no real answers here, but i'll watch the thread with interest - someone i know also suffers. car rides are especially brutal for him, too!

-mike

---

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

If by chance you carry a wallet in your back pocket, shifting it to a front pocket may bring you huge relief while driving. It does for me and several sciatica sufferers.

On the bike, using a good anterior pelvic tilt is the only way I'm comfortable while aero. Trying to bend at L4/L5 to get aero aggravates the heck out of the nerves impinged in that area.

Good luck,

Hugh

---

Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Have you altered your training and racing to allow for the proper therapy and rest/recovery of the injury?

I moved my wallet to the front of my pants years ago based on this kind of input.

I am using cushions, towels, to try and raise my butt in the car, but so far, limited luck.

I am thinking running the Marathon in Dec might have been what started me on this road to pain.

Am also hoping the MRI can tell me if it is Sciatica or Piriformis causing the issue.

One interesting website is http://www.mysciaticaexercises.com/

Other interesting device is at http://www.miraclestretch.com/...SAr8sCFdaPHwodSXcMGA

Some have recommended I try an acupuncturist.

Was interesting reading Jesse Thomas last article that he is dealing with this also and causing his bike strength to weaken.

So far basically the folks I have talked to that have, or were, or are dealing with this did not have great ideas of their cause, or
any great solutions they have found. :(

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Dave, here's a good video of a great exercise for your issue. The best one is at 7:35 in. I use either this grid or a massage ball. Also, the stretch with the leg crossed is a great one. I have heard that driving with your leg turning out also is an aggravator, so keep your legs straight while driving if you can. I saw videos of people using a foam block between the car door and the leg (if the left) or the inner console if the right. One thing pretty much all agree is that time of, and rest is of no value and the issue will come right back. Good luck....I've been there and still have issues on occasion.

Gary

---

Gary Geiger
http://www.geigerphoto.com Professional photographer

TEAM KiWAMi NORTH AMERICA http://www.kiwamitri.com, Rudy Project http://www.rudyprojectusa.com, GU https://guenergy.com/shop/ ; Salming World Ambassador; https://www.shopsalming.com

 
I had a similar issue only more minor than yours sounds. My sister is a physical therapist and told me to do the following. I would like flat on my back on the floor, pin one leg to the floor, then raise the "bad" leg into the air holding it straight. Then my wife grabs the leg and pushes to stretch my leg as I keep it straight, once I am in a good stretch, she pushes on the ball of my foot toward me, then pulls on the opposite side away, basically moving the foot back and forth to full flexion. My sister calls this "flossing" I don't know how it works but it really helps the sciatic nerve, always gave instant relief after 5-10 minutes of this. Haven't had an issue in a while, but anytime I am sore in that area I ask my wife for a quick flossing and it goes away. Might be a place to start.

I can't seem to find the video link. Is it missing?

Thanks.

Have the video link?

Bring starting to try the leg crossed since most site suggest this. Boy does it hurt.

I also heard from a PT to not let the leg turn out while drive so have been trying this but not much success.

Some say rest, but most say you are better off trying to keep moving, which is what I am doing. Just is a bummer when I get crushed in races now. Oh well, at least I am giving it my all. :(


Thanks

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

My apologies....guess I forgot to add:

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

---

Gary Geiger
http://www.geigerphoto.com Professional photographer

TEAM KiWAMi NORTH AMERICA http://www.kiwamitri.com, Rudy Project http://www.rudyprojectusa.com, GU https://guenergy.com/shop/ ; Salming World Ambassador; https://www.shopsalming.com

Thanks for posting this, I am dealing with the exact same thing. I ran a marathon in December and have been suffering from sciatic nerve pain since mid January. I am scheduled for a MRI on Wednesday at a spinal institute. This has knocked me completely off track with training, and I'm having to withdraw from IM Chatanooga 70.3. I'm looking forward to the ST advice that will come out of this thread.

Hey Dave, Yea, it hurts a bit, but that helps you target the usual culprit. Seems when you turn the leg out on a massage ball, tennis ball or roller, it exposes the deep muscle that is often the problem. Been there a few times, so I now know how to react when it starts acting up. Good news is that it does go away, and from myself and many, many others....rest will do absolutely nothing, and it will re-appear immediately upon starting up again. I've had friends in the past lay off for a couple of months only to have it back 2 days after starting up again. Mine got to the point that it flared down the leg outside and into the middle toes. I pushed on the hip back very hard while running to get temporary relief. The self treatment and stretching really does work. I'm using it a bit right now as I'm feeling the early stages.

Before you spend the $$ with MRI, you may want to try some of these techniques. As I had it years ago and did a lot of digging, I've shared with many friends who used this to make it go away. Between sitting on wallets, sitting in car with leg splayed outward, and not digging in there I think we all eventually have the issue.

Hello, I know your pain. I have dealt with this on my left leg for over a year. I recently started a thread about this.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rch_string=;#5756533

Car rides are brutal as the pain in the butt (literal) increases. Things started getting better for me within the last few weeks of physical therapy which I have now been doing for two months straight. I have been riding or running almost every single day now and my leg strength is coming back. The thing about sciatica is that it turns off the muscles which you need to help it get better. In most cases sciatica is due to a lower lumbar injury.. mine was the L5 S1 disc and it was lateral so it DID NOT come up on the first mri. You want to stay away from flexion and external rotation of the leg. In your daily life this can be difficult... like when driving! Stretching has always made it worse for me but foam rolling and rolling with a baseball/lacrosse ball in the gluteus max/med have helped a lot.

The biggest change I have made is the back strengthening my therapist gave to me and I have made a short video of it to explain. In the video I mention doing this 2-3 times per week.. but in order to get rid of sciatica I have been doing this almost every day.. after about two weeks of that things start to feel better and then that frequency can be reduced. Also look up centralization with sciatica... the pain which radiates down your leg will hopefully start to work its way out of your leg and be concentrated where the actual problem is which is most likely near the center of your lower back. You must stay patient with this because things really will take weeks to get better.. There was nothing I did that gave me an 'instant' better feeling, in time it will come. Some stretches that did help in the initial stages were prone press ups and I would hang out in that position for about 5 minutes. I have also been doing traction at pt twice a week... takes pressure off the spine.
http://www.dcdoctor.com/...k_ex_pronepress.html


let me know if you have any questions happy to answer as much as I can. Don't let this drag on, theres a lot you can do to make it better!

---

Mason

I had it on and off, in a mild yet annoying form for years. The solution that is working for me now is... wait for it.. gasp... elements of crossfit as a strength training routine.
I work with a sled, do deadlifts, squats, lunges with weights. Helped my back A LOT.

---

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Wow, your timeline, and running a marathon in Dec, is the exact same as for me. My guess was the marathon in Dec was the cause, but seems impossible to prove, but it was the only thing I have done different in years.
Seems all that pounding on the pavement from a Marathon, when I really had not had any focus on long stuff, seems logical it got me.

I had my MRI last Weds night and am waiting for results. Going to call my Doc now since I was told results would be ready in a day.

Let's keep sharing notes since looks like a few have had, or are having this issue.

For me, I can still run totally fine. But the bike, well, bad

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

except for the 'two months' (mine on going for 6 weeks) I am in exact same boat. Going into phyiso this week to see what they can do and aside from that I'm popping lots of aleve


.

I've be too worried to train for fear of making it worse, but resting has not helped at all. This absolutely sucks and it come on with no warning and for no reason. I've had worse problems in the past after crashing on the bike, but at least I know what the problem was and how to fix it. I hope everything works out you, I'm scheduled to start PT pending the MRI results. I'm going to start implementing some of the stretching and strength exercises that were mentioned earlier in the thread.

I did a search on Youtube for exercises and finding some great examples. And what is better, most of them seem to be the same set of things. Take a look

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Those are great core stuff. A number I do already, but lots of great ones to add.

Thanks

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

If you have a pain in your butt cheek, like you're sitting on a golf ball, then it's probably piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle clamps down on the sciatic nerve and causes sciatica all down your leg. I used to have it for years, then cured it in minutes with the stretches in this video I made. I was getting to the point I couldn't drive or bike either. Was terrible. But don't believe me, believe the comments!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtUgS69rPk

---

----------------------------------------------------------
Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

This ^^^^^nails it!

---

Gary Geiger
http://www.geigerphoto.com Professional photographer

TEAM KiWAMi NORTH AMERICA http://www.kiwamitri.com, Rudy Project http://www.rudyprojectusa.com, GU https://guenergy.com/shop/ ; Salming World Ambassador; https://www.shopsalming.com

Thanks

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I had an awful case about 3 months ago. I'm usually pretty mellow behind the wheel, but was turning into a raging B as I just wanted to get there and get out of the damn car.
The 4 things that helped me the most:
-using a standing desk for at least 1/2 of my work day
-rolling on the tennis ball.
-stretching my tight hips and soas.
-Tumeric supplementation and a really good low inflammation diet (Avacado, Pineapple etc..)
It kept improving over a period of about a month, and finally pretty much disappeared.
Hope this helps. It sure does suck.
L.G.

Mine was so bad! I even went to the emergency room once when I got scared by not being able to feel my foot. A friend put me on the phone with the team doc for the NY Giants and he told me those stretches while he was driving around in his car. I did what he said and then he asked, "How does it feel now?" I simply could not believe it - all the pain and numbness was gone after all those years. In just seconds! He congratulated me on feeling better and then we hung up, just like that. I turned around and put that video on youtube and it's gotten over 1.3 million views! And the comments section is packed with people who's lives were just terrible until they tried the stretches. If you've ever had this, you know how much of a nightmare your life becomes. Such a simple fix for such a terrible problem.

---

----------------------------------------------------------
Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com