Back Pain for runners

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oliveoil7979
oliveoil7979 Posts: 112
in Fitness and Exercise
I am hoping someone will have some good advise for this. I have never had any sort of pack pain, but a few weeks ago I started getting a pain in my lower right back that extends down my right hip and calf and sometimes my ankle will hurt.
I come from a family where our philosphy has always been, "walk it off" so I continued running, and normal activity and pushed through it.
The last time I ran I couldn't finish, and my back was hurting the rest of the day. I thought I would take a few days off from running and see if that helps. It has been over a week since I last ran, and I got a massage, but the pain is still there.

Have any of you ever had this problem? I can't remember doing anything that would cause my back to being hurting...it just started one day and hasn't stopped yet.

It isn't so bad that I can't do my normal daily activities like walking and working, but I am starting to have running withdrawls.
Any thoughts or suggestions?

Replies

  • heather62803
    heather62803 Posts: 266 Member
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    I am not a doctor by any means, but it sounds like a pinched sciatic nerve. My husband had the same kind of pain as a result of a bulging disk pinching the nerve - it started in his lower back and radiated down his hip and into his leg. He eventually had to have surgery to fix the disk, but for the nerve they told him to take Ibuprofen for inflamation. I would definitely consult a doc or maybe even a chiropractor (I've never gone to one, but I know people who swear they work!) Hopefully you get better soon, it sucks to have a goal in mind and then have something like an injury holding you back!
  • Plwarder
    Plwarder Posts: 30
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    I have lower back spasms and sciatica. The sciatica is in my lower right side and runs down the back of my leg, like a shooting pain. I'm not sure what caused it but believe it happens from a nerve being compressed either by bulging disc or injury. I see a chiropractor and use muscle relaxers. I don't really have any advice on how to make the problem better. My Chiro says I have to build my core strength and stretch before and after my physical activity, as well as specific stretches and strength exercises for my back.
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
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    I had similar pain a few months ago. Mine was sharp and focused in my lower back though my entire back was pretty stiff. I would run through it and it seemed fine but who knows if adrenaline was covering up the pain during the run. And when i resumed the rest of my day, it hurt to bend over or attempt to sit or pretty much anything else. Like you, I took a few days off, got a massage, etc but it still hurt when I tried to run.
    Turns out I had a herniated disc. This is something I definitely wouldn't self diagnose and while surgery was an option for me, I went the route of just rest and therapy and I'm back to running. The doctor told me that in a younger person (who doesn't want to be called that! :) ) rest and therapy is just as effective as the body adjusts and the results are more or less the same without being invasive.


    This was my case. May or may not be yours. If the pain persists I would go see someone immediately.
  • oliveoil7979
    oliveoil7979 Posts: 112
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    Thanks. I am probably going to a chiropractor this week. I was hoping that maybe there be some easy home cure I hadn't thought of. :ohwell:
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
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    You shouldn't run through that type of pain at all...side stitches and things of that nature you can 'breathe thru' tho. So tell us more about your running history, are you new to running? have you been upping your speed/ distance each week?

    One thing that most beginner runners (people running less than a yr or 2) tend to not realize is that their muscles increase in strenght at a rate much faster than their skeletons. Your bones take much more time to handle increases in speed and distance than your muscles, so you can 'feel' like you can run further and faster, but actually will end up getting injured since your skeleton really hasn't had time to catch up.
  • oliveoil7979
    oliveoil7979 Posts: 112
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    I am somewhat new to running. I started in January. I would like to think I haven't pushed myself to hard to fast, but now that you mention it, I did try to run 10 miles a few weeks ago, (my longest run prior to that was 5 miles), and I did it on a tredmill, (which I don't normally do)
    Is it possible that running that far on a tredmill could have done this? :ohwell: :cry:
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
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    it's possible. i'm not a huge fan of running on treadmills if possible unless i'm doing speed training and even then.
    i would try the chiropractor and see how that goes and once healed build a little slower on the miles.
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
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    Well I don't know that doing it on a treadmill would be more harmful...usually the treadmill has less impact than running outside and is friendlier on your joints.

    So you just started in January!? good job on such progress! you've obviously been pushing yourself really hard if you got to running 10 miles in just 4-5 months!

    I don't know what your specific problem is, but I can share that for the first year of running I had all sorts of pains in different places that I never get anymore....if something like your knee starts to hurt, you really shouldn't push through it; just stop for that day. Your bones need time to catch up. I think there was like a general rule of not increasing speed or distance by more than 10% at a time from week to week.


    If you are running and walking for breaks, you are essentially running at a pace that you cannot keep yet and most likely your body can't handle for sustained periods yet. If you are doing it this way, you could try laying off the 'sprints' and just try jogging at a pace you can handle throughout your whole run...that would probably go easier on your body.
  • skilleen
    skilleen Posts: 5
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    I am also a "walk it off" girl and long time runner. It does sound like sciatica and a good sports massage will do wonders. Also, as a runner ibuprofen is your friend. When I have had back problems, yoga, massage and ibuprofen always do the trick.

    Good Luck!
  • chirokelly
    chirokelly Posts: 6
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    I'm a chiropractor so perhaps I can give you a few more details. It sounds like you do, indeed, have a pinched sciatic nerve. However, if it was pinched because of a bulging disc in your back, sitting would aggravate and walking would relieve. When the sciatic nerve is irritated with walking/running, its usually because it is being pinched where it exits a gluteal muscle, by the piriformis muscle. The condition is called "piriformis syndrome" and usually will present with athletes. Try googling that condition to see if it matches yours and you will find lots of treatment advice. Hope that helps.

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