Foot Falls Asleep

[joeblow]

I have a kid whose left foot falls asleep on every longish erg piece. Good technique, feet are usually out, shoes aren't too tight.

Any thoughts? I don't have any experience with it.

Thanks

[singlesculler]

Used to have this problem, mostly in the boat (and more often sculling) Both feet/legs would start to go numb. Was worse when doing head race type pieces. After lots of time trying to figure it out (Physical therapy, MRI (found nothing), etc) I determined (with help) that there were two factors that caused it. One was being very tense. Gotta make sure I am relaxed on the recovery, let the boat run, just reduced tension. I think it might have been Xeno (maybe somebody else) who described it as your body and muscles being "quiet" on the recovery.
The other, and more detrimental problem was horrible posture. I sat back on my tailbone, and when I would reach forward on the recovery, I would bend mostly from my waist/upper back. Also at the finish, my low back would collapse down, with hips rolling back . And at the catch, I dove into the catch at times trying to get more reach. All very bad technique and posture problems. It took a lot of time and effort to fix my posture but I can still tell when my posture goes to pot because my feet start going numb. Sitting up tall at the finish, finishing high, keeping much chest up, then pivoting from the hips (use the ischial tuberosities (sit bones) as the pivot point), keeping my tailbone behind me, not under me, has been the key. I also found Xeno's breathing technique of breathing IN during the drive/finish has helped me to stay tall at the finish and keep from rounding my lower back.
hope that helps.
Just found this picture which kinda illustrates the problem:

[sul]

I have a kid whose left foot falls asleep on every longish erg piece. Good technique, feet are usually out, shoes aren't too tight.

Any thoughts? I don't have any experience with it.

Thanks

Where I encountered this was a few years ago in a particular K-1. No problem sculling, erging, paddling surfskis, but there was one boat that I would paddle that would put both legs to sleep. I changed to another boat and it went away.

I had an athlete who had a similar problem in a shell, didn't happen all the time, but every once in a while. He had long legs, short trunk, gave him a higher seat and the symptoms went away. I don't think it was lower lumbar problem as described by singlesculler, as he had comfortable posture in the boat.

When I competed, the Stampfli seat would make my butt hurt really badly after 2 hrs of SS, I had no issue with the pocock seat.

I think something is pinching. In the K-1, it was a narrower fit for my butt, not so in the shells or other K-1. The seat itself FELT comfortable, but may have caused it as well.

given that it's one leg, there may be an imbalance in the leg lengths, or a minor scoliosis that could be contributing.

Sorry that this isn't "the answer", but might give you some avenues to pursue. Try changing his foot height on the erg and see if it affects anything.

It also occurs to me that he may have symptoms on the erg, but not in the boat, because the boat moves more, he's shifting in the seat more, he's following the path of his oar handle?

Ergs are s***ty enough, hope you can help him out.

[132K]

I've dealt with this myself on-and-off for years. Some seats will cause me to lose sensation in my left foot after about 20-30 minutes, while others I have no issues at all. After testing the condition and how to get rid of it, my conclusion is either a nerve or major blood vessel is pinched or restricted during prolonged sessions. Stopping and spinning during practice would be enough time for me to rearrange on the seat and get sensation back in the left leg, I've ignored it in the 1x for as much as 2-3 miles, only to fall over on the dock when trying to get out of the boat. So for me, a seat pad or a more appropriately shaped seat is the only effective way to deal with it - I've had both good and bad posture with my lower back and neither had an effect on the numbness problem - just my 2 cents!

[sicknote]

A friend of mine has issues similar to this whilst sat on a filippi seat. He created a new 'flat' seat out of a block of wood and fixed the wheels to it. I guess this meant that the front of the seat didnt impinge on his hamstrings whilst flat.