Back Problem?

[andy]

I've been having the odd injury woe over the last year (!) or so and although some of the problems I've been having are not to do with this I'm getting more and more convinced things are related to a lingering back problem.... anyway, my main question to you guys is have you ever had a sore lower leg (i.e. behind the calf muscles) from sciatica/back problems?

I realise this isn't the best place to ask for advice about this kind of thing so in order to pre-empt this I'll let you know that I'm seeing my phsio about it tomorrow, and will ask if she thinks I should go to see my GP. I just thought I'd see if anyone had had similar problems. I know the sciatic nerve goes right down to your foot and have read that it can cause problems in this area (I do have problems currently in my upper leg(s) that I am confident are related to the sciatic nerve, hence my attempting to link the two)

[Fat and Forty]

Andy,

It is certainly worth investigating a possible link.

I know of a local runner who spent the best part of 10 years trying to sort out a knee problem, including Harley Street consultants, only to find out from the Internet and an exploratory back operation that the cause was a problem with a disc.

[Big Jon]

Its almost certainly from your back - the nerves are fairly tight from spine to lower legs and anything in back/pelvis that is twisted or inflamed can impinge on them and cause transferred pain. Too much sitting hunched over a computer by any chance?

[andy]

Too much sitting hunched over a computer by any chance?

almost certainly! silly profession choice...

[Becks]

The change I've found from being active in the lab all day to sitting writing at my laptop is immense! Tight pelvis, calves, hamstrings...and I'm pretty sure I'm sitting in a good position and all that nonsense. I don't know how you do it!

[andypat]

I dont know whether youve ever considered visiting a podiatrist? I think you are right that issues with the back can affect your gait and posture and therfore caise problems down the way to your legs, but the same is true in reverse.

A decent podiatrist should be able to carry out what they call a biomechaincal assessment I think. I'd this done years ago when i was getting achilles problems. A foot insert helped, although a fairly long rest also contrbuted.

[andy]

I dont know whether youve ever considered visiting a podiatrist?

Yep, and I also went back to see her when the problem came back. I have orthotics and my gait is now a lot better than it used to be. She did say that my big toe doesn't bend as much as it should, but i've been doing a lot of exercises on that over the last 3 or 4 weeks with no sign of improvement to the main problem (other than my big toe now bends significantly more than it used to!)

[Kitch]

Podiatrist,
I'm in the process of kicking the habit

Have a think about barefoot.

here's a potted summary of the emerging thinking
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6...n-useless.html

I started a few short sessions a week since the end of summer as an experiment to combat repeated calf pulls, not had a problem since.
(though I do have a torn cartlige - I have history in that department though).

In the book Born To Run this is a a central topic and has one example of a guy with back pain.

[AndyC]

Kitch -the link doesn't work -probably the Telegraph have moved it!

[frog]

Some folk with back problems just get calf pain or calf numbness. Suggest see GP. If currently good range of movement of back and good straight leg raising and no recent severe back pain/sciatica then calf muscle problem more likely. If always 1 side need leg length checking.

[Kitch]

here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6968 ... eless.html