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The Ready State: Mobility Training with Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › General › Sciatica issues
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12/05/2013 at 10:46 pm #70633Andrew HunterParticipant
Ok I’m new to m/wod pro so I thought I would throw this out here to get suggestions on where to start.
I am 41 years old and up till a little over a year ago was VERY active. I ran ultras and trained typically with extreme trail runs in the mountains. In August of 2012 I blew my back out L5/S1 severely on a treadmill run set at highest incline. First symptoms were what I believed was piriformis until the MRI showed an “exploded” disc according to neurosurgeon.Surgery was recommended and I jumped right in hoping to get this behind me and get back to my passion. Within a couple weeks of microdiscectomy I had a recurrent herniation of the same disc. Doc said probably not my fault it just popped right back out “it happens”. He recommends doing the surgery all over which would leave me with only about 60% of that disc left. If that failed I would more than likely be headed towards fusion.I avoided another surgery with a few shots and a few months of chiro.Back pain is not that much of an issue daily except rolling over in the bed and getting out of bed in the morning.My job involves tons of sitting (12 hour shifts).My current situation is a VERY tight left leg. The hamstring and calf have lost all flexibility. I get cramps in my left calf frequently when I’m off my feet. The cramp disappears once I put weight on the leg. I still have slight abnormal felling in the left outside edge of foot from the sciatic damage.Should I focus on trying to stretch out this tightness in the leg or put my focus else where?I can get in a few runs now and then but the slightest increase in tempo with cause a severe calf strain which keeps me hobbled for a week.Where do I start????Thanks,Mark Connolly -
12/06/2013 at 10:12 pm #73380AnonymousGuest
The surgery temporarily took the pain away, but it doesn’t sound like anything was addressed with the cause of “blowing your back out”. Sounds like it had something to do with your running technique and your running technique on hills where the treadmill was on an incline.
I would recommend having someone video tape you running so you can see exactly what is going on.
It sounds like you have an active landing from landing on your toes vs landing on the ball of your foot.
When this occurs that calf is always active
Your posture/how you stand may be an impacting factor.
Something occurred for the “recurrent herniation of the same disc”.
Do you sleep on your back?
Adaptation Error: Don’t Sleep on Your Stomach & The Right Bed
Episode 42: Creative Pain, Low Back Decompression, Hammies
Episode 39: Sleep, Pillows, and What Your Low Back Says About Your KB SwingJill Miller has a couple great quick fixes to back pain here https://www.yogatuneup.com/online-quickfix-videos
There is a link to a free quick fix here https://www.yogatuneup.com/
It is important to take a systems approach.Have you addressed your sitting position?
Why Sitting Wrecks Your Mad Hip Action
Episode 351: The One Joint Rule
Episode 276: MobilityWod Google Talk: Desk Bound
Episode 251: High Skilled Sitting/Abdominal BracingEpisode 187: Death by Chair. How Much Do Actually Sit?
Episode 91: Mobilize In the Position of Death by Chair
Episode 88: Desk Athlete Hip Rescue
Episode 15: You Must Defeat The Evil Chair Part 1
Episode 15: You Must Defeat The Evil Chair Part 2Hamstring
Pro Episode # 36 – Voodoo Floss Series # 3: The High Hamstring
High Hamstring Gnar, Trigger Points, and Up Stream/Down Stream
Athlete’s ROM: Full Posterior Chain- Are You Dysnormal?
Episode 354: Make Your Own Super Floss/High Hamstring & Hip Gnar Gnar
Episode 272: TJ Murphy Edition and Hamstring Stiffness
Episode 137: Best Hip Extensor (High Hammy) Mob and Better Jerk Shoulders
Episode 104: Hammer Your High Hammy
Episode 82: Protect your scrotch or: Medial hamstring fun
Episode 58: Weird Hamstring Problems and Simple NeurodynmaicsCalf
Introducing the Bone Saw: Calf Smash Redux
Episode 303: It’s Not Rocket Science, It is the NASA Calf Game
Episode 237: Heel Cord Love
Episode 194: Why Do You Hate Your Calfs?
Episode 84: Calf Blaster Does Sound Cooler Than Dorsiflexion Blaster -
12/10/2013 at 4:03 pm #73402Andrew HunterParticipant
Wow! Thanks for all the links. This will keep me busy for awhile.
My form on the treadmill the day I blew out my back was suspect for sure as I was doing sprints at 12% incline…. stupid me!Outside of that my running form is pretty good and I’m constantly trying to improve or refocus it. I’m a mid foot striker with good cadence.My “current” form is probably not the best as I’m out of balance with leg power and flexibility from sciatica.I rowed my first half mary last night but my drive with the legs never feels equal from side to side. My left calf cramped up badly with 2500m to go. Fought through it but today I’m hobbled a bit.I rarely sleep on my back as it is very painful unless I put several pillows under my legs. I sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees which helps some. -
12/10/2013 at 9:37 pm #73408AnonymousGuest
Are you addressing the differences in strength right to left?
Cramping is usually a hydration issue. What has your hydration this week and last week been like? -
12/11/2013 at 12:40 am #73412Andrew HunterParticipant
Definitely not hydration. This is somehow somehow associated with the sciatica and the tightness in the entire leg.
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12/11/2013 at 5:49 pm #73420AnonymousGuest
Are you addressing the difference in strength right to left?
This episode addresses differences in strength with each side.
Pro Episode # 25 – Matt Hasselbeck Edition: Advice for the Uni-Lateral/One Sided Athlete
Sounds like this is one of the places that need attention.
Have you researched how the two are related and how to address the cramping?
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