1

Is it bad to run with piriformis pain? (Read 1282 times)

    A couple of miles into my last marathon my butt was killing me for no apparent reason.  I tried to block it out, but the result was I had a miserable 26 miles.  My running has been sporadic afterwards, mostly because the pain is not going away.  I haven't run for a few days now and can feel a dull ache all day.  I have this mechanical massager thing that feels really good at the time, but I think it has made it worse.

     

    I found a piriformis stretch online and have been walking, stretching, walking, stretching, to try to help it (started that yesterday).  This stretch really pinpoints the tender points.

     

    Theoretically I can run, it eases up after a couple of miles when my muscles warm up, but I wonder whether I'm going to be making it worse by running.


    #artbydmcbride

      So many variables.   If it eases up after running a while, that's probably okay.  It is okay to do speedwork?  Run hills?  Probably not.   ASSuming something is pulled and is healing....gentle motion is probably excellent, severe workouts probably not.   Deep massage may irritate it, light stretching...maybe good, maybe bad.   Smile

       

      Runners run


      Feeling the growl again

        If it really is piriformis, I can't see running causing any real damage.  It just may keep hurting.

         

        YMMV on what works to cure it.  The stretching really helps some people, but didn't do much for me.  Doing sets of fast, smooth strides which force my legs through their full range of motion....and hurts like hell when I'm doing it....do.  My theory is that it breaks loose the muscle tightness which is irritating the sciatic nerve.

        "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

         


        jfa

           ASSuming something is pulled and is healing...

           Funny!

           

          Lunges and squats (done very slowly) helped me through this.

           

           

           

           

           

           

            I'm really glad you took the time to spell that out Joe, I take pride in my silly sense of humor and I totally missed it.  I think I get distracted by the cat.

             

            I think you guys are right, I don't feel any worse after a 4 mi run a little bit ago, I stopped three times during it to get in a good stretch, and if anything I felt significantly better towards the end of the run than I did before any stretching.  I probably got to an 8:15 at my peak, so I'm not suffering too bad.   

             

            Afterwards I plonked in front of my laptop and my knee did this 'oh hello!', and I could feel quite a lot of IT band tightness - however far up that goes, and even an IT band stretch makes it go owie owie.   

             

            I read that this can take months, so I'm hoping I caught the sucker early and can stretch my way through it.  I didn't handle my IT band problems properly when I had that a couple of years ago, and just like that I got this issue at the same time - during/post marathon.

              Had a bout of this myself for a few months.

               

              I agree with Spaniel that giving the leg a full range of motion helped loads. I also traded in more built up shoes for more lightweight variety and this also helped with the range of motion.

               

              Static stretching didn't cure mine.