I have had a nagging achilles injury (feels like tendonitis) for the last month or so. I initially thought it would get better with rest and some icing but its still pretty bad. Does anyone have advice on what I can do? I haven't been to a doctor because I figure they'll just tell me to take more time off and not run as much.
I did a lot of pool running when I had my 2 bouts with the achilles tendonitis. I did a pool workout every other day, and did the other 3 days at a tempo like pace keeping track of how long it took each lap. My lungs were fine once achilles healed, just took a little bit to build specific muscles back. Good luck, and post if you'd like some of the workouts I did.
Get a copy of "Lore of Running" from the library and read up on achilles tendinosis (pp. 825-832). I tried to run through the same thing last summer and all it got me was two months off.
I noticed that my achilles was much stiffer in the morning than later on. I got a Strassborg sock and it really helped.
take ibuprofen to drive the inflammation down
if you have access to a training room, use the warm whirlpool and ultrasound before running and the cold whirlpool after running. if not, use heating pads and ice packs. be sure to stretch before running. wear a compression sock while running. in my experience tape only makes matters worse.
don't be too proud and stubborn to take time off if you need it.
I just posted this experience on the stassburg sock thread, but it seems even more appropriate for this one. I had persistent Achilles tendonitis for 2 years that I iced every night before bed. A friend suggested that I was icing it for too long. Instead of the 30-40 minutes I was doing, he said to do it only for 15-20 minutes. After less than a week of icing for 15 minutes, the tendonitis was gone forever, and this was in the middle of my most intense training that year. May not work for everyone, but I couldn't believe that the answer was so simple in my case.
Below is a link to Dr Fullem's atricle on injuries on his website--scroll down and he has something on it
I'm missing Grandma's b/c of my stupid achilles injury-- I've been off of it going on 5 weeks now, I'm ready to jump off a bridge (figuratively speaking)
Sounds like we're in the same boat. I'm supposed to be running Grandma's too. Its pretty frustrating after putting in so much effort to this point to not be able to run.
To those of you who have had achilles tendonitis and had a noticeable bump on the tendon, did the bump go away after you got better or did it stay there? I think i am better but there is still a bump right in the middle of the tendon, but the swelling has gone down quite a bit.
I have to imagine that the bump is scarring from your injury. My bump slowly disappeared with time. What worked for me were eccentric exercises based off an old Swedish study (link below)
Best of luck
ya i'm doing those every other day. i just hope the scar tissue will eventually disappear like you described, even tho i start to run on it (after taking about 2 months off)
Just take 2 weeks off ... IBUPROFRIN it to hell
Make sure you do some water running or something, to stretch out the muscles and strengthen the calves.
After 2 weeks, try running every other day. Short distances. See what happens. If it still is flaring up then you need to see a doctor.
I was told to be careful when I had the A/T and I thought I was. After being forced out of running for 3 months I finally got the message about why I shouldn't have been stupid.
Don't try to run on it when it's still injured.
spent 3 weeks trying to "treat it gently", only running easy/flat, down to less than half mileage etc and it's not getting any better. any attempt at pace and it flares up immediately.
so it is 2 weeks of zero running, lots of heat/ice/stretching/eccentric exercises etc. then 2 weeks easing back in very gradually.
question: for people who have gone through this, how long did it take to get back to "normal"? i was supposed to be starting a 20 week training program for a december marathon. i was hoping to enter that off a base of 50-60 MPW, not 0-15.
i'm thinking i'm probably screwed, but the alternative seems to lead to surgery for so many people
consider eswt before the knife for those of you who don't heal using conservative methods. after years of deterioration, it worked like a charm; feels as if it were never injured.
6-8 weeks of no running is the general advice.