Leg going numb

Question
QUESTION: I am a HS CC coach and I have my softball pitcher running for me for conditioning.  Last March during the softball season she suffered a pretty severe pulled/torn muscle in her thigh.  She rested, played with it wrapped etc. and finished the season doing real well.  Now about three weeks into the CC season she is complaining that the leg she had the thigh injury in last Spring goes numb about 1 to 1.5 miles into her workout.  I have her stretch real well before she runs and tell her to stretch and ice after she runs.  I am at a loss as to what to do.  She has a couple more meets but I do not want to keep running her if there is a chance of injuring her severely and keeping her from training this fall for her primary sport - softball.  Wednesday we were going to try wrapping it before her workout.  Is the area that was previously injured swelling a bit during the running and then restricting blood flow to the rest of the leg? Any advice?

ANSWER: Hello, can you please tell me what muscle was torn or at least the area of the tear?  How the tear occurred?  Also, where is the numbness specifically?  Finally, any history of lower back problems or lower back injuries?  Thanks, Larry

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I forgot to address the numbness sir.  She was complaining about her foot/leg feeling like it had fallen asleep.  She was poking her quads, calves, and shins saying she couldn't feel anything there.

Answer
Bill,

This is a very tough question.  Numbness in the quads, calves, shins, and feet is pretty rare.  The typical injuries involving numbness in the lower extremities from running are mortons neuroma (usually isolated to the foot), tarsal tunnel syndrome (calves down to the toes), compartment syndrome (isolated in the lower leg), and sciatica (typically buttocks, hamstrings, calves).  I doubt any of these truly exist given the varied location of her numbness.  I would consider the following:

1) Does she truly experience numbness in these locations?  The exact location of this numbness can help with diagnosis.  Was it truly quadriceps and shins and calves and feet?  Anything else?

2) Is there any residual swelling in the injured quadricep vs. the healthy quadricep?  Possibly, this swelling MAY cause nerve compression resulting in the symptoms.

3) This is a long shot, but does she want to run.  Is this a real symptom?  Again, due to the rarity of the areas involved, it's a question that should at least be considered.

4) Finally, this is not common, but sciatica or lower back hernia may cause these symptoms.  Its most common along the hamstring and down into the calf and possibly foot, but quadricep is possible.


Truly, given the odd circumstances, I would have her seen by the team doc or a sports-minded PT.  I typically recommend reasonable home remedies in most cases, but this one is more complex.  This is a very unusual symptom that is not easily diagnosed without a direct physical examination with a full medical history.

Sorry I can't be of more help.  A real stumper this one!

Larry