I went 14 years running without a single injury.  When I finally had my first, it was like the beginning of the end.

June 2012 - developed hip adductor tendonopathy in my right side after a timed race that didn't change directions (strained it but continued to run.)

Compensating for that led to plantar fasciitis in my left foot. That took forever.

Then achilles tendonitis in the left foot this last summer that I ran until it had a painful pop (but not a full rupture) that forced over a month completely off everything.

Now I have a pain that I don't know what it is in my left buttock.

It's an intense, deep pain and it feels as if my leg loses strength when it acts up (as if a piece of a circuit is missing, no power getting through)  If I keep running the pain extends down through my hamstrings to the back of my knee where it feels like it's popping, though most the pain is still in the butt.  It feels like a light soreness often, but only really hurts after 10 miles and passes if I stop or will subside to manageable levels if I take ibuprofen and continue running, though it still hurts, or if I sit for a long time I get a stabbing/spasm type pain in the same area that passes quickly.  Googling I am coming up with piriforimis syndrome.

There may have been other things in there but these are the things that stuck the most and forced significant time off each year.

The right hip adductor that was injured years ago is always sore after hard or long effort now though it's not constant like it was years ago... I'm not so sure it's supposed to get sore so often.  It feels tight always if I stretch, as well.  Both my plantars and my achilles can pop in to say hi if I get too crazy with what I'm doing, but I wouldn't consider them a problem currently.

I feel like my body has just given up, and I'm so tired of being injured! I can't remember the last time I had a reasonable fitness, or the ability to actually train in any sense of the word.  (I've been running, and completing marathons, but that's about the extent of it. It's slowly gotten worse and worse.

Between unrelated personal medical issues and job issues,  I absolutely  can't afford to go to any more doctor type people.  Or anyone that requires any compensation. haha.  I understand people here are not my doctor, but was hoping people who have been through these things that can help.

BUT I want to work as I can on fixing the root issues so the constant injuries stop and I can actually train.  I'd like to qualify for Boston again.

My two questions are :

1.  Has anyone had the buttock pain/weakness?  What was it?

2. Any suggestions for a plan given the myriad of injuries?  It seems like I need to work on everything. I feel a little overwhelmed. Treating one thing with the exercise suggestions seems to just send me on a wild goose chase to the other side of my lower body for the next injury.  From home, what are things I should do and how often?

I do have dumbbells, a pilate magic circle, foam roller, stick, and a physical therapy band  (None of which have proven particularly effective in their use sitting in the corner of a room)

Thanks for any help or links to where I can find suggestions.

Heatherruns - sounds a lot like what I went through in the summer and fall of 2014.

I went to an ortho and had an xray and was scheduled for an MRI but I put it off as I was starting to get better.

My self diagnosis after reading lots of stuff on the interwebzz was high hamstring tendinopathy.

I was fortunate that working on strengthening the hip and glute area made a big difference.

I used these drills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLrKr54yA0 and the results (read that as improvement) came quickly.

YMMV.

For years, I thought my butt pain was piriformis syndrome. I also had plantar fasciitis and IT band issues in that time frame. Most of 2014 was a downward spiral into increased pain in my butt, low back, lateral hip, and groin. I ended up having a labral tear in the hip. I had it repaired in March and am finally (slowly) returning to running.

My suggestion would be to see an ortho, particularly one familiar with sports injuries.

MTA: I'm not saying that the labral tear is your issue, rather that you need to get it checked out. It's totally disheartening to feel like you are falling apart and see your running life going down the drain. I get it.

I totally get what you are going through -- I have felt like I am falling apart for months now.  I have lower back pain, SI joint pain, and piriformis issues.  I finally took matters in to my own hands and am going to a PT that came highly recommended,  She is doing myofascial release and giving me strengthening exercises.  I am feeling a little improvement but it is going to take time.  Sadly, my health plan will not pay for it, but as my husband said, whatever it takes to get me back to feeling like myself.

I hope you figure it out and get some relief!

I am only going to mention this because I have noticed with myself (especially and probably only as I've gotten older) that carrying extra weight causes issues. Even with just a five-ten pound weight loss, I have noticed much less stress in my joints with some joint pain just disappearing, a much easier time running, heartburn disappeared, etc. Recently I've put on maybe 6 pounds and I am feeling it, seriously. If your profile is correct, I wonder if losing some weight might be helpful? Easy to say, much much harder to do.

For years, I thought my butt pain was piriformis syndrome. I also had plantar fasciitis and IT band issues in that time frame. Most of 2014 was a downward spiral into increased pain in my butt, low back, lateral hip, and groin. I ended up having a labral tear in the hip. I had it repaired in March and am finally (slowly) returning to running.

 

My suggestion would be to see an ortho, particularly one familiar with sports injuries.

 

MTA: I'm not saying that the labral tear is your issue, rather that you need to get it checked out. It's totally disheartening to feel like you are falling apart and see your running life going down the drain. I get it.

Like stfuandrun, I also had a torn labrum in my hip.  Mine pain was all around the hip joint -- front of the groin, side of the hip, deep in the butt.  The pain never went away.  It was a deep, constant ache.  I was able to run, but it was painful (some days were better than others.)  Your symptoms sound very familiar.  If you ever get an MRI, push hard to get one with the contrast dye.  I was misdiagnosed for over a year because the regular MRI didn't pick up on my labral tear.  (I am also not saying that's for sure what you have, but it would be a good piece of mind to rule it out.)  I went through a lot of PT prior to surgery (and after!) and did a lot of glute work.  Lots of runners have weak glutes -- might be a good place to start for you.  It sucks that you're going through this.

Piroformis Syndrome is also my guess.  For several months in 2012, I had numbness/tingling sensation in my legs -- all the way down to my feet. I incorrectly blamed over-training or poor nutrition as the reason. I also had some pain in my glutes, but didn't associate the problem with my piroformis muscle until I stumbled upon a few YouTube videos.

I then fixed the problem in 15 minutes with a tennis ball.  Incredible.  Months of pain and frustration -- and fixed with a tennis ball in minutes.

I hope you have the same good luck as I did!

Piriformis Myofascial Release Technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl474z1bhnk

And here's a very good video on stretching techniques to help Piroformis Syndrome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtUgS69rPk