So I went to the podiatrist at the hospital today for an appointment booked for me by my GP and physio. A few months back I started getting intense pain in my heel making it very painful to walk, let alone do anything else. After requesting a GP appointment I was referred to a physio at the practise, some exercises were given, and some advise to monitor and get back to them if things persisted.
The bulk of the exercises were for the rest of my leg, as everything from the glute to the toes is pretty much connected. I know I suffer with tight legs, especially on the left, so realised this was definitely part of the problem, but was a little worried that the pain in the heel which was new to me was something more sinister.
After taking it easy for a few weeks and doing the exercises the bulk of the pain was going away, but the heel remained sensitive, albeit less painful now. I returned to the GP and after a quick exam, I was referred to see another physio. This time his actions were to examine the foot, check the plan that was in place and ultimately refer me to the podiatrist… Cue today.
The wait for the appointment has not been too long, so that was a result. Walking into the appointment with most of the pain gone I felt a little sheepish, like I was moaning about nothing. But given how long it had lasted for I was keen to get some answers on the cause and see if I could find out if I was causing myself any possible further damage by still running on the foot.
I was in there for about 25 mins, and we had a good chat about the history of my foot pain, what was currently going on, and what she could feel in my foot. It appears my first appointment about foot pain was in 2008 for my achilles. From then on I have infrequent visits to the doctors and occasionally specialist for various things from achilles tendinopathy and plantar faciiitis, both of which came up again in conversation today.
Apparently from the exam she could feel calcification around the join of the tendons and the bone, which causes inflammation when over stimulated (aka too much running or walking). So my keen levels of running in the summer seem to have been too much for my feet and their delicate tendons. That said, it is something that should be able to be managed. And the most important news, other than increasing the pain and sensitivity in the feet, I am unlikely to be doing any further or permanent damage to myself. Which in all honesty is my number 1 concern. Living with a little pain is fine so long as I am not making things worse.
So the outcome of the appointment…
I am not likely to do further harm by running reasonable distances and actively walking. So long as I make sure my footwear is suitable. Amazingly my choice of running shoes is one of the best available given my situation. Hoka Challenger 8 if you were wondering. The heel drop on them is ideal for what I have going on.
Continuing to do regular stretching and keep the legs as flexible as possible will help take the strain off the foot, especially the achilles tendons. This is something I am keen to stay on top of anyway, and muscle wastage and tendon shortening is something I am very aware of right now.
Being self aware and resting when I need to, and not overdoing it with activities is a big one. Longer runs, at least for the time being are off the cards. And should I experience any increases in pain and discomfort, rest rest rest!
And the final part…. Hospital treatement!
Yup, you heard it, more hospital appointments, although right now I have no idea how long the waiting list is, so am focusing on the self care parts of the plan. What treatment is it I hear you ask, then allow me to explain. . It is called… ESWT
ESWT or Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is what I have been put forward for. Apparently rather effective in treating both conditions in a short period of time. If I can get some relief from it I will be over the moon, if I can’t, well there was no harm in trying. It sounds like a treatment I have had in the past for problems with my shoulder, but from the description maybe a little more powerful. I will drop a little explanation of it below.
In other news, my shoulders seems a lot less painful today, but then I had an amazing night sleep last night. With 10 hours and just five minutes of awake time. Now to get that mattress flipped too, and hopefully happy days.
Right, back to work for me, and plan my next fun run or bike ride.
ESWT explained…
Achilles tendinopathy is a condition that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness to the Achilles tendon, which attaches your calf muscle to your heel bone. It is thought to be caused by repeated small injuries to the tendon that do not heal, and build up over time.
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation (swelling) of the plantar fascia. This is a thick fibrous band of tissue at the bottom of your foot that lies between your toes and your heel. Repeated small injuries to the plantar fascia are believed to be the cause of the inflammation.
People who have either of these conditions may be offered a procedure called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis.
How ESWT works
ESWT is a procedure where shockwaves are passed through the skin to the injured part of the foot using a special device. Extracorporeal means outside of the body. The shockwaves are mechanical and not electric. They are audible, low energy sound waves, which work by increasing blood flow to the injured area.
This speeds up the body’s healing process. You will usually require a course of 3 treatments, 1 to 2 weeks apart.
If ESWT does not help your pain, then sometimes an operation may be available, depending on your condition. Your consultant will discuss this with you.
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