Complete leg numbness after race

[maplemel]

Hi all. Writing on behalf of my 13-year-old son, not myself He is an okay runner, finished his season yesterday with a 5:10 PR in the mile. He has increasingly been complaining of numbness in his legs after each race over the last few weeks, however. Yesterday his legs were still so numb he was unable to run the 800 (which he usually runs). The numbness did eventually subside by the time we left the track and his legs felt totally fine this morning.

He has had a pretty standard progression, finished last season at 5:29, and then chipped away at it this season to get down to 5:10. So it's not as though yesterday came out of nowhere and his body wasn't prepared for it. I'm just unsure whether this is normal or whether it's something to see a doctor about, and if so, what could the cause be?

[jamesjohnson]

Numbness in the legs of a developing athlete should not be taken lightly. A trip to the MD is warranted, because there can be pressure on the nerves due to a number of neurological and circulatory causes, some of which can be vitally important to the health of your son's legs. Compartment Syndrome, for example, while normally being associated with pain, can also apply damaging pressure to the nerves, and eventually cause tissue necrosis. He may have problems in the lumbar spine causing nerve impingement, or a form of Piriformis syndrome, in which hip rotator muscles pinch off the blood and/or nerve supply to the legs. You would be well advised to back off on the training in the off season, at least until you get a diagnosis.

[AngelChen]

Hi, maplemel, Did you take your son to see a doctor? How about his legs now?
I really hope you could share your experience here, then other people with same questions could be find answers here.