The sciatic nerve is the main nerve that runs from your lower back, over your hipbone, through your leg to your ankle. When that nerve becomes damaged, the resulting condition is referred to as sciatica. Sciatic nerve problems can cause pain in one or both legs and can shoot down through your thighs, calves and feet. Sciatica usually refers to pain that generates through your leg to below your knee, according to SpineUniverse.
Causes
Running typically does not directly cause sciatica, although the activity can exacerbate the condition. Little is known about the causes of the nerve problem, though most doctors agree that it follows a slipped or herniated disc, according to Sciatica Clinic. When one of the discs that lie between the vertebrae in the lower back becomes cracked, the disc protrudes and pushes against the large nerve, causing the discomfort.
Triggers
Pain usually initiates in the buttocks region and can be triggered by any number of events. Your sciatic nerve may become irritated when you run or change your running patterns, placing unusual stress on the slipped disc. It may worsen after you stop running and sit for a long period of time. Others may feel the most pain when they turn in a particular way, such as running uphill or in changing patterns. Coughing or strenuous breathing may trigger pain.
Symptoms
The symptoms usually start as numbness and typically are intermittent. People experience sciatic nerve problems in a variety of forms that can range from a stabbing pain to a dull throb. You may feel a sharp shooting pain when your foot hits the ground on one side of your body or you may feel a continuous tingling sensation in both legs. The pain could come on suddenly while you're running. Following rest and stretching may resolve itself in a couple weeks or it could be persistent and require surgical intervention.
Treatment
Initially, anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can reduce the swelling caused by the throbbing sciatic nerve. Lying on a firm bed on your side with your knees bent up to your chest can alleviate the problem that could heal on its own. About 50 percent of people who experience sciatic nerve pain get better within the first few weeks of the initial pain and about 70 percent recover fully within six weeks, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. Stretching, exercise to strengthen surrounding muscles, massage, ice, heat and steroid injections can help. Total immobility is not recommended, although you may need to slow down and walk instead of run until the pain is resolved. A laminectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the bulging disc to relieve the pain and may be required if home remedies don't help.
