Posts Tagged ‘left sciatic nerve’
8/9/10 – New Workout, More Push-Ups!
Yesterday, Melissa totally kicked my butt, again! My quads are feeling much better, but last workout she had me do side lunges. Well, I was so sore over the weekend, that I was unable to do my homework. I only got in one run 🙁
It was also a short time period between seeing Melissa last week and this week due to a trip I’m taking to the ol’ homestead, which gave me fewer opportunities to workout.
Enough with the excuses, already.
Yesterday, Melissa gave me some excellent exercises. Starting with FIFTEEN push-ups! Yes, 15!!! Then we moved onto a curtsey-like lunge, where I lunge back and toward the side holding me up. These work your abductors, and boy can I feel it today! I was worried that when it came time for my left foot to hold me up, it would not be able to. However, the left foot did just fine! I couldn’t really tell a difference between it and the right foot. Hooray!
Next, I did some more squats with a dowel that I bring up from my hips to even with my shoulders out in front as I squat. Not bad. Finally, a little hamstring using the balance exercise ball. I place my ankles on the ball and come into a plank. Then, I roll the ball up to my butt. Once there, I hold and raise one leg with knee bent off the ball. Hold for 30 sec. each side. The left side felt like it would charley horse in the last 10 sec, but the right side felt fine.
Now, rinse and repeat three times.
The last half of the workout was more archers with more weight 🙂 Then, one-arm fly laying on floor with legs at 90 degrees and opposite arm (not doing fly) out to the side palm down to balance. Next, on the balance exercise ball roll down to ball under shoulders in bridge with feet on floor. Using 15lb weights(!) I did the hip/glute exercise from two weeks ago. I love this exercise because it really does a good job of getting at my glutes without hamstring issues. I remain in the bridge on the ball and take my 15lb weights to do the skull crushers and tricep press. This was difficult, but I could do it!!! 15Lbs!!!
Finally, I did some shoulder rehab, while in side plank with abductor leg raises after, still in side plank.
Whew! What a workout. Today, I my hamstrings are a little sore with a small dose of sciatica in the left hamstring. Not too bad. A few slump stretches should help that. I do have a pain in my low back/hip. I am trying to decide if I need to go see Dr. Larry before I leave for home. The problem is that I’m getting on a plane, which will very likely undo anything Dr. Larry does. Hmmm.
Well, kiddos, that’s all for now. Until my next run in a few minutes 🙂
7/19/10 – Another Successful and Incredibly Informative Chiropractic Visit
I looked forward to this chiropractic visit all day today because I missed it last week due to a minor period of complete and total brain fart. So, when I finally arrived, I knew I needed to have some serious adjustment of my L5. Seriously.
For this adjustment I changed into exercise shorts because I did not want my jeans to be in the way, as they can be even though the doctor insists that they are just fine. I’m just sayin’ that I disagree, and I figured every little bit helps 😉
Of course, I begin by telling Dr. Larry exactly what I think my diagnosis is. He then examines my back and tells me exactly *what* my diagnosis is.
Me: “I need an L5 adjustment because the sciatica has returned to my left leg and my right hip just isn’t working right.”
Dr. Larry: “Your L5 spinous process is rotating to the right.”
Alrighty then.
He got to work on my mid back, my neck (very impressive pops this time), my hips (he “pulled” my leg – ahahahaha), and the ankle. After all that, he did a very specific adjustment to push the L5 spinous process to the left only. Normally, he does a lower back adjustment that includes the L3,4 and 5 on both sides, but today he focused on the L5 and only pushing it to the left.
Let me tell you – INSTANT MIRACLE! It is amazing how fantastic your body feels when the spine is in alignment. My sciatica is abating (it takes a few days as the sciatic nerve is slightly inflamed, and must be calmed down with stretching and exercise), and my right hip working correctly, again! Hooray!
Thanks, Dr. Larry!
Physical Therapy Visit 5/26/10
It really does take a Village!
Today, I went into Travis after having an increase in the “pulling” sensation in my left hamstring and sometimes my upper calf muscle. I showed him where my problem was, and he said that he did not think it was my hamstring. After several tests, he hypothesized that the sciatic nerve is being irritated by the piriformis muscle (this is a muscle that wraps around your hip bone from the tail bone to the top of the femur or big leg bone).
HA! Once again the symptom is not really anywhere near the problem! The idea is that the sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis. Thus, when the piriformis is tight (mine is), then it places pressure on the sciatic. Pressure on the sciatic equals irritation further down the leg.
So, if this sciatic nerve hypothesis is correct, then it explains why glute exercises irritate it. When I work out my glutes, then I am definitely tightening the piriformis muscle, thereby irritating the sciatic – VOILA! My hamstring feels like it’s “pulling” or doing all the work.
Wow, if this is correct, I am going to advertise for real for my physical therapist!
The exercises:
I am to do a slumped stretch where I slump over as much as possible with my hands completely limp and resting on the chair behind me while I lift my leg just enough to stretch but not irritate the sciatic nerve.
Then, a “press-up” where I lay on my stomach and press up with my arms. This is to help relieve any pressure that might be coming from misalignment in my back (I’ll get back to that as I am now going to call my chiropractor to consult him).
Next, a bridge to specifically use my lower back.
Finally, a stretch for the piriformis.
Oh, I’m also supposed to foam roll the piriformis when I foam roll the IT Band.
So, I have a plan. I have a new diagnosis that is much more plausible. However, this is still a hypothesis.
As for how my chiropractor fits in: Travis said that when folks have sciatic nerve problems a lot of time it starts when the vertebrae put pressure on a disc. So, there could be a possibility of my having a disc out of place or something, but my symptoms are so mild that it is probably not that severe. I am going to call Dr. Larry tomorrow to talk about it.
Anyway, several things fell into place if the sciatic nerve and the piriformis are to blame. First, I have not had problems with the sciatic in a very long time – maybe a year, and that includes all the running I did at the start of this project. The one thing that is true for that point in time is that I was getting a back adjustment and an hour-long therapeutic massage every two weeks. It has been over 5 weeks since my last massage, and I had not had an adjustment in 4 weeks when I saw Dr. Larry last Friday.
Put that all together and my piriformis has had the chance to really get tight, and my back could have gotten all kinds of out of whack. Plus, when you are not getting regular adjustments, your body tends to not hold them as well. I know all this seems to point to the fact that once you start chiropracti you never stop.
Well, I don’t think it’s like fast food where you become addicted, I think it is something that your body actually needs on a regular basis. I also think that everyone should get a massage at least once per month. With our sedentary lifestyles, our bodies do not get the constant movement that they were made to do. So, they get all “stove up” or tight and run down. The chiropracti puts everything back into alignment, while the massage relaxes the muscles and helps the body to hold the correct postion, especially when supplemented further by strengthening and exercise.
However, I must bid you good bye as it is time for me to ice my butt. Have a great evening!