I get to 8 or 9 miles and it fades away allowing me to run normal.

I went to a physio about a year ago and they gave me same glute exercises. I did these religiously but eventually I had knee problems, so I stopped doing the exercises and started doing quad and hamstring exercises on my own.

I still have problems with this, so any advise would be great.

bump

Check out the "loss of cordination in leg" thread. Might have some info that helps.

Personally I suspect u might have some ITB problems on yr left side. Not an injury, but perhaps yr left ITB is shorter and tighter than yr right ITB, due to maybe track curve running? Usually vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tensor fascia latae, adductors on the left will be very tight and short.

How about yr glutes? Do they feel 'bigger' than yr right glutes? Do any of yr feet splay (ie point outwards when landing)?

I knew a guy who accidentaly got hit in the knee with a hammer he limped around a lot, it was just an accident, but you could tell he was hurt.