small lump. (Read 1344 times)

it is time for my cyclic achilles injury to surface again. I have rested it for 4 weeks more or less and iced etc to discover yesterday a small bump on the back of it which hurts when pressed. tendonitis? anyone had this? thoughts? should i still train? my friend says he would get some over the counter orthotics and heel cups. 

 

What's worse is the fact that I received notification yesterday that I have been successful in the ballot for the Great North run in September. I really want to do this for my nanna who passed away from cancer but not sure how to tackle even getting to the starting line safely.

O-oh...  It's time for good old Eddie to surface again...! ;o)  Just kidding.  I'm the one (could be the primary one) who had given you crap.

It actually sounds/looks exactly like the one I've had....for 5 years!!  Particularly you called it "cyclic".  I had a bit of a lump, actually quite a bit bigger than yours, and I got to the point where I just could not run more than 15 minutes--the pain was just unbearable.  I'll tell you what worked:

!) Stop running...DID NOT WORK.  I just took a glance at what others had written, took a quick look at the link as well...  There was some Swedish study on Achilles tendonitis and that's pretty interesting.  Basically, you need blood flow and nutrients/oxygen to the area.  The more you can work out, the better eventually.  A word of caution; it'll hurt like hell!!  You had to do it within good reason.  Good warm up is essential; I went through 2 season while coaching a couple of runners and, when we did hill training (actually, not hill but explain later), I would get there 15-20 minutes PRIOR to the time we were supposed to get together for warm-up and did warm-up for warm-up.  VERY SLOW pace but it really helped.

2) No hills!!  But steps worked.  It's got to be the angle of your ankle (it rhymes...); hill didn't brother my Achilles as much at all...and it really helped (not Achilles but for running).  Actually, it would help too because you're not running as fast, you're not stretching as much, you're strengthening your legs...

3) Icing--do ice massage with ice cup, not just putting frozen pea bag.  I did that 3-5 times a day, followed by wearing the top of thick woolen socks to keep it warm without developing athletes foot.  I did this pretty religiously.

4) Self massage--this is another one that hurts like hell.  It really felt like there's some sort of fluid build-up and, as I massage it out, it went small.  It of course came back but it really seems to have helped.  Don't do it after you ice the area--ice it AFTER the massage.  I felt like it's breaking down the fluid or scar tissue or whatever is being built-up.

5) I said keep on exercising; I did lots of walking during this time.  I would hold a rock in my hand and wear full jacket and pants in 80+ degrees F temperature (you sweat like crazy and your hear would work extra hard this way, adding extra stress to your cardiovascular system) and walk up and down the rugged trail in a very thin shoes for up to 1:30-2 hours a day.  It hurst a lot at first but, as I warmed up, the pain disappeared.  DO NOT RUN when you start to feel better--avoid this temptation for a while.

6) When I started out running, I wore minimalist shoes--this is pretty much the time I completely converted to minimalist type shoes because this helped...A LOT.  And I got convinced.  I wore ASICS Sortie (Japanese marathon shoes) and jogged at 12-15 minute mile pace....on trail.  This seem to have really helped.

7) Stretching won't do much particularly when it's already damaged.  I wouldn't do much specific stretching at all because I don't think it helps.  But do eccentric exercise--one of those exercises where you stand on the edge of a step and go up on both feet, then step a good foot off and GO DOWN SLOWLY on a bad foot.  A word of caution; make sure you strengthen your other leg to even out eventually.  I left leg is so much more stronger from this a few years back and I'm trying to catch up now.  Google search, I think, Peak Performance or Running Research by Owen Anderson.  There's a real good one out there with a several different eccentric exercises.

8) Mine was actually developed from my hip alignment being off.  Check your alignment and, if it's not straight, fix it (probably chiropractic or something like that).  When I did that, my pain eased instantly.  Literally, I was unable to run 15 minutes the day before and, after the treatment, I was able to run for an hour--still pain was there, but NOTHING like what it was before.

9) Even if it hurts a bit, don't try to run with your hips back and "sitting in a bucket".  The pain may ease but you'll develop a bad running habit.  If the pain is that bad, walk.  But don't try to compensate your running form.

10) Speaking of shoes, excess cushion and stability is ABSOLUTE NO-NO!!!!!!!!!  I cannot stress this more.  In fact, I can even tell you what I was wearing when I first developed it.  Get as close to the ground as you can.

11) Wear minimalist type shoes when jogging slow; use "regular" trainer for speed training.  Going the other way around (a "conventional" wisdom") is the wrong way.  Why add extra pressure when you're running faster?

12) If so-called "Achilles protective" tab is digging into your Achilles, cut it off!  More shoes today have this tab too stiff and too long and, more often than not, it digs into Achilles tendon and cause more problem than protect.  Don't be afraid to chop it off. Don't chop off too much, or you should actually saw it up afterwards.  Some shoes start to slip off if you cut it off too much.

I'll add more later if I can think of more.  It takes a long time--it took me about 5 years but, then again, I was stupid and nobody with a good wisdom helped me, there was no RunningAHEAD back then!! ;o)--but YOU WILL OVERCOME IT EVENTUALLY if you are sensible about it.

Cheers as always Nobby. So inessence I shouldnt really do any running for the moment or just go out very easy and gague it? Should I ditch the cushioned shoes for now then and wear my flats? Thanks for the help

Eddy:

Do something, and continue to do something, within reason.  If it doesn't hurt too badly, continue to run though I would go easy at first.  If it's too painful, don't.  But you should keep doing something particularly if you have a race that you'd like to run that's coming up.  By the way, sorry to hear about your nana.  For her as well, stick to the plan, use your brain and common sense and have a good run at it for once!! ;o)

Oh, and, no, I wouldn't recommend cushioned shoes with Achilles problem. It made mine worse.  But be sensible about it.

Appreciate all the advice. So for the moment should I ditch my aforementioned shoes until i am stronger? please post some recommendations for lighter stripped down shoes, thanks  

Something like these perhaps@

http://www.inov-8.com/New/UK/Product-View-RoadX-233.html?L=26

 

7) Stretching won't do much particularly when it's already damaged.  I wouldn't do much specific stretching at all because I don't think it helps.  But do eccentric exercise--one of those exercises where you stand on the edge of a step and go up on both feet, then step a good foot off and GO DOWN SLOWLY on a bad foot.  A word of caution; make sure you strengthen your other leg to even out eventually.  I left leg is so much more stronger from this a few years back and I'm trying to catch up now.  Google search, I think, Peak Performance or Running Research by Owen Anderson.  There's a real good one out there with a several different eccentric exercises.

 

Here's a link to Tuck's write up on eccentric heel drops.  It links to a podcast and some videos.

http://yelling-stop.blogspot.com/2011/12/eccentric-heel-drops-for-achilles.html