Sciatica is an awful constant pain. For me it's the outside of the lower leg. Mid way down the calf. A constant, consuming ache. The skin over the area has little sensation, like it's not my skin. The worse pain and discomfort comes from the simple action of sitting in a chair.
Lucky for me this is something I only do every day while tapping a computer. Standing works well as does lieing down. If I'm not flexing joints then it's fine. In the evening when I sit down I tend to lie down to relieve the pressure.
I have had diagnosis and the sciatica is a result of piriformis syndrome. The piriformis is a small stabilising muscle deep in the glute. Small and innocuous but a literal pain in the arse. When it's inflamed in rubs the sciatic nerve and boom there's your pain.
I've had for this for nearly a year. In the early part it was excruciating - every time I got out of a chair I could barely move. I found myself really tensing moly core to try and prevent and dissipate the awful pain. On a pain index it would go from being a 9-10 to 0-2 in a matter of seconds. Very painful seconds.
This is what makes the issue an odd one. Piriformis syndrome is, I believe, an overuse injury - look online the remedy is essentially stretching and core work. I have joined a gym and been doing lots of that work. It has improved but so slowly.
It's the beginning of 2017 and I have plans. Those plans involve long runs and while I can do the runs I am not so sure that I can recover from them. I'm not even sure if I should be running with this but if I don't I don't feel like I am me.
A recent call out on Twitter for someone that can really fix this has yielded a response. Hopefully they have the ability and knowledge to get into the area and help it along.
Fingers (not legs) crossed.
