So I have this weird issue that happens almost every time i'm doing a speed workout. Doesn't matter if it's intervals or a tempo run. Usually somewhere in the middle of the run my left leg goes almost completely numb making it very difficult for me to keep it turning over. This has been going on for quite a while. Originally I would slow down when it started happening... but it started happening so often that I finally decided to just start ignoring it. I assumed it was mental, because i'm running fast, and i'm tired. So maybe it is. I seem to be able to "talk myself out of it" if I just keep running the speed i'm supposed to. It's very very difficult and takes forever to regain feeling...usually 5-10 minutes. But I make my leg do it anyway.
Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone have this issue?
It doesn't happen to me during a race. Or it hasn't yet anyway. So it's just running fast during training.
Feeling the growl again
Weird. Pinching the sciatic nerve somehow? Perhaps related to your form?
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Good thoughts. I have considered it being nerve related...I wonder what I can do for that.
Warm up then stretch the hell out of that side, especially your hip and glute. Is there ever any pain in that hip or it just goes numb?
Numbness would most likely denote either a nerve being affected or loss of bloodflow. If it were loss of bloodflow, I think a) it would have that familiar painful feeling when bloodflow returns as when a limb goes "asleep", and b) you would not be able to continue running hard on that leg.
The fact that it's been going on so long makes me less worried about any more serious problems (clot etc) though I am not a doctor.
Prince of Fatness
Google "Nerve Flossing Piriformis". Here is an example.
I have some of this going on in my bad leg, but it is mostly pain and some flopping of the foot. Not total numbness. That video helped some.
I also had some weird shit happen to my good leg a couple of times. It wasn't numbness, but it was like the muscles wouldn't fire. There was no tingling or anything like that. I have read where weak glutes could be causing this. The two times it has happened were during faster running. I've started doing strengthening exercises for my glutes.
Not at it at all.
Ostrich runner
Normally I hear about this with soccer...usually older pros, so at least in their 30s. Usually it seems to be a one week injury for what little that is worth.
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum
I agree with the nerve diagnosis.
Don't laugh people - accupuncture. Tried it while in Hawaii for a neck nerve issue and it worked. Ask Spaniel - I'm not one of the holistic types but it worked for that. If stretching doesn't cut it, may be worth a shot.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
Warm up then stretch the hell out of that side, especially your hip and glute. Is there ever any pain in that hip or it just goes numb? Numbness would most likely denote either a nerve being affected or loss of bloodflow. If it were loss of bloodflow, I think a) it would have that familiar painful feeling when bloodflow returns as when a limb goes "asleep", and b) you would not be able to continue running hard on that leg. The fact that it's been going on so long makes me less worried about any more serious problems (clot etc) though I am not a doctor.
Actually yea, for a while i've had a really tight achy pain in the left hip but only when not running and after running, never during. For example....I sit for a while after a run, then it's tight and achy (even though i've stretched). It's kind of gone away...so I assumed it was just from running on the snow covered paths, which is always murder on the hips for me due to the lack of good footing. The snow melt coincided with me not feeling the pain as much anymore, even with parts of the paths still covered, most of the snow is gone.
Something new that has presented itself is if I am bearing all of my weight on the left hip I get an excruciating sharp pain that runs up my hip/butt to my lower back. This has happened twice, once while bearing weight on the left hip in the shower, once while doing the same when cooking. I can recreate the pain if I stand like that, so I don't do it unless it's an accident.
But these are both recent...and the leg numbness has been happening for maybe a year and a half during workouts. So yea, I don't think it's a clot either.
Google "Nerve Flossing Piriformis". Here is an example. I have some of this going on in my bad leg, but it is mostly pain and some flopping of the foot. Not total numbness. That video helped some. I also had some weird shit happen to my good leg a couple of times. It wasn't numbness, but it was like the muscles wouldn't fire. There was no tingling or anything like that. I have read where weak glutes could be causing this. The two times it has happened were during faster running. I've started doing strengthening exercises for my glutes.
I guess I would consider it a "floppy" feeling.
Thanks for the video...I will try that. And maybe I should do more glute strengthening exercises too.
I don't understand why it hasn't happened in a race yet, not that I want it to. It's definitely not anything that is preventing me from running, or running pain free. But it's weird. And annoying.
I agree with the nerve diagnosis. Don't laugh people - accupuncture. Tried it while in Hawaii for a neck nerve issue and it worked. Ask Spaniel - I'm not one of the holistic types but it worked for that. If stretching doesn't cut it, may be worth a shot.
smalcolm apparently had great luck with her achilles and acupuncture. I've heard other people have as well with various things. I believe you.
I don't understand why it hasn't happened in a race yet,
Race day magic (adrenaline)?
I'm hoping for some.
Actually yea, for a while i've had a really tight achy pain in the left hip but only when not running and after running, never during. For example....I sit for a while after a run, then it's tight and achy (even though i've stretched). It's kind of gone away...so I assumed it was just from running on the snow covered paths, which is always murder on the hips for me due to the lack of good footing. The snow melt coincided with me not feeling the pain as much anymore, even with parts of the paths still covered, most of the snow is gone. Something new that has presented itself is if I am bearing all of my weight on the left hip I get an excruciating sharp pain that runs up my hip/butt to my lower back. This has happened twice, once while bearing weight on the left hip in the shower, once while doing the same when cooking. I can recreate the pain if I stand like that, so I don't do it unless it's an accident. But these are both recent...and the leg numbness has been happening for maybe a year and a half during workouts. So yea, I don't think it's a clot either.
You have classic piriformis syndrome. The muscle rubs over the nerve and irritates it, inflammation and pain ensues. The problem gets worse as the nerve issue causes you to subconsciously tighten the muscle even more around the nerve, making it worse.
Yours sounds relatively minor. It can get bad enough to where you are limping the first mile or two and gritting your teeth until everything warms up.
People have different solutions that work for them. Mine was a combination of running very fast 1min fartleks to stretch everything out well after it was warmed up, then stretching religiously for weeks. This did not work for Tater.
Given that yours presented only during fast running, I'd start with the regular stretching or C-R's voodoo.
This is all conjecture on my part, but it did not work for two reasons, I believe. First, the piriformis was not the root cause of my issues. Secondly, by the time I got around to trying to loosen it up, other areas had tightened up, namely my left hamstring. I ended up tearing the tendon up by my sit bone.
Candice, If your piriformis is tight that video will help. The guy does a classic piriformis stretch. You don't need to use a wall. While lying on your back place one ankle on the other knee, then grab you shin and pull back. Also get a tennis ball on it. You can expose the piriformis by sitting on the floor and crossing your legs. Sit right on the tennis ball. To find the muscle, stand up and bend one knee 90 degrees behind you. Move the foot outward maintaining the 90 degrees. The piriformis is responsible for this movement, so if you feel your butt while you are doing it you will feel the muscle contract.
Another good stretch is a spinal twist. Lie flat on your back, arms out, palms down. Bring one knee up perpendicular, grab it with the opposite hand, and move it across your body. At the same time look in the opposite direction (over your hand still on the floor). Repeat on the other side. If your back is tight you may hear a crack (I do at times). My wife would hear it in the other room. Good times. MTA: Try to keep both shoulder blades on the floor during the stretch.
All this said, for me this stuff did offer temporary relief, but did not solve my problem. This is because I believe that there is a muscle imbalance somewhere else and all of these things that are happening to me are the result of it. I really think that it is tightness on my good (right) side. It makes sense because before when I did yoga I always felt more tightness in my hips and glutes on the right side. That, and everyone that I have gone to treated the left side, offering temporary relief but never really having the problem go away.
All of this above could be all BS. I have no expertise in this area other than I have been trying to figure out what is wrong me for an effing year now. I think that it is glutes mainly on my right side but who knows, could be another dead end.
Do you get the numbness when doing speedwork on a track/road instead of the TM? I've very occasionally gotten some numbness when doing intervals on the TM, but never get it on the road/track or in a race. I always figured it had something to do with my form being a little more restricted, or whaterver, on the TM.
I never cease to be amazed at white minute changes in form can create enough of an imbalance to wreck havoc on our bodies...