Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Hiking with sciatic pain

I hope others with a similar experience can answer my question.

A month ago I reinjured my back (ruptured disk L4-5) and have since suffered moderate to severe buttock, calf, and foot pain whenever I walk more than three or four minutes. It's been subsiding somewhat over the past few days and so I decided to go for a longer walk this morning. These symptoms were moderate, but manageable, so I continued walking. To my surprise after about two miles they subsided by about 75% and remained so for the rest of the five mile hike.

My question is to others who may have a similar condition, or who have knowlege about it. Why did the symptoms subside after a period of time (nerve firing fatigue, or something?) and will I do myself any harm if I hike further? I'd love to get back to my Sunday morning 10 miler, and so would my dog. Heck, if things continue to improve I'll make the geezer hike in June.

Peter -

I also have sciatic pain periodically. I find regular stretching helps it a great deal. My wife's a yoga teacher, and gives me a few pointers on how to make the yoga and stretching more effective.

She says regular hiking gives us "buns of steel", which in turn may cause pressure on that nerve, and hence the pain. The stretching makes it more tolerable earlier in the day, but as the day wears on, it will go away eventually. Sounds like it's similar to yours.

I started having sciatic pain about 3 years ago - I, too, was diagnosed with L3-4 narrowing, which then caused the sciatica. I started yoga two nights a week, and it didn't help at first. Finally it did, and I've been (mostly) pain free for about 2 years. When I was having the pain, however, it did take a couple of miles to work out the pain while walking. Once the pain went away, I was fine. When I finished the walking, I made sure to stretch, and I used some yoga exercises during those stretching times.
Stretch as much as you can, and look into some yoga. Doesn't have to be hard core, just some low impact stuff, and you'll see an improvement in a short time.
Good luck!

Mike - Riverside, CA

The body is made to be used...it's really sometimes as simple as that. The fact of the matter is that most acute episodes of back pain will resolve by themselves. The ruptured disk may or may not impinge on a nerve, but most knowledgeable back specialists will encourage you to be active even in the face of discomfort. The worst thing you can do is to do nothing ie inactivity, sitting for long periods, etc. Many, and I would venture to say the vast majority of back issues start with dysfunctional muscles and bad mechanics. Walking, particularly on a somewhat uneven surface such as a trail will often challenge those muscles in the way they were meant to be used, and thus relieve pressure on the nerve. Just to take a stab (so to speak) at it, it is entirely possible that a spasming muscle was responsible for your issues, and that the spasm was relieved by the walking. Find yourself a back rehab specialist and get some exercises to compliment your hiking.

Lots of stretching! Google sciatica stretches.

Peter: Been there, done that with some pain in between. Herniated disc. 2005. No surgery. Had 3 epidurals starting March 2006. Had the left leg numb from the knee down for several months. Two visits to the ER. Hurt so bad I couldn't do "business" in the bathroom, yet alone lie on the floor or bed. First visit got shot up with Dilaudid (WOO HOO!) and I think my second ER visit I got Tramadol (Not so WOO HOO!). Found out by accident that if I kept mobile the pain went away. I believe the epidurals also had something to do with my discomfort since my first ER visit was after my first epi.

Now, I feel fine. Numbness miraculously gone. An occasional flare up of my iliopsoas muscle causes pain. Bed rest doesn't work. Gotta keep moving. No Vicodin. Just gotta tolerate it.

The stretching didn't do it for me. No yoga.

I found out that maybe my wallet was a culprit, too. I used to carry my wallet in my left back pocket. No more. I use the right now. However, if I plan to drive or sit for a prolonged period of time, the wallet gets placed in my portfolio at work or in my zippered compartments of my jacket.

Did a Whitney Summit in August and September 2006, July 2008 and a Fuji-san summit in July 2009 without incident.

I lift weights, run, hike. It is when I am loading or unloading the washer or dryer or loading bird feed into the feeder or something TRIVIAL is when my ilio reminds me with a little tap on the upper behind. Could never understand how I can carry a 25-35 pound pack with no incident, but when I come home to do the chores or PUT MY SOCKS on my feet then I get FRUSTRATED!

I advise you give yourself time. I am 52 and I gotta a lot of hiking left in me.

Have fun.

And now for a different twist:

You may have disc bulging, but sometimes it is hard to be sure if it is the cause of the discomfort.

Ask your medical provider about pseudosciatica or piriformis syndrome.

This is anecdotal: I thought I had bilateral sciatica when I went to the ER, but the neurologist gave me this better diagnosis and prognosis. Basically a result of weekend warrior overusage. Some may feel this diagnosis is in the province of fringe medicine practitioners, but my neurologist is definitely not. And he was right.


from Wiki (of course)
Piriformis syndrome

In 15% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle rather than beneath it. When the muscle shortens or spasms due to trauma or overuse, it can compress or strangle the sciatic nerve beneath the muscle. Conditions of this type are generally referred to as entrapment neuropathies; in the particular case of sciatica and the piriformis muscle, this condition is known as piriformis syndrome. It has colloquially been referred to as "wallet sciatica" since a wallet carried in a rear hip pocket will compress the muscles of the buttocks and sciatic nerve when the bearer sits down. Piriformis syndrome may be the major cause of sciatica when the nerve root is normal.

Piriformis Syndrome is absolutely a legitimate condition...I see it often. If the pain extends or exists above the hips, it is probably originating from entrapment other than the piriformis, but if it is below, it MAY be piriformis entrapment, as mentioned in the article. You could have both in this case. There are simple tests for it and a stretch I colloquially call the pretzel stretch. Typically it will be in spasm...I find the best way to relieve it is by trigger point or myofascial release on a foam roller, tennis ball, etc. Piriformis notch is a little difficult to get to...get someone who knows to show you..it couldn't hurt. Actually, that's not true..if it is in spasm, doing either of the two I mentioned will hurt a lot! But it cannot make you worse if you do it right.

You must read "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. John Sarno. It will change your life. I had sciatic pain so severe my surgeon told me I might not be able to walk eventually without back surgery. My sister sent me this book and I have since climbed Mt Whitney about 50 times, Mt Rainier, Mt Shasta, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali (summits all), and I leave in March to trek to Everest Base Camp returning just in time to run in the Boston Marathon April 19th!!! Please do yourself a huge favor and check it out.. and I'll see you on Mt Whitney...

Thanks everyone for having taken the time to respond to my questions. I take great comfort in knowing there are others who have had similar symptoms as mine, and have found ways to overcome them.

It's a little scarry when you are dealing with something for the first time, and it has such a major impact on your ability to function physically. I have always been a pretty active guy, and find forced inactivity to be excruciatingly difficult to manage.

As noted in my original post, I'm encouraged by recent symptom improvement, and more encouraged by your responses, the consensus of which seem to suggest I'll likely do no harm by "walking through the pain" and might do some good.

Thanks again!

I, too, am active and I was worried I would be like my father with a scar down my spine. But my neuro said that I should be fine. No surgery. YES!

My anthem for 2010 is the song "Broken, Beat & Scarred" by Metallica on their Death Magnetic CD.

You rise, you fall, you're down, then you rise again...
What don't kill you makes you more strong!
You rise, you fall, you're down, then you rise again...
What don't kill you makes you more strong!

Rise, fall, down, rise again...
What don't kill you makes you more strong!
Rise, fall, down, rise again...
What don't kill you makes you more strong!

Through black days!
Through black nights!
Through pitch black insides!

Breaking your teeth on the hard life coming...
Show your scars!
Cutting your feet on the hard earth running...
Show your scars!

Breaking your life
Broken, beat and scarred
But we die hard!

GO FOR IT!

Have fun.

I also have piriformis syndrom. I used to run 30-40 miles a week and after not running for about four years I was diagnosed with this condition. Now I am able to run about 30 mins and am working at building back up. I doubt I will ever be pain free though. You have to stretch out and strengthen the piriformis muscle. Since its deep behind the glutes you have to really work at it. Go on You Tube and type in piriformis syndrom and you can find some good videos of treatment. But also you should see a doctor also just to make sure of what the actual problem is. Good luck.

Well whether it is a disc protruding or degenerative narowing of the space the nerve exits(foramen) or the piriformis, something is compressing and/or irritating the sciatic nerve if it is radiating down the leg to the calf and foot.Once the sciatic nerve is irritated it is REALLY REALLY important that one does NOT engage in any form of straight leg stretching.That only stretches the nerve against whatever is compressing or irritating the nerve.

All stretches must be with bent legs and knees type of stretches.Some people think that since it might feel like a hamstring pull that they should do some form of hammy stretches.Any stretches should be aimed at stretching the low back and creating dynamic and funtional movement of the spine. Stretching the leg will irritate the nerve.
Walking is great dynamic movement of the illiums, SI joint, and lumbar spine.I always say that if you don't move and exercise enough you will hurt, but if you exercise too much you will hurt also.There is a therapeutic range of exercise and dynamic movement.If you don't do enough you will hurt and if you do too much it will hurt.

A skilled chiropractor can adjust the spine also to restore normal spinal dynamic movement and thus restore normal function of the spine and the nervous system it houses. Restoring normal spinal function can greatly reduce nerve root irritation.That along with spine streches not leg stretches and walking can greatly reduce low back and leg pain.Icing the low back 15 minutes every hour and no heat is also highly recommended.

Piriformis syndrome is rarely the cause of pain raditing down the leg to the calf or foot.Piriformis syndrome in my experience is confined mostly to the butt and upper leg and rarely if ever radiates past the knee.If your leg pain radites below the knee then you are most likely dealing with nerve root irritaion of the spine usually some form of spinal segmental dysfuntion, facet syndrome,denenerative disc or disc protrussion