Run Run Away » brooks running shoes » Does tendon trouble spell end to running?
Does tendon trouble spell end to running?
Question:
: DISCLAIMER: be smart, go to a doctor to get a real diagnosis and : treatment. : Sounds like it might be Achilles Tendonitis (AT), which can be somewhat : chronic. The best thing to do is see and ortho and he’ll tell you if : the inflamation is bad. There is a potential for a full rupture of the : tendon if you push too hard when it’s inflamed, so I’d take this problem : seriously. : The short list of causes of AT: : 1. pavement running and general pounding (heavier runners beware) : 2. hills, both up and down : 3. stiff running shoes, or just changing running shoes : 4. not stretching your calf/tendon : 5. increasing mileage too fast : The short list of cures: : 1. see an ortho. If it’s bad, a restrictive cast may be necessary : 2. ice several times a day : 3. stretch several times a day AFTER imflamation decreases : 4. use heal lifts in all your shoes : 5. use shock absorbing inserts (Spenco), especially if you’re heavy : 6. NO RUNNING until imflamation is gone (several months) : 7. stay off your feet as much as possible. Increase elevation to reduce : the inflamation. Disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR Some of the above would contradict the advice I recently received from my sports doctor regarding AT. First, the problem may result from two things, inflammation or rupture of the tendon or inflammation of the sheath. If it is an inflammation of the tendon sheath it apparently isn’t too bad. I was told to wear 1/4" heel lifts all the time, ice after activity, otherwise keep it warm (soak in warm water, heat packs), and NOT to stretch the calf/tendon area. Warm up gently. I read a lot of posts where people talk about stretching the Achilles tendon. It is a TENDON and by design has little elasticity. Excessive stretching of the calf/AT can impair the healing. If you feel compelled to stretch, do so after running and do it GENTLY, using the ‘wall stretch’ with one leg bent and the other stretched out behind. Don’t bend at the knee to ’stretch’ the tendon. My doctor claims the old ’stand on the step and drop the heel to stretch the calf’ is the WORST possible mode of stretching. Again, YMMV. If the problem is with the tendon sheath, it will feel tight at first and loosen up with running. If there is any substantial pain after warming up the injury is possibly more serious involving the tendon itself. From my experience: Get heel lifts and wear them ALL THE TIME. Use ice after exercise combined with anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen if your tummy can handle it, ALWAYS with food). Soak in warm water frequently and keep the foot elevated when playing couch potato. And, on my physician’s advice, don’t stretch the area. I have noticed a big difference since abandoning stretching and getting heel lifts. Best of luck. Eric. — Dept. of Medical Physics phone: (403)432-8618 Cross Cancer Institute fax: (403)432-8202 11560 University Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z2
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A month ago I developed a tendon problem in my ankle which has prevented me from running hard. I find that if I do a full mile of slow running to warm up, then I can run harder with only moderate discomfort. Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition? I’m 40, 165 lbs., 6′ and have never had any similar injuries before. I was training harder than before up to the time of injury, cutting my warmup interval down from 1/2 mile to 2/10 mile as well as adding more speed. DISCLAIMER: be smart, go to a doctor to get a real diagnosis and treatment. Sounds like it might be Achilles Tendonitis (AT), which can be somewhat chronic. The best thing to do is see and ortho and he’ll tell you if the inflamation is bad. There is a potential for a full rupture of the tendon if you push too hard when it’s inflamed, so I’d take this problem seriously. The short list of causes of AT: 1. pavement running and general pounding (heavier runners beware) 2. hills, both up and down 3. stiff running shoes, or just changing running shoes 4. not stretching your calf/tendon 5. increasing mileage too fast The short list of cures: 1. see an ortho. If it’s bad, a restrictive cast may be necessary 2. ice several times a day 3. stretch several times a day AFTER imflamation decreases 4. use heal lifts in all your shoes 5. use shock absorbing inserts (Spenco), especially if you’re heavy 6. NO RUNNING until imflamation is gone (several months) 7. stay off your feet as much as possible. Increase elevation to reduce the inflamation.
These are all great ideas and so far the best list of "cures" that I have seen posted. I’m adding a couple that have/are working for me. a) wrapping the tendon in a tensor bandage overnight (to keep the tendon warm, I don’t know why this works but it does seem to; maybe because of increased bloodflow over night or maybe because the tendon is warm in the morning then no early morning damage is done in the first few steps gettin out of bed.) b) some sort of anti-inflammatory treatment (see your MD, I use ASA and have tried Devil’s claw – a herbal anti-inflammatory – but didn’t get any noticable results) c) *gentle* massage of the area and icing afterwards – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s my story of AT: I was running a ton of miles back in January and Feb to do a marathon in mid April. I was increasing my mileage by 15-20% per week, which was well over the recommended 10%. All my running was on pavement and I was using a new shoe (Brooks Beast) which turned out to be real stiff. After a trip to Monterey where I did lots of hill running and the Presidio 10K (the MOST brutal 10K I’ve ever done), I returned home will achilles tendonitis. I have to admit that I did not feel any warnings, just one day after a run I had a tremendous pain in my heal. I saw my ortho after a week, heard some horror stories about never running again, and took off two months (he recommended 3-6 months). It takes a long time to heal simply because there’s no a lot of blood flow in the tendon. I did some cycling at first, but had to give that up for 3 weeks because there was still some pain. I was reduced to swimming and aqua jogging. The aqua jogging actually helped stretch and loosen up my calf which shrunk up a bit due to limping around for so long. So now, which is three weeks after my two months off, I can run with some stiffness and pain in the first mile and then relatively pain free after. I ice it after every run, take Advil all day, and stretch 3-4 times a day. There’s still some soreness when I wake up, which the ortho says is typical since your tendon can shrink up to 1/8" overnight. I run as much on trails and grass as possible. Does tendon trouble spell the end to running? Not in the long term. I posted AT questions a couple of months back and the mail poured in. It seemed tons of people suffered AT at one time or another. It’s one of those injuries that come around eventually if you run lots. There were a few horror stories, some people who severed the tendon. But it seems even the bad cases always had a happy ending. The majority of people said they felt stiffness for 1-2 years after serious AT, but could continue to run. It also seems that after suffering through it most people were capable of avoid reinjury simply by being educated by the first injury. Good luck, and keep sane if you need to take time off! Joe Jankovsky
Response:
A month ago I developed a tendon problem in my ankle which has prevented me from running hard. I find that if I do a full mile of slow running to warm up, then I can run harder with only moderate discomfort. Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition? I’m 40, 165 lbs., 6′ and have never had any similar injuries before. I was training harder than before up to the time of injury, cutting my warmup interval down from 1/2 mile to 2/10 mile as well as adding more speed.
Your problem is right there in the last line. I would always recommend at least a mile jog warmup before a hard workout, especially any kind of repeat workout on or off the track. Personally, I warm up for track workouts with a 1 to 1.5 mile jog, stretching, 4 to 6 100m acceleration strides, and a "warmup lap" of butt-kicks, high-knees, etc. I feel tight if I skip the striders and the warmup lap, even after the full 1.5 mile jog and stretching. Of course, my routine shows that I’m more of a runner (track & cross-country) than a swimmer or cyclist. My warmup routines for swimming and cycling are somewhat more haphazard, but they shouldn’t be. My only other advice would be to try to do some of your running off-road if you don’t already. Off-road running is beneficial even if you never get injured, as it reduces recovery time, etc. Good luck Jason Blank
Response:
Well stated Joe. As someone who had a complete rupture of an achilles, I can see you’ve learned from your experience! Good advice. Motion control/straight lasted shoes also help prevent problems. Also, polyeurethane midsoles that don’t collapse as easily as eva foam are a help, if you can find them. Pete
Response:
: DISCLAIMER: be smart, go to a doctor to get a real diagnosis and : treatment. : Sounds like it might be Achilles Tendonitis (AT), which can be somewhat : chronic.
[snip] I’ve posted on this before, so I’ll be brief. I’ve had great success easing AT pain with: 1. ice – at least twice a day, always after exercising 2. gentle stretch and massage of calf in hot bath 3. Aleve in that order. Bill
Response:
A month ago I developed a tendon problem in my ankle which has prevented me from running hard. I find that if I do a full mile of slow running to warm up, then I can run harder with only moderate discomfort. Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition? I’m 40, 165 lbs., 6′ and have never had any similar injuries before. I was training harder than before up to the time of injury, cutting my warmup interval down from 1/2 mile to 2/10 mile as well as adding more speed.
Response:
I was training harder than before up to the time of injury, cutting my warmup interval down from 1/2 mile to 2/10 mile as well as adding more speed.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I have had similiar problems over the years, the best solution I found was a good stretch and warm up. As well, during the day I would stretch the area occasionally. If it is really bad, rest a couple of days. When you start again, stretch well and warm up well. Hope this helps "Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep, Is cheaper than them uniforms,an’ they’re starvation cheap;" Rudyard Kipling, 1892
Response:
Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition?
It is totally up to you. Most forms of tendonitis, the most common running injury, take 2 months to heal. This means reduced mileage or no running depending on the severity. Weights and post-run stretching will prevent future injuries, but there is no treatment that will speed recovery once you are injured. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can continue at your current mileage and it will go away. Anytime you run and it hurts, you are doing more damage. Listen to your body. Don’t make it scream at you.
Response:
A month ago I developed a tendon problem in my ankle which Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition?
I have a chronic tendon problem in my knee. As you’ve observed, tendons seem to warm with exercise, but can reach a point of aggravation. Training was limited by this for a year while I tried rest, drugs, and ultimately a steroid shot. The latter seemed to help. But the problem remained. To my surprise, I have been able to run with very little problem since using a Cho-pat knee strap. I can’t figure out why they work or how, and maybe it’s psychological!. But I don’t care, as long as it works. The point of this is, Cho-pat makes an ankle strap. It’s worth a try. Try a medical supply store. You may also see an add in a magazine. If you have trouble locating one, e-mail me, I’m sure I can find a phone number for Cho-pat. Good luck. Steve Goff
Response:
A month ago I developed a tendon problem in my ankle which has prevented me from running hard. I find that if I do a full mile of slow running to warm up, then I can run harder with only moderate discomfort. Question: Is there a way of determining whether this is a one time injury as opposed to the start of some cronic condition? I’m 40, 165 lbs., 6′ and have never had any similar injuries before. I was training harder than before up to the time of injury, cutting my warmup interval down from 1/2 mile to 2/10 mile as well as adding more speed.
DISCLAIMER: be smart, go to a doctor to get a real diagnosis and treatment. Sounds like it might be Achilles Tendonitis (AT), which can be somewhat chronic. The best thing to do is see and ortho and he’ll tell you if the inflamation is bad. There is a potential for a full rupture of the tendon if you push too hard when it’s inflamed, so I’d take this problem seriously. The short list of causes of AT: 1. pavement running and general pounding (heavier runners beware) 2. hills, both up and down 3. stiff running shoes, or just changing running shoes 4. not stretching your calf/tendon 5. increasing mileage too fast The short list of cures: 1. see an ortho. If it’s bad, a restrictive cast may be necessary 2. ice several times a day 3. stretch several times a day AFTER imflamation decreases 4. use heal lifts in all your shoes 5. use shock absorbing inserts (Spenco), especially if you’re heavy 6. NO RUNNING until imflamation is gone (several months) 7. stay off your feet as much as possible. Increase elevation to reduce the inflamation. Here’s my story of AT: I was running a ton of miles back in January and Feb to do a marathon in mid April. I was increasing my mileage by 15-20% per week, which was well over the recommended 10%. All my running was on pavement and I was using a new shoe (Brooks Beast) which turned out to be real stiff. After a trip to Monterey where I did lots of hill running and the Presidio 10K (the MOST brutal 10K I’ve ever done), I returned home will achilles tendonitis. I have to admit that I did not feel any warnings, just one day after a run I had a tremendous pain in my heal. I saw my ortho after a week, heard some horror stories about never running again, and took off two months (he recommended 3-6 months). It takes a long time to heal simply because there’s no a lot of blood flow in the tendon. I did some cycling at first, but had to give that up for 3 weeks because there was still some pain. I was reduced to swimming and aqua jogging. The aqua jogging actually helped stretch and loosen up my calf which shrunk up a bit due to limping around for so long. So now, which is three weeks after my two months off, I can run with some stiffness and pain in the first mile and then relatively pain free after. I ice it after every run, take Advil all day, and stretch 3-4 times a day. There’s still some soreness when I wake up, which the ortho says is typical since your tendon can shrink up to 1/8" overnight. I run as much on trails and grass as possible. Does tendon trouble spell the end to running? Not in the long term. I posted AT questions a couple of months back and the mail poured in. It seemed tons of people suffered AT at one time or another. It’s one of those injuries that come around eventually if you run lots. There were a few horror stories, some people who severed the tendon. But it seems even the bad cases always had a happy ending. The majority of people said they felt stiffness for 1-2 years after serious AT, but could continue to run. It also seems that after suffering through it most people were capable of avoid reinjury simply by being educated by the first injury. Good luck, and keep sane if you need to take time off! Joe Jankovsky