PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME IN A MARATHON RUNNER

Hi folks,
With marathon season fast approaching, and the Connemara Marathon being the first big one on the Irish calendar, many runners are literally taking to the hills more than twice a week to condition themselves for the climbs they will face in Galway on April 1st. So why is this relevant for runners ? Many runners who want to simply make it through a marathon will get out on the road as many times during the week as they can, and run. They don't investigate the terrain ahead of them (flat & fast, hilly & strategic, mix etc.) and while this may mean that they don't run the fastest times, that may not be the focus for these people. However, for those die hards that find themselves searching out the most challenging runs, every time they put their runners on, it is with a plan in mind.......and so this brings us back to hill training. I have seen more people in the last two weeks for pain in their gluts (cheek of the bum) than I have since I started practicing FST last year. A number of people have come to me complaining of low back pain, tight hamstrings, "ass pain" (as one client described it) and all have said that if they could just find the exact spot where it was hurting, they could relieve it. The series of gluteal stretches that are applied during a fascial stretch session may seem a little scary initially. The hip is flexed and externally rotated until the foot crosses to the opposite side of the body. This is usually the point where I ask people to close their eyes as they begin to get worried about how big a knot I'm about to tie them in. Most individuals report that the 'scoop' at the end of each stretch is both scary and hugely satisfying and I am often asked to repeat it, despite it's 'scariness'. But to get to the end point folks - despite training for a marathon on some of the hilliest roads in the South of Ireland, clients visiting me are getting over 3 weeks relief from their symptoms, sometimes more, depending on how much maintenance they do themselves. It is important to mention at this point that Fascial Stretch Therapy is designed to improve mobility and range of motion and with this often comes relief from the pain of tightened or adhesed soft tissue. Maintenance by each individual is essential for prolongation of the effects of a fascial stretch. Looking forward to a revisit to one of this weeks clients who had all the symptoms listed above. However, this individual has been through back surgery and in each session we take very small steps to improve mobility in the hips. Comments and feedback welcome folks. ;))
http://youtu.be/Jmsf_N1PeTE