For those out there who have had this problem, what did you do to get over it and how long did it take? Also, what are the major causes (what can be done to prevent it from happening again)?
For those out there who have had this problem, what did you do to get over it and how long did it take? Also, what are the major causes (what can be done to prevent it from happening again)?
I had it in October, 2004. It came on after I rolled my left foot on a grass field while running. The pain was severe and I had a difficult time walking, let alone running. I had to miss three days of work. I had to take about a month off of running, and then when I started running again I just jogged 20 to 30 minutes a day and sat out the days that I felt a lot of pain. I was back to normal by the end of January, 2005. I used an ice bath for 20 minutes twice a day and Aleve, and tried to be patient.
Best wishes for a fast recovery.
Ice massage, 20 minutes, three times per day.
Started in spring of 2000. Tried to train for a marathon using lots of mileage and lots of speedwork. Basically the same speedwork I did in high school and college, plus going from 70-80 a week to 100-120 a week. I was doing 3-5xmile twice a week plus a workout of very fast 200s or 400s. Like any calf/achilles problem it's caused by a weak calf/achilles complex which is agitated by doing too much speed work (getting up on those toes).
So, in spring of 2000 I ran my first marathon, walk/jogging the last 10k because of my tight calves. Took a month off. Was able to sort of train through it until spring of 2001 when I ran my second marathon. Same problem happened. Extremely tight calves and pain in rear heel (retrocalcaneal bursitis). Decided to drop out. Took the entire summer off then started back 1-3 miles every other day. I was finally running full strength in Spring of 2002 and ran a 2:33:58 marathon with no problems.
So, I'd say take 3 months off then come back very slowly. It's a hard injury to heal because you'll feel fine until you go out on a run and then you'll get the inflammation/pain in the heal after a few miles.
How I fixed it:
1)Ice/ibruprofen (4x800mg) to reduce inflammation (symptom)
2)Stretch the calf and keep it stretched. Switch to training in lightweight trainers/flats. So that you don't have that drop when going from trainers to flats. My calves have never hurt since switching.
3)Strengthen calf. Do these exercises:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0125.htm
You have to first reduce the symptom (pain/inflammation) before you address the cause (weak/inflexible calf/achilles)
Alan
Could this be what I have? My pain is right where the achilles inserts into the heel. There's no bump or any significant swelling, but it hurts to the touch at exactly that spot. The pain actually gets worse overnight while I'm sleeping and is worse at the beginning of runs than at the end, like it tightens up or something and then loosens once warmed up. It hurts when I stretch my calves, so I don't know if I should be doing that or not. I've been icing and taking some ibuprofen but haven't had a lot of luck getting better yet.
Me too??? wrote:
Could this be what I have? My pain is right where the achilles inserts into the heel. There's no bump or any significant swelling, but it hurts to the touch at exactly that spot. The pain actually gets worse overnight while I'm sleeping and is worse at the beginning of runs than at the end, like it tightens up or something and then loosens once warmed up. It hurts when I stretch my calves, so I don't know if I should be doing that or not. I've been icing and taking some ibuprofen but haven't had a lot of luck getting better yet.
I think the primary difference between retrocalcaneal bursitis and other achilles problems is where the pain is felt. With achilles tendon problems the pain is higher up on the achilles whereas with the bursitis it's right where the achilles inerts into the pain. Isn't retrocalcaneal bursitis sometimes referred to as insertional achilles tendonitis.
I've had this seriously for about the last year, and kind of off and on before that. I haven't had any success in getting rid of it until recently, and now it's manageable. I have a bump on the outside of my right heel that's tender. It gets better as I run, then feels pretty good for up to a few hours after I run, and then starts to stiffen up, so badly sometimes that it hurts to walk by the end of the day. I had six weeks off of running last summer due to non-running related surgery, and I figured it would get better. As soon as I started running again, it came back. I was seeing a sports med doctor and he wanted me to see a podiatrist and get orthotics and possibly have surgery, neither of which I wanted to do.
Lately it's gotten better, and I'm not even sure why. I try to stretch it right after I run (otherwise it's just too tight and painful), take advil after I run (aleve didn't seem to help me), and do calf raises at the gym. I have to just do the raises with the foot in a level position, I can't drop the heel down off of a step, that just seems to irritate it and make it worse.
This is the worst injury I've had to deal with in over 20 years of running. Good luck, hope you have better luck than I did!
That doesn't sound good. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but thanks for the reply. Wonder if heel lifts in my shoes would help?
Self MD wrote:
I think the primary difference between retrocalcaneal bursitis and other achilles problems is where the pain is felt. With achilles tendon problems the pain is higher up on the achilles whereas with the bursitis it's right where the achilles inerts into the pain. Isn't retrocalcaneal bursitis sometimes referred to as insertional achilles tendonitis.
Nope, two different conditons, though often occur together.
insertional achilles tendonitis would be inflamation of the tendon at the insertion.
retrocalcaneal bursitis would be inflamation of the retrocalcaneal bursa.
Not so hard to figure out?
I suffered what was diagnosed as either retrocalcaneal bursitis or medial peroneal (?) tendinitis. Pain and swelling behind the inside spur of my right ankle. After an X-ray, my doctor sent me to the physical therapist for acetic acid iontophoresis. He also told me to ice it (I did) and put me on naproxen, which is an anti-inflammatory. The naproxen upset my gut so I stopped that and switched back to the ibuprofen I had been using. Iontophoresis, though... it f*cking WORKS.
A tiny electrical current is used to push electrically charged medicine into the affected area from a medicated pad on the skin. Don't be scared by the electricity, the current is small and not dangerous. It's better than injections for getting an area of tissue because injections traumatize the area you're sticking the needle into (you have to break the skin, push a needle in, etc.) and sometimes get medicine to areas you don't need as well as those you do. Also, the ankle is small enough that the current doesn't have to penetrate really deeply to get where it needs to, so it's good for iontophoresis.
I first suffered pain on February 21. I've been running for 3 weeks. I was out for only 2.5 weeks. I still ice regularly and take ibuprofen, because I'm scared of it coming back.
But I tried to come back before I was ready once and it hurt a lot. I also tried to do too much too soon when I actually was ready, and it tried to act up a bit. Come back GRADUALLY.
And for Pete's sake, see a doctor. The athletic trainer at my school gave me BS advice that would never have cured me. Doctors are much better at diagnosis and treatment.
My Retrocalcaneal Bursitis came on slowly, after many years of running 70-100+ miles/week. It eventually ended my "career". I still have pain in my heel and can only run 20-30 mpw and mostly easy or it flares up.
Anyone else?
Bump
I think I might have this or something very similar. The only flawed symptom is that mine came on very fast. I couldn't feel it Monday, then on Tuesdays run I felt a dull ache in my achilles that gradually got worse until 2.5 miles where it was unbearable to run. I hobbled my way back and have been icing and stretching my calf/achilles frequently. Any advice or opinions fellow LetsRunners?
I've had it and dealt with it now for 3+ years.
The things that help it are:
1) Doubles (keeps things limber)
2) Eccentric calf raises
3) Wearing shoes with a heel or cowboy boots during the day (takes pressure off and lets it heal)
4) When it gets really bad, I'll take some ibuprofen in the morning (don't like to do that much)
5) Paradoxically, perhaps: hill sprints (dynamic flexibility)
6) Hamstring flexibility
The things that hurt it:
1) Mileage bumps.
2) Too many runs of moderate intensity (keep the easy days very easy)
3) Lack of flexibility in the hips and calves
4) Shoes with no heel drop or running a lot in flats. (Here I would disagree with Runningart's minimalism recommendation.)
Once it reaches the chronic stage, it is an injury that has to be managed, seems to me, not eliminated. So if it's not chronic, don't let it become chronic!
Thank you very much for the reply. How did yours come on? Was it an all of the sudden thing or was it more gradual? Also, where exactly is your pain?
I should mention that this was my second week back after a 2 week break after track and I may have tried to build mileage too fast. However, there were no real warning signs.
deleuze, do you have the pain in both heels, or is it just one?
Mine developed after a bad case of achilles tendinitis. Yes, it's only in one leg. It came on slow. You are in a very different position from me; you should be able to get it cleared up. Just take care of it now.
E.P.A.T
Ok, thanks a lot.
For anyone who showed interest in this thread, turns out I actually have a stress fracture in my heel.