Been having Sciatica Never issues for like 2 months now. So far, not finding any real solutions. Waiting for the results of my MRI I had last week. What solution have folks had
for dealing with this who have had, or are having, the issue. It sure has totally killed my bike since I cannot get into a aero bar position, and my left leg has gotten weaker.
I cannot believe how it is KILLING me trying to ride in the car!!!
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
I cannot believe how it is KILLING me trying to ride in the car!!!
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
Have you altered your training and racing to allow for the proper therapy and rest/recovery of the injury?
I cannot believe how it is KILLING me trying to ride in the car!!!
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
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/?Click=gBrand03151&gclid=CLuUjeSAr8sCFdaPHwodSXcMGA
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, 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
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.
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
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
My apologies…guess I forgot to add:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUanMX_uetY
I can’t seem to find the video link. Is it missing?
Thanks.
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/gforum.cgi?post=5756533;search_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/pages/rightpages_wellnesscenter/homeexercises/back/exercises/exer_back_ex_pronepress.html
https://youtu.be/-IFNk_Cb4R8
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!
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.
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.
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
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
Those are great core stuff. A number I do already, but lots of great ones to add.
Thanks