After a year, STILL no power in left leg, can't run! Help.

Sciatic nerve impingement - if not accompanied by chronic pain, then the nerve may still be okay. Sounds like you may also have Meralgia Paresthetica. Your GP needs to arrange an MRI of your lumbar region. Appropriate physio can turn it around, hopefully.

^ I agree with above.

Also do you have any pain in the muscles around the hip area?

Try using a massage ball around the area of the hip flexors, hip joint, SI joint, gluteus, spinus erectus to locate tenderness and massage it out.

Thank you both for taking time to reply.

I have contacted GP today in order to get ball rolling toward an MRI.

My left hip is very stiff, well both hips are, but left noticeably more so than right. It's very restricted when I try to lean my torso to the left. I have stretched it out via various means over past few weeks but trying to undo a good while of sedentary life I guess will take a while.

Clearly nerve related. See a neurologist to get the appropriate workup (MRI, nerve conduction study, labs, or whatever they think appropriate).

I'm no doctor and this may sound rudimentary, but I would run. Force the strength back to the leg. Run 3 steps if that's all you can do and then try running 4 the next day. Then break a day and stretch, massage, yoga, etc. Use ski poles for balance and support if you need to but I would definitely try to run. Need to knock out the atrophy.

I had similar symptoms. MRI showed stenosis of lower lumber (L4 and 5) which was causing nerve pain.

I saw a spinal doc who prescribed some medication that made me dizzy and did not solve the problem.

Finally, in desperation, I visited a chiropractor. I did not know it at the time, but he has considerable experience with local profession athletes (Football and baseball). He looked at the MRI and the report and said "I think we can have you better in 3 to 5 sessions and an occasional tuneup."

And, so it came to pass. After 3 sessions, I was walking normally. It has been 8 years now, and I have to go in about once a year.

The magic was decompression, and for me, at least, it was a miracle.

What have you got to lose?

Have you seen a PT? If not you should see someone right away with a degree. I agree it sounds like sciatica but I am no Dr and no one should be diagnosing you through the board. If it's gone on that long you need to go to medical personnel to get it addressed. It could be serious or something very simple and easy to address.

At times during my career, I've had pain in an area someone would try to treat without success for months. Only for a PT to diagnose as something in a different area causing the issue and helping me fix the issue in a very short time. Go to a medical expert who has experience with runners and do not trust any of us the board to diagnose the issue.

Go see a good chiropractor. Your sacroiliac joint is out of alignment.

Your left sacroiliac is misaligned. Probable listing is LAS(left anterior superior). A good chiro should be able to clear that up in a few visits.

I have a similar problem that has made it very difficult for me to run and has affected my daily life.

My left leg feels off balance when walking and running. It started feeling this way occasionally on runs and overtime began to bother me all the time, whether running or walking. I developed shoulder pain and back pain after the left leg began to bother me all the time. It is also hard for me to sit comfortably/naturally.

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in Fall 2011 and was treated off and on with oral and IV antibiotics over the next couple years. I've seen chiropractors, PTs, back doctors, lyme specialists, etc. but have not been given a clear diagnoses. I've also had MRIs and x-rays taken of my back, hips and brain. I've read "Healing Back Pain" by John Sarno.

I was told that I have some partial disc degeneration in my spine and slight curvature in the lumbar region of my spine. I was told, by my doctors, that these issues were minor and would not result in the symptoms I am experiencing in my back and left leg.

Both sides of my hips are tight. My right hip and leg becomes very tight when I try to run consistently. I have tried running through it and taking extended time off from running.

Some of my symptoms resemble sciatica. It feels like my posture is off kilter.

If anyone has any experience with similar symptoms and has found a remedy, please let me know. I ran in High School and college. I'm 31 years old, these symptoms began when I was 22 and desperately want to train again.

To the OP, I would seek out chiropractors and PTs who are runners or have experience working with runners. I would take things people post on this board with a grain of salt. The Sarno book could also be helpful.

Maybe not a first step, but look into this at some point.

https://www.balancedrunner.com/

A lot of the time , the side that is having the pain or the problem is not the side where the real issue resides. That side only problematic because it's overcompensating for the side with the real issue. If you only treat the side that hurts, you will only get temporary relief and create a chronic injury scenario

I would try massaging the peroneus longus muscle located on the side of the leg just below the knee. One of it’s functions is to point the toes similar to you going up tiptoe. Trigger points in this muscle can cause pain on the outer side of the ankle and can also cause numbness in the lower leg, ankle and top of the foot. Another muscle I would try massaging is the gluteus minimus located on the side of the hip. Trigger points in this muscle can cause numbness in the upper leg, lower leg and down to the ankle. This is explained very well in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies.

I’ve in the past had a somewhat similar issues to the ones you’re experiencing. A few times over the past 10 years I’ve experienced right ankle pain and massaging the peroneus longus has cleared up the problem. Recently I had problems running properly due to a coordination issue with my right leg. I also had pain in the bicep femoris (the outer hamstring muscle). Massaging the right gluteus minimus and the right peroneus longus solved these problems.

It sounds to me like a herniated disc, L5/S1. Both times when I ruptured that disc, I had severe pain and weakness in my calf. A round or two of steroids knocked the pain out so I could walk, but 8 years after my first rupture I still have atrophy in that calf (and whole leg). If my suspicion is correct, you’ll need some therapy or possibly even a microdiscectomy. You need an MRI for sure. Best of luck to you.

I am very grateful to everyone that has taken the time to reply. Thank you.

I will update thread as and when with my course of action in case anybody else can benefit.

I too have had some of this type of pain and nerve issues with running. As others have suggested, Sciatic nerves, tightness in hips and glutes cause this. You have got to the point where it has become chronic but you can indeed fix this.

I have found that the piriformis, hip flexors and transverse abdominal muscles play a key part in my issues. Keeping these healthy and activated makes a huge difference.

I cannot promise anything but work on the key muscle groups stemming from the hips to work out where you are not quite right.

You tube has some good examples of stretches and movements that can help. Piriformis release with a tennis ball, yoga warrior and triangle pose come to mind.

Good luck.

I had a similar problem after a fall resulting in nerve damage. Which is your NHS Trust? I got referred for an mri scan pretty quickly, which revealed L3, L4 and L5 impingement on the nerve. I then got private physio which advised Mckenzie stretches and I also did work in the gym, forcing that leg to move, with weights.

But I also kept "running". At first I could only do a sort of lurching motion but I kept with it and it improved. After 5 weeks, I introduced hard sprinting, which was great because your brain forces your leg to work as otherwise you will face plant. Bit scary at first but also rewarding.

By the time I went back to the consultant 3 months later, I was nearly back to normal - I ran there. The surgeon was surprised and had had me pencilled in for surgery, which shows you just how important keeping running is, and how many people just give up and don't try to help themselves.

I can't believe you have left it so long. You need to get medical treatment to check if your nerve has just been pinched, or whether the problem is ongoing.

I'm in Reading. Problem is getting anything done of this nature now is, understandably, a tall order. I can't believe I've left it this long either. I'm an idiot!

It is very uncomfortable/uneasy to run, not painful. Was this same for you? And you just did it anyway? Did u have muscle atrophy?

I can't work out whether my inability to run properly or tiptoe is due to nerve damage or very weak muscle - I have no other symptoms - no bad back nothing at all.

This happened to me too, a year ago. Two things have helped me: weekly deep tissue massage and (I know, this is embarrassing to admit) trying out crossfit. The large range of motions has helped re-engage the muscles - I just do it really light with minimal weights.