I’ll spare you the “pain in the butt” jokes that so many other writers find so irresistible.
Late last year a frustrating injury sidelined me for several weeks. Pain on my left side, from my lower back to the back of my upper thigh. After a little research I chalked it up to sciatica. Rest and time got me back on my feet.
Then a week or so ago it started to return, that same pain. I started to take extra days off, reduce mileage, etc. All in a vain attempt to keep running. But then I realized I needed to stop.
So I did some more reading. I came to realize that the cause of my sciatic pain by all accounts seems to be piriformis syndrome. The same was probably true at the end of last year. Time and rest gave me an opportunity to heal, but I never addressed the underlying problem: weakness in my piriformis that, with regular use, turned into tightness and eventually injury.
The piriformis is a hip muscle, one of the lateral rotators. When it becomes inflamed it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to sciatica. Treatment can include corticosteroids and even surgery, but stretching and physical therapy are first steps and often effective in less severe cases.
The first step, for me at least, was to stop running. Some suggest that reducing mileage by 50% might be enough, but I’m interested in a quick recovery. Of course, the idea is to stretch and strengthen the piriformis, so simply staying in bed is not an option either. My solution? Walking.
The real key, however, is stretching. There are a number of stretches to help loosen and strengthen hip rotators and abductors. In addition, it’s important to stretch related muscles, especially the hamstrings. Massage can also help loosen up the muscles, and if you can’t afford a professional, you can certainly afford a tennis ball.
Strengthening seems a little more difficult. I’ve been focusing on core fitness, doing push-ups and crunches–the latter help stretch out the lower back and deal with sciatica symptoms. But there are also specialized resistance exercises (caution, pdf!) or even simple leg lifts.
The result? In less than a week I’m seeing real progress. In fact, my sciatica symptoms seem to have almost subsided entirely; instead of generalized and potentially overwhelming pain I’m left with localized soreness and tenderness.
My thanks go out to Jay P. and Michelle for their tips and insights. I know with their help (and all the wonderful support I’m receiving) I’ll be back running soon. Better yet, I’ll be in a much better position to avoid future injury.