Pain in the butt!

[Kaparu47]

Help! On w6r2 - shooting pain through butt and soreness down leg. Advice on how to get rid of the pain please. I’ve come so far and don’t want to get behind (pardon the pun!!). How long should I rest?

[AnneDroid Graduate]

I have a pain in the butt too. Mine is Piriformis Syndrome which is caused by the piriformis muscle - a wee muscle hiding under the gluteus maximus - pressing on the sciatic nerve.

But that doesn't mean that's what you have. I'm not a doctor!

Piriformis Syndrome is common in new runners doing too much too soon - mine certainly happened after I'd graduated and I was trying to progress to 10k too quickly as I didn't know about the 10% rule. But C25k is a very well paced program so that shouldn't apply to you.

Foam roller can help, if you have one. Or sitting on a tennis ball!

But please don't take this as a diagnosis! I'm not remotely qualified...

[Kaparu47 Graduate in reply to AnneDroid]

Thanks for the tip Anne! Can I ask - did you stop running for a while or continue at a reduced pace? 🙂

[AnneDroid Graduate in reply to Kaparu47]

Mine doesn't particularly hurt WHILE I'm running so it doesn't stop me going out. It's more an after-reaction for me. And I don't have the shooting pain down my leg which some Piriformis Syndrome sufferers get. As it's not agony it doesn't affect me much. It's on a par for me with the DOMS soreness/stiffness lots of people get the day after exercise - be it running, hiking, or weightlifting. In fact, truth to tell, I ALMOST like it because it would never have occurred to me in the first 50 years of my life that I could have a running injury. It's like a badge of honour haha.

If it's bothering me I find the following helps. In my case it's my right "cheek" so I lie on my back with my left leg straight. I bend my right leg and move it to the left across my body, aiming my right knee at my left shoulder.

BUT, PLEASE don't just apply all this to yourself. Get a diagnosis. If you've got a different problem, for all I know my advice might make it worse and I'd hate to be the cause of that...

[AnneDroid Graduate in reply to AnneDroid]

And P.S. Probably wise to take an extra rest day before you even think of venturing out again.

[Kaparu47 Graduate in reply to AnneDroid]

Will do Anne - thanks for the advice 🙂