Loss of coordination in leg - Official runner's dystonia / focal dystonia discussion thread

so what type of treatment have you done?

I was given a prescription for a type a drug which is generally used in treating Parkinson's Disorder (an anti-cholinate) but haven't wanted to start down that road since: the drug has some side effects, is only used for treatment (not cure) and may become less effective with use. I wasn't a great candidate for Botox injections since several muscles in my right leg are affected and in my hip. Seems like Botox injections are a top choice if it is just in your foot. I was also encouraged to keep finding new motor tricks (ways to run without symptoms) and eliminate stress and illness as much as possible. As far as I can tell there is very little talk of curing runner's dystonia, just managing it. I have basically given up most real running and any thought of competing anymore...bummer.

After experiencing loss of coordination in my left leg I took one whole month completely off of running. I didn't do any type of physical activity AT ALL. I really just needed this to recharge mentally and physically. My first day back was today. I ran thirty minutes and the loss of coordination was worse then ever. I ran for about 10 minutes before I limped and hobbled my way through the other twenty. Leaving me depressed and still searching for answers.

Over the past month I saw a neurologist (which didn't really help) and an orthopedist. The orthopedist had an MRI done on my hip and found no signs of a labral tear or stress fracture. I was concerned about this because I do have groin pain in the left leg where I'm losing coordination. I really suspect a labral tear could be there and from what I've read they are hard to detect on a normal MRI. Should I seek a second opinion regarding this? Can someone within this thread comment on what a labral tear feels like? The pain in my groin began in November and I ran through it during December and early January without any problems. Of course, there was always pain but it wasn't severe enough to need to stop running. Then I started experiencing loss of coordination in my left leg in mid January. The groin pain is still there although during the past month of being completely sedentary it has subsided a bit (but not totally).

Anyone who can comment on this or help me out would be greatly appreciated!

Would recommend the following:

1. Do a bit of research and find out who the best hip specialist is in your area.

2. Ask about both an MRA, but more importantly a CT scan of the pelvis, specifically to assess for femoralacetabular impingement. Many times a bony lesion(s) is missed because of positioning with x-ray and lack of experience reading for subtle hints that show up on x-ray that indicate there is a congruency issue within the joint.

3. While you are waiting for that, you may also want to have someone assess your alignment and make sure there is not a tilt occurring.

At least those would be my first steps if I was in your shoes...

Thanks for the quick reply. I actually was also assessed for femoralacetabular impingement. The doctor said there was some slight findings but nothing serious and probably not causing the problem. He gave me an anti-inflammatory which has helped with the groin pain a bit but has not totally cleared it.

Are you replying as someone who has experienced a loss of coordination themselves and was able to recover?

Bump

I'm replying as someone who has seen 7 "skilled" orthopedic specialists who dealt with hip pathology. They took x-rays and MRIs. MRIs "suggested" a possibility of labral tear. X-Rays showed nothing.

8th specialist =

1 CT scan later and I had a confirmed case of both CAM and Pincer impingement (more than a small amount of each, including very large CAM lesions on both sides).

MRAs confirmed labral tears, which turned out to be much worse once I was scoped. I'm not SAYING you definitely have a hip problem... but I think a 2nd and even 3rd opinion is warranted depending upon how you are being assessed.

He also used an intra-articular injection to confirm that the pain was coming from within the joint. This can be tricky because it most likely won't get rid of your coordination problem but generally it will decrease symptoms or muscle tightness and clue you in.

Were you losing coordination in your leg though? If so, are you running again without any problems?

This thread started a few years ago. I would be really interested to hear from some of the OP's from 2007 who struggled with a loss of coordination, to hear if they figured out the problem and are running again.

It is so frustrating when I start running for about 10 min, my left leg start collapse and loose control. I can't put pressure on my left leg. I tried chiro/PT for few time. Also I went to visit neurologist. My EMG test was normal but my vitamin B6 level was really high so I stop taking multiple vitamin immediately. I still continue to run even though I have to stop for few second durning my run. Is anyone still running?

I've been trying to run. Just a few miles a couple days a week. I have had this problem for almost five years now. I have been diagnosed with a labral tear, but no doctor that I have met with thinks that is what is causing my problem. I have been trying to do regular core work and stretching after my runs. I have also been concentrating on keeping my feet from crossing over as much when I run. I tend to run with a cross-over pattern that I have a feeling is causing some of the IT tightness I have been having.

I'm not sure if there are still people out there that have actually fixed the problem, but it would be great for you all to chime in and rehash what your treatments were.

Left Leg Help wrote:

Were you losing coordination in your leg though? If so, are you running again without any problems?

This thread started a few years ago. I would be really interested to hear from some of the OP's from 2007 who struggled with a loss of coordination, to hear if they figured out the problem and are running again.

Sorry I did not see your question earlier. Yes, I was losing coordination in my leg but I think your question also brings up a really good point...

"Loss of coordination" is a subjective symptom that can easily interpreted one way and someone else may perceive it as something different.

The best way I can internalize my previous symptoms was with the combination of both cam and pincer impingement on top of a fairly large labral tear (I actually had 2 types of tears in the same hip), it began to feel like my femoral head just could not fit comfortably in the socket and it was decreasing my ability to absorb shock during the initial strike phase of my gait. When this happened I would feel an abnormal jolt sensation because my leg was trying to absorb impact but in an unnatural position so the whole thing just felt "uncoordinated" and my stance phase and push off did not feel right.

I've combed through this thread numerous times and while it sounds like some people have that same issue, others sound as if their issue may be coming from the back, some sound like they are having an alignment problem and the hip is shifted. Without a doubt, we do not all have the same problem and I think some people are looking to compare the "loss of coordination" symptom and think because someone else had it that they can get an informal diagnosis based off that.

Ok, I need serious help. I have read about 2/3 of this thread and decided to contribute with my problem.

Two years ago I had exertional compartment syndrome, got the surgery on both legs, never had a problem again. About nine months later, I got a weird injury to my right ankle. Basically my ankle would droop down all the time, was really painful to move, and hard to push off of to run. I ran through it and finished track season. I did some "tibial nerve flossing" exercises I found online and it went away for good after a 2 week break.

Then during my next cross country season, my left knee starts to hurt. Then I start to experience the same symptoms again...foot dropping, having trouble pushing off the leg, a wave of "tingly weakness" every time that foot hits the ground. My coach made me keep running and it got to the point where my left leg was basically dead all the time. I could barely feel it hit the ground, and was using my right leg basically the whole time. This caused me to get a stress fracture in my right fibula, so after this season I was out for a couple of months. The knee issue resolved itself after a few weeks of no running, PT, and stretching.

Now I'm in track, and I have the same knee injury and symptoms all over again. I can't take a complete break because it's my senior year and I really want to see out the season. Thanks to these issues I decided to not run competitively in college so I don't have that to look forward to either. I tried going back to PT and they taped my knee which only helps with the pain, not the weakness. If anyone has had a similar situation or knows what to do, please help. I can't really go back to the doctor for complicated reasons but he wasn't much help last time anyways. My hamstring in the affected leg is completely tight and the whole leg just feels dead.

read the link below and start to get an idea what is the root of all of this shit leg issues.....

http://www.google.co.il/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CIsBEBYwCA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ajol.info%2Findex.php%2Fajprs%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F62600%2F50531&ei=bS5vU8N90ufsBsKLgPAM&usg=AFQjCNFU-3UGN8GDv-Ap38VPzMjq3NOnvw&sig2=YTed_8SIVxjiPSd7y-vzwg

This is the first time that I've posted in this thread, although I've been following it for a while. Since it seems like many posting here are getting away from real problem I would just like to reemphasize that originally in this thread, and similar to what I have, this problem results in NO PAIN, NUMBNESS or TINGLING. BUT a loss of coordination ONLY!

I have talked to many specialists in the field of neurology and if you have pain, numbness, or tingling then you most likely have a nerve/spinal cord/brain problem. That is not to say that this loss of coordination in a leg isn't a nerve problem but the original problem of this thread, and the problem I have struggled with for over a year, has NO PAIN, NUMBNESS or TINGLING! Just a loss of coordination while I'm running during which I cannot advance my leg normally, and my leg wobbles back and forth unexplainably when I try to swing it forward. I used to be a high mileage/intensity 14 minute 5k runner in college but can hardly run because of this anymore. I am at my last attempt to recover from this.

However, for my question. I want to know if anyone with the loss of coordination ONLY without PAIN/NUMBNESS/TINGLING in their leg has been able to get over this problem by taking significant time off (like a couple of months) or by taking up a different sport for a couple months such as cycling or even basketball/soccer? Thanks for any helpful replies.

Good luck everyone.

This is without a doubt the same thing I am going through. No pain, tingling, or numbness. Just the inability to move my leg forward in a controlled motion. I can run for about 45-50mins at 7min/mile pace without stopping on a good day before the loss of coordination sets in. After that, my leg begins to flop around and I can't control how my foot strikes the ground. I was a 1430/3000 5k/10k guy in college but now I'm nowhere near that. I' took a month completely off to try and get rid of this problem but it did not help. Please, anyone with answers help. Id love to race again.

I have been suffering with leg issues for five years now. I just noticed on another thread that Josh Mcdougal is making a comeback. I believe he was suffering from a condition similar to what we all have been going through. It would be great to hear what he has been doing and if he ever found an official diagnosis.

Coming up on six months with the problem. Everyday is a struggle. A few things I've noticed along the way:

Taking a break midway through the run for water, bathroom, stretch, etc allows whatever stress is being put on my leg to relieve itsself and regain mobility, coordination and feeling when I start back up. For example if I'm running 10 miles- I run five miles, stop for 30 seconds to go to the bathroom and whatnot, then begin running again and in this case I'm usually able to complete the run without much problem. If, however, I tried to run 10 miles straight without a short stop I would most likely begin to lose coordination at mile 7 or 8.

So based off that I'm able to run anywhere from 6-8 miles at 7:00/mile before the loss of coordination sets in (depending on the day).

Other things I noticed that trigger a loss of coordination sooner are running faster and progressively decreasing the pace. I used to run the majority of my easy runs at 7:00/mile but towards the end if I felt good I liked to progressively decrease the pace the last few miles. Going along the lines of 6:30, 6:15, 6:00. I can no longer do this as it would definitely trigger a loss of coordination much sooner.

Ontop of all this I'm currently working a job I hate, have lost my girlfriend, and am studying a program in grad school that I have no interest in. Running was the one thing that kept me sane. Last summer I got pretty low (depressed) and took my frusterations and sadness out in training. I ramped up to 100mpw and kept it there for months without rest. I got in great shape and was starting to feel a bit betterr. Then this nightmare of a problem occurred and I haven't been the same since.

I would love to return to full strength and put this coordination problem behind me one day. All responses on here are just so unpromising as to what could possibly help someone such as ourselves get over this problem.

Please, anyone help.

I have just sent out an email questionnaire to the 20 or so posters in this thread who have provided their email address. I am a writer and scholar of running injuries and I am working on an extended article about the phenomenon of "loss of coordination in leg" while running. Part of this entails compiling the experiences of the runners who have the problem.

Unfortunately, since this thread is so old, many of the email addresses do not exist anymore. If you have not received an email from me and would like to help out with my research, please send me an email at

john@runningwritings.com

and I will send you the questionnaire. I will keep your personal responses and information completely anonymous.

I will also post a link to the article in this thread once I've finished it.

Okay, so it’s been a while since I posted an update and I am feeling a little selfish about not wanting to share my resource (he is real busy already!) but I also know how distressing this issue can be and I have experienced some positive change. Back on page 52 I mentioned “The Gait Guys” and belief in their work and knowledge of gait. Since then I have been to see Dr. Allen in Chicago with a follow-up scheduled next month. My issues are complex, but also a pattern he is familiar with and comfortable treating in runners. My understanding (which I am sure needs some refinement!) is that it is a brain issue in that the right muscles are not being activated. Over the course of the 2 weeks after my visit and from doing the exercises he prescribed religiously I experienced a few runs where my gait felt normal, an experience I never thought I would have again. Over the next week, I gradually lost it and the pathology set back in; however, some things have remained improved. I encourage you to look back at my other posts to understand what my “loss of control” looks like. Started with left hip (losing control in the hip/groin area) and over time led to loss of control of right lower limb (knee to foot). It is always one or the other, not both at the same time. So, what I am doing...you might ask...exercises to improve ankle rocker, exercises to strengthen the anterior compartment, exercises to work extensors in the foot (big toe), exercises to improve pelvic stability, and attention to the activation of my lower abs. Upon evaluation, some findings included limited hip extension (right side) and glute medius weakness (right side). It’s interesting to me that I have done 1000 of clam shells and exercise to strengthen the glute medius and they have done nothing to improve my gait. I don’t really understand that, I just know that I have seen some change with the other things noted above. My problem is not resolved, but I am hopeful. I am at least able to do strides again at the track, something I wasn’t able to do 6 months ago. I have spent A LOT of time learning as much as I can about gait and encourage others to do the same. ”The Gait Guys” have a Facebook page, Tumblr page, and podcasts on itunes. I read and listen to everything that gets posts. Dr. Allen is in Chicago and Dr. Waerlop is in Dillon, Colorado.