Forums >Health and Nutrition>Left ankle (peroneal/achilles) pain - but not while running?
Hi Folks,
I am currently training for the Humboldt Marathon on Oct. 21, 2012. About four weeks ago I started to have pain in my ankle (left) on the outside below the ankle bone (peroneal area). I have no pain while running, then or now. However, over the last few weeks I've been waking up with stiffness, reduced range of motion (like when pointing my foot), and soreness, especially after long runs. There's improvement in pain and motion with some time after waking up, but range of motion continues to be significantly reduced and the pain after this weekend's run (14miles) has persisted this time (previously I was ok after 24 hours) and it also feels like it's in both the peroneal and achilles areas.
I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with similar peroneal ankle pain that didn't come on while running, but resulted in what feels like a sprained ankle (light swelling) after long distances. And wondering what has worked for people (see below for what I've tried so far). Finally, I'm wondering whether to keep running on it? I definitely want to run the marathon, but not at the expense of hobbling around the rest of the time or doing serious damage. Any experience or advice?
I have been icing and massaging up the outside of my leg, using a lacrosse ball and foam roller. Both helped, but the trigger points on the outside of my leg aren't sore today nor after the most recent long run like they were before.
I have been training since July, longest distance so far is 15 miles two weeks ago, was planning for 18 miles this weekend. Pace is about 9:30 or 10min mile. This is my second marathon - first was San Francisco in 2010. Weekly mileage when not training was about 15miles/week and I've been increasing 17-20% overall mileage/week (same plan as I ran in 2010). I run in minimal shoes (nike free) and have for the past two years.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Yes and no for me. What I have initially presented with very similar symptoms. Pain, same place, after runs (especially longer) though not really while running. It eventually progressed until it definitely was somewhat swollen, painful after more runs, and even that I could feel it while running (at least until I warmed up). That was the early stages...
Long story short, interstitial tear (peroneus). It helps me build my tolerance to pain I figure. Doctor said that, for me at least, it was almost certainly due about as much to my foot architecture as to any injury (repeated or otherwise). Similarly, that eventually it will get worse enough that something could actually be done...but not much right now.
So, that's hopefully both encouraging and not encouraging. There's no guarantee that you have the same thing, or that it will continue to get worse, or anything else. However--as we all know--ankles have a lot of stuff crammed into them, so it may be worth getting checked out by a pro. Hopefully in your case it's just a bit of inflammation that can be knocked out with some PT you can do yourself, etc.
~J
I had a similar pain at an earlier stage (because it hadn't occurred to me to try to do anything about it yet), actually before the SF marathon this year. After the SF marathon (the race itself went fine), I could barely walk, let alone run. I took most of the next two weeks off - no choice, what with the hobbling - and spent it icing, compressing, elevating, and taking NSAIDs. And . . . then I ran a 50k. Taped up with kinesio-tape and doped on my arthritic DH's good-stuff Rx NSAIDs. And, in fact, that cured the ankle, pretty much completely. (although within the week after the 50k, I developed a top-of-foot pain that took a couple of weeks to get better. Related? Who knows.)
My point is not that 50ks are a good treatment regime for aches and pains incurred during a pretty significant mileage ramp-up (intensity ramp-up too?). My point is that it's hard to know what will happen. I do think the rest made a difference for me, and I note that's missing from your list of what you've tried. So, try it. You've got enough time before Humboldt you could try a week off and see how it goes (do you have a 3-week taper planned? You can knock that down to two if you feel like you really want to make up for the week off). And maybe the kinesio-tape made a difference for me? Who knows. It's all a crapshoot, and at some point you gotta go with your gut.
tomatolover
Hi Folks, I am currently training for the Humboldt Marathon on Oct. 21, 2012. About four weeks ago I started to have pain in my ankle (left) on the outside below the ankle bone (peroneal area). I have no pain while running, then or now. However, over the last few weeks I've been waking up with stiffness, reduced range of motion (like when pointing my foot), and soreness, especially after long runs. There's improvement in pain and motion with some time after waking up, but range of motion continues to be significantly reduced and the pain after this weekend's run (14miles) has persisted this time (previously I was ok after 24 hours) and it also feels like it's in both the peroneal and achilles areas. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with similar peroneal ankle pain that didn't come on while running, but resulted in what feels like a sprained ankle (light swelling) after long distances. And wondering what has worked for people (see below for what I've tried so far). Finally, I'm wondering whether to keep running on it? I definitely want to run the marathon, but not at the expense of hobbling around the rest of the time or doing serious damage. Any experience or advice? I have been icing and massaging up the outside of my leg, using a lacrosse ball and foam roller. Both helped, but the trigger points on the outside of my leg aren't sore today nor after the most recent long run like they were before. I have been training since July, longest distance so far is 15 miles two weeks ago, was planning for 18 miles this weekend. Pace is about 9:30 or 10min mile. This is my second marathon - first was San Francisco in 2010. Weekly mileage when not training was about 15miles/week and I've been increasing 17-20% overall mileage/week (same plan as I ran in 2010). I run in minimal shoes (nike free) and have for the past two years. Thanks for your thoughts!
I'm experiencing some very similar issues & have been over the past 3 weeks....actually went to go see a doc. about i.from my googlesearching, i was convinced it was the peroneal tendon, though he said it was the achilles. I fault myself, as 3 weeks ago, i checked out the minimalist brooks connect (i usually run in the more cushioned & higher profile Brooks Launch), as well as a run up a ski slope i should have skipped when given the chance. What makes this weird is that, the more I run, the better it feels (though the worse it feels when I stop)
I was disappointed by his cure "uh, don't run on it", so of course, I had to take the matters into my own hands, as his advice just pissed me off. I got a heel wedge from K-mart and put it in my running shoes & work shoes to elevate the heel. I can immediately feel a difference (i.e. pain) when I'm barefoot around the house. I am resting, icing, and compressing for the long while and doing my best to continuously stretch my calves. Ran last night and irritated the shit out of it. I'm taking the lame doc's advice, at least for a week & seeing where that gets me...
good luck- and please share what yer doing & if it's working