Thoughts On:
Training, Rehabilitation, & Best Care Practices
As we gather to close out this series on Sciatica, talking this time on what care looks like in our office when someone presents with Sciatic Nerve pain, you will recognize some similarities from the previous Sciatica-related articles. That is because rehabilitation for Sciatica is similar to the self-care and prevention exercises we shared previously. So…if you haven’t taken a look at our Sciatica Pain Relief series parts 1-3, click the links below and check them out. Our goal is to have you work through those modules before seeking care. You will often find that spending a week on the exercises we shared, might relieve your pain, and if maintained with some frequency, may prevent future occurrences. Nevertheless, if you are here, are located in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area, we are here to help.
If you are tracking along with us on this journey of everything Sciatica, your patience and dedication is about to be rewarded. In Part 1 of our Sciatica Pain Relief series, we discussed what Sciatic Nerve pain is and the associated anatomy (always my favorite part). In Part 2 we went a little deeper with the 5 most common causes of Sciatica and touch on a few of the red flags we want to rule out as soon as possible. Having made it through those two very information-heavy articles, it is time to look at what YOU can do to improve your situation as well as some of the most common everyday actions that may be the primary cause for your Low Back and Sciatic Nerve pain.
In part 1 of our Sciatica Pain Relief series, we covered the basics of sciatica, sciatic nerve pain, and the general anatomy involved. While this may not interest everyone, it is useful in understanding the sharp, burning, and often debilitating pain that radiates down the leg that some people experience with low back pain. Our goal in this series is to inform, empower action, and give our fellow Salt Lake City, Utah friends the information and tools to help yourself through this condition as well as the understanding of when to seek care and a trusted source to do so if needed. In part 2, we are going to briefly discuss some of the most common causes of sciatica but before going forward, check out part 1 by clicking the button below.
Sciatica is the term used to describe pain that generates from the sciatic nerve. Many of us have felt this pain in the past, are currently experiencing it, or know someone close to us who constantly battles this sometimes debilitation and always frustrating condition.
Sciatic nerve pain is best known as the pain that seems to start at the low back and shoots down the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot. It can range from dull and ache, like a sore muscle, to a very distinct sharp, shooting sensation that can debilitate and stop a person in their tracks immediately. As the condition progresses, numbness, tingling can be present, and in urgent cases, weakness of the let. With that, low back pain with sciatica doesn’t just affect one area; it can radiate pain to the glues, hip, groin, hamstring, knee, calf, and foot…sometime all of them!
Improved health tops nearly every new year's resolution list ever made, 2019 will be no different. From this, running comes to the forefront of our ‘get in shape’ plan because of its ease (almost everyone can shuffle one foot in front of the other, not saying it is easy) and relatively low cost (a decent pair of shoes and some running gear is all you need). While this plan seems fool-proof, there is a reason 60%+ of the people we see in our clinic are runners, new and old.
What happens when stretching and strengthening are not enough to get you out of the Iliotibial Band Syndrome rut? What happens when you are like me, and you can’t get past that 5-mile threshold without the following days being painful to walk, much less get to run on back-to-back days? You seek care. You find a provider that understands running mechanics, realistic time frames and does everything possible to help you maintain some running while recovering from the injury.
As we work our way through this series, let not forget what we have learned so far.
Iliotibial band syndrome is a common overuse injury plaguing runners of all abilities. The most common offense is trying to increase your volume too soon while also increasing the intensity without cross-training or varying surfaces.
The Iliotibial band DOES NOT STRETCH! The tension we feel is caused by the muscles that support the IT band, Tensor Fascia Latae and Gluteus Maximus.
The stabbing pain we experiences as runners suffering from IT band syndrome is thought to be caused by the band itself shifting forward and backward as the knee flexes and extends. The research is out on that one…if we ever reach a consensus, I will let you all know!
Where are we now? Well…if you have made it this far, you are probably dealing with IT band syndrome and wondering if it will ever go away and let you get back to running the way you would like.
For this, we are going to discuss self-care. What you can do about the knee pain and tight hips at home while also mentioning a few stretches you can do at work or out on a run. Our goal is simple - Allow you to continue to train, modified while improving your IT band syndrome pain week-to-week.
What we are talking about today, where the real work takes place, the day in and day out self-care. And the big question….can you continue training?
Knowing more about the anatomy associated with the Iliotibial band (IT Band Article #1) is a great start, but that alone will not decrease the stabbing feeling you had on the outside of your knee as you attempted a long run this past weekend.
We are moving forward with our IT Band Syndrome Relief series. This time we aim at the biomechanics (boring for some, but very important) of the Iliotibial band and why it is causing you pain. From there, we are going to look at some common risk factors and other things you are doing every time you go out to run that is making it worse.
