My achilles heel... literally.

[8 Bit WWBG]

About two months ago, I decided to try doing some intervals on a morning jog. I've never had any tendon pain before. After returning from the run, my right heel was a bit sore, but I thought that was just because I pushed myself. I still feel this pain on and off today.

Its not crippling. I can walk just fine. Sometimes my heel is stiff in the morning, but warms up. When I try to run, it does feel a little strained. My left heel has been fine -- I'm using that as the "control heel" for how I should feel.

I don't have the problem when I use the elliptical, or when I do normal walking for the most part. If I've been off it for a while, it might be a bit tight. If I get up in the middle of the night, its tight. Once it warms up, its better. Whenever I try to run, it feels a little odd. It wouldn't stop me from running, I could still run, but it just doesn't feel right.

Has anyone experienced similar pain, and if so, did it go away on its own? Or should I finally go to a podiatrist and look into a more comprehensive examination?

[swamp]

You have plantar fasciitis. Good luck with that. Go to the doctor now.

[Deleted]

I'm not a doctor and know nothing of your problem, but wasn't Achilles shot in the left heel?

[Deleted]

Aug 9, 2012 12:00:45 GMT -5 @mmc said:

I'm not a doctor and know nothing of your problem, but wasn't Achilles shot in the left heel?

So does that mean we get to shoot WWBG?

[Deleted]

Aug 9, 2012 12:06:25 GMT -5 @gin1984 said:

Aug 9, 2012 12:00:45 GMT -5 @mmc said:

I'm not a doctor and know nothing of your problem, but wasn't Achilles shot in the left heel?

So does that mean we get to shoot WWBG?

No, it may mean he wasn't shot with an arrow and has an internal medical issue.

[973beachbum]

Aug 9, 2012 11:57:25 GMT -5 swamp said:

You have plantar fasciitis. Good luck with that. Go to the doctor now.

Ditto. It may be a Otho or a DPM that does sports injuries. But get your heel down there cause it won't get better on it's own.

Unless you can figure out a way to stop walking on your foot.

[Colleenz]

Swamp is a lawyer and a doctor. Very impressive. Still not quite as experienced as a teacher though

[swamp]

Aug 9, 2012 12:29:13 GMT -5 Colleenz said:

Swamp is a lawyer and a doctor. Very impressive. Still not quite as experienced as a teacher though

I only play doctor online.

But seriously, my dad, one of my best friends, and a court attorney all have it, and all say it's a bitch to get rid of and their symptoms sound exactly like his.

[Colleenz]

That's OK. I play lots of things on line as you well know my alter egos.

[justme]

I'd go to an ortho over a podiatrist. I went to a podiatrist for my ankle problems first, he said nothing was wrong and it took over a month to convince someone to do an MRI to find out I had a torn ligament and 3 broken bones in my foot. (Though I'm also biased because even once he found out he put me in the wrong cast, which I found out by getting fed up with still being in pain and going to an ortho.)

[dannylion]

Is the pain on the bottom of the heel (the plantar surface) or higher up towards the back of the foot/lower leg? If it is on the bottom of the heel, the part that rests on the ground, it is most likely plantar fasciitis. If it is higher up, toward the back of the ankle, it might be insertional Achilles tendinitis. (I have transcribed orthopedic medical records for over 10 years, I hear this stuff all the time).

If you think it is plantar fasciitis, and the pain is not debilitating, you might be able to self-treat successfully. Google plantar fasciitis treatment for some suggestions. The docs I transcribe for often prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, stretching exercises, rolling the foot/heel on a frozen water bottle, and the use of a Strassburg sock as conservative measures. If self-treating doesn't help, an orthopod who speciaizes in foot and ankle injuries would be a good place to start for a diagnosis and treatment plan. Sometimes plantar fasciitis does not respond to self treatment measures, and even successful conservative treatment can take weeks or months.

If you feel that the pain is more consistent with an Achilles tendon injury, you might want to consider going right to a medical evaluation as that can be trickier to treat.

[milee]

danny's description of how to determine if it's plantar fasciitis vs. Achilles tendon is spot on. Some ideas:

Plantar Fasciitis - sometimes can be aggravated if you don't have the right arch support in your running shoes. If you've got high arches, for example, and your shoes don't have arch support, adding arch support might help. Conversely, if you have flat feet and your shoes have too much arch support, removing the arch support can help. Sometimes local running stores have good diagnostics and special shoe inserts. I also know many of my friends who have PF say that they got some relief from rolling their foot on a frozen ball or cylinder.

Achilles Tendon - Sometimes when I'm upping the running intensity (for me, that's any run faster than turtle speed, "sprint" is guilding the lilly), my achilles are and right above it will hurt a little as well which sounds like what you are describing, WWBG. Try freezing a water bottle and then rolling that frozen bottle over the area for 10-20 minutes at least twice a day, and right after your run. You want to get the benefit of the freezing decreasing swelling and the massage, so press hard when you roll. It doesn't feel great while you're doing it, but helps it feel better and heal much faster.

[Bob Ross]

I'll bet it's cancer. Cancer of the Achilles Heel. I'll bet there's a much cooler term for it that you can use to pick up chicks.

[dannylion]

Aug 9, 2012 12:57:52 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Danny..with mine, when sitting and I press on it, the most painful part is right at the back of the heel, right below the tendon. When standing the whole heel and bottom of tendon hurt. There was no injury. Any ideas?

Lone, there does not necessarily need to be a specific, discrete injury to cause inflammation of the plantar fascia or Achilles tendon. It can come on gradually from everyday activities or maybe some excessive activity without a sufficient rest/recovery period. Your pain sounds more like it is coming from the area where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel, but I hasten to add that I am not a medical professional and therefore not qualified to offer a diagnosis. One of the classic signs of plantar fasciitis is that the worst pain is experienced upon rising in the morning or getting up after sitting for a while, though mild Achilles tendinitis will also be most painful at those times, too. I think seeking the advice of someone who attended medical school is the right course of action to pursue. Generally, mild Achilles tendinitis will respond to conservative measures applied consistently over time. Ice, rest, and anti-inflammatory medication will often be all that is required to bring about an eventual resolution of the pain.

Since the feet and ankles are carrying us around all day, it is hard to treat their inflammatory maladies effectively because people need to keep using the affected appendages.

I hope the doctor is able to offer a treatment course that will offer you some relief.

[imawino]

Ditto to all that danny and milee said. And the fact that the pain is worse in the morning I think makes it more likely that it is plantar fasciitis. I have plantar fasciitis and the accompanying heel spurs - which are a common side effect due to chronic inflammation of the plantar fascia. My podiatrist recommended the stretching exercises, the frozen water bottle thing, and anti-inflammatories. The pain comes and goes, but can be managed.

[goldensam]

I just went through this. Unfortunately, it took longer than it should have to heal. I first went to a doctor back in April because one day I literally could not put any weight on my right foot. It had been tight like you are experiencing for a few weeks and I noticed it especially after I had been sitting for a while or when I woke up. The "doctor" put me into a boot immediately and over the next 3 months put me in different braces and contraptions and it did absolutely no good. I finally got fed up and saw another doctor last week because it was just getting ridiculous. Turns out, it's plantar fasciitis and he gave me an anti-inflammatory shot in the foot, a sheet of stretches, and an NSAID to take at home for a while. I spent almost $1,000 OOP before seeing the next doctor. It's been one week and I already feel 100x better. Granted, I should have done a little homework before accepting his treatment plan at face value, but I guess I know now!

[8 Bit WWBG]

Thank you everyone. Last year, I switched from sneakers to vibram five fingers (the medium thickness). I find it very very odd that this is happening in one foot but not the other. I used both feet to run, after all.

...:::"Is the pain on the bottom of the heel (the plantar surface) or higher up towards the back of the foot/lower leg?":::...

I'll make sure to pay extra attention to this. I think it is less on the part of my foot that touches the ground, and more on the tendon at the back of the heel.

...:::"Try freezing a water bottle and then rolling that frozen bottle over the area for 10-20 minutes at least twice a day, and right after your run. You want to get the benefit of the freezing decreasing swelling and the massage, so press hard when you roll. It doesn't feel great while you're doing it, but helps it feel better and heal much faster.":::...

Will do, thanks.

I'll keep an orthopedist in mind. I don't want to have to "specialist hop". I suppose I'll keep the walking/running to a minimum and use the elliptical. I need to keep the cardio up since I love to eat.

[wvugurl26]

Oops hope intervals weren't all bc of me doing them!

Anyway looks like people here have good advice on doctors, etc. The only thing I'd add is when I got cushy shoes my pain went away. I'm not sure those Vibram shoes are going to give you enough support for running.

ETA: most of my pain with the old shoes was on one side.

[Bluerobin]

Are you older? If so, arthur (itis) could be starting to visit, especially if you ever broke the ankle.

[goldensam]

I forgot to add, the new doctor gave me inserts for my shoes that provide more support. They are thin plastic-like things, not the gel kind.

[imawino]

Yes, I forgot to say that - I did get custom insoles from the doctor. But you should try some of the insoles you can buy in stores for a while and see if that helps you at all. The cushier and more arch support the better.

[dannylion]

Aug 9, 2012 14:57:28 GMT -5 imawino said:

Ditto to all that danny and milee said. And the fact that the pain is worse in the morning I think makes it more likely that it is plantar fasciitis. I have plantar fasciitis and the accompanying heel spurs - which are a common side effect due to chronic inflammation of the plantar fascia. My podiatrist recommended the stretching exercises, the frozen water bottle thing, and anti-inflammatories. The pain comes and goes, but can be managed.

Good point about heel spurs. Depending on where they are, they can cause pain higher up the heel than an inflamed plantar fascia generally will.

The good news is that mild to moderate plantar fasciitis can generally be relieved with conservative measures, but sometimes it takes quite a while for it to resolve.

[Nazgul Girl]

Don't do any particular amount of exercise until you get this condition checked out, WWBG. If it's plantar fascitis, you can really irritate it, and sometimes ( not too often ) the tendon can even snap. Get thee to thy medical professional now.

I developed P.F. in both of my feet/heels at the same time. It was unbelievably painful. Also, everything in that area turned bright red for weeks at first. It was weird. I'm much, much better now, but it took a couple of years to recover.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"Oops hope intervals weren't all bc of me doing them!":::...

Yeah kinda.... you and also another friend both doing them.

...:::"The only thing I'd add is when I got cushy shoes my pain went away. I'm not sure those Vibram shoes are going to give you enough support for running.":::...

I might have to go back to "shoes" or at least get the thicker vibrams. I really like them, but they are probably not good for pavement jogging.

The best support for running is good friends keeping you motivated. I hate running. Almost every moment of it, I'd rather I was not doing it. BUT, I like the results it gives, so . . . here we are.

I managed to get a water bottle to freeze (as a YM'er and a good environmental steward, I do not buy bottled water).

[milee]

...::: I managed to get a water bottle to freeze (as a YM'er and a good environmental steward, I do not buy bottled water). :::...

Good, the stuff in the plastic bottles is not only expensive and bad for the enviroment, but also absorbs nasty chemicals from the plastic, like BPA.

One last tip, though. When you freeze your reusable water bottle, there are some things to watch out for. Nalgene can split when it freezes, so you're best with the cheapie stainless steel bottles. When you freeze it, put it upright and only fill it 3/4 of the way full to give the water room to expand. Do not put a lid on it. Also, expect that the freezing process may make the bottom expand and round a little so it won't sit completely flat in the freezer any more.

Oh and the best tip - when you've frozen this metal bottle, don't roll it directly on your skin. Wrap it with a washcloth or thin cloth. Totally embarrassing confession time - I've always lived where it's warm so don't think about frostbite. One time when I was doing the ice massage, I didn't think to wrap the frozen metal bottle in a cloth and rubbed it on my leg really hard for 20 minutes... actually gave myself a really nasty freezer burn that blistered and peeled. Ooops. Don't be dumb like me.

[wvugurl26]

Aug 10, 2012 17:36:30 GMT -5 8 Bit WWBG said:

...:::"Oops hope intervals weren't all bc of me doing them!":::...

Yeah kinda.... you and also another friend both doing them.

...:::"The only thing I'd add is when I got cushy shoes my pain went away. I'm not sure those Vibram shoes are going to give you enough support for running.":::...

I might have to go back to "shoes" or at least get the thicker vibrams. I really like them, but they are probably not good for pavement jogging.

The best support for running is good friends keeping you motivated. I hate running. Almost every moment of it, I'd rather I was not doing it. BUT, I like the results it gives, so . . . here we are.

I managed to get a water bottle to freeze (as a YM'er and a good environmental steward, I do not buy bottled water).

Yeah I thought it was maybe my fault lol.

I'd try some cushier shoes first. It took awhile but it really helped me.

[TD2K]

Feet are overrated.

[seriousthistime]

I got a nasty case of PF way before I started to run. My house had wood floors and I walked around barefoot. The podiatrist said that walking barefoot on hard surfaces can cause or aggravate it. I also have a friend who built a new house with polished concrete floors and she got PF after walking around barefoot too. I echo what others have said, it takes a few months to resolve.

If you are running on pavement with vibrams, sounds to me that could do it.

[8 Bit WWBG]

...:::"Yeah I thought it was maybe my fault lol.":::...

Thanks WVU. You are outpacing me in intervals, and closing the karma gap. I'm only 9 ahead of you!

*puppy dog eyes*