Sciatica and Leg Discomfort in Runners – Causes and Solutions
This months question is:
I often experience tightness just on one side of my back and sometimes only in my right hamstring or buttock. It isn’t there all the time but usually after I have done a long run or have begun to run more regularly like when the weather gets warmer in the spring.
Most runners realize that it is important to have good strength in the hamstrings and quadriceps, and that these muscles must be somewhat flexible or at least balanced in order to help prevent injury. But what many of these same runners fail to recognize is where these muscles attach. More specifically, the muscles in the front and backs of your legs that move the hips and knees attach into the pelvis, which makes up part of your lower back.
The longer the distance you are running the more important it is to have good balance and strength in the muscles of your lower back and pelvis. The tiny muscles of the lower back help to support good posture and running form. If these muscles are weak than a runner’s posture changes, and now there is irregular stress placed on the lower leg muscles which may result in injury. In addition, an imbalance between the lower back muscles and the abdominal muscles (in most people it’s that there stomach muscles are not as strong as they should be) can lead to the same problems. It is likely that you have an imbalance in the muscles of your lower back and/or abdominal muscles.
Weakness or imbalance in the lower back, pelvis and or abdominal muscles can occur from a deconditioned athlete, chronic leg muscle inflexibility, a misaligned bone in the back or pelvis, a pinched nerve, or a chronic lower leg or foot disorder, to name just a few. If it is purely a muscular imbalance then exercise will be the primary form of treatment. If there is joint involvement, than you will need some adjustments as well. There are many types of treatments, but the most successful always occur when the exact source of the problem is diagnosed. A good chiropractor or physical therapist should be your first choice to examine and determine what type of imbalance exists.