Injured A/R/T Boardsies Support Thread

dev123

Hi Nanazolie,

You are definintely not the only person nursing an injury.

Have a look here for some advice from other people in a similar situation.

Hope this helps,
Dev

ecoli

Nanazolie wrote: »

Hi


I know the charter says don't discuss injuries. I am not asking for advice or treatment. I went to my GP for that and I trust his judgement, follow his advice and take my medication.
I just want to hear from people who injured themselves in the past while running and were they able to run again (after 2, 6, 10 weeks, a few months, a year...)? Did you find what caused your injury and were able to adjust your running to avoid further injury? Did you find that stopping helped you become a better runner?

I injured my foot last Sunday, won't give the details, but it was quite painful and I'm still limping. I gave up any hope of running the semi marathon in Dublin next Saturday. At first, I was gutted, but I am determined to run again and I want to use that time to reflect on what caused the injury in the first place. And why do I love running so much (I don't consider myself a serious runner in that I don't speak "gait, pronation, etc...". I just run for the sheer pleasure of it), what does it bring to my life, do people experience the same and feel almost deperate when they are forced to stop?

3 years ago I spent 4 months trying to get rid of an injury. Started back very slow (Thankfully had company coming back on my runs from boardsies here). Spent the summer just quitely building up slowly and under the radar. Came out in September and really started to crank up my training. 10 months after my injury I went on to hit my target in debut half marathon. from there I have gone from strength to strength and clocked PBs from 1500m-Half Marathon. The slow build up allowed me to focus on building the legs stronger and addressing the problem.

You can come back stronger than ever. Talk with your physio they should be able to get to the root of the problem. Most good physios will also give you tips on prevention rather than just treat it. Spend your time off productively strength work, flexibility work and cross training (with approval from your physio) as well as reading up on training methods and it could be a blessing in disguise as it was for me.

I immersed myself in training theory and it has stood to me in the long run

Best of luck on the recovery

There is a thread here for Injury support for athletes who are out (unfortunately its a part of the sport) to provide motivation and encouragement may also pick up some tips there

altercor

Hey!

Firstly, sorry to hear about your injury! Its never good to be injured when you are ramping up to an event. I think in the past 4-5 years I have spent an awful lot of time sidelined with all sorts of injuries, from overuse to over-stupid. One thing I've learned is that when you can't run you really really want to. When you get better again and it's raining outside and you are tempted not to do your session, it's good to remind yourself of when you were injured and all you wanted to do was run!

I've definitely found that a bit of analysis of your lifestyle, other hobbies etc can help with injury prevention. I realised that my weekly 5 aside soccer match was causing my hamstrings to be as tight as cello strings and that in turn caused knee pain (apparently!) so, I had to decide which I would rather do. I chose running. That definitely improved my running as now I can handle higher mileage! After I finish a big event (marathon or otherwise) I usually spend a few weeks playing soccer as a break though.

I used to get shin splints; got orthotics. I find I dont need them as much anymore as I improved (got faster) as I spend less time on my heels and more on the balls of my feet:D

I know you seem to associate serious running with gait, pronation etc. but it would serve you well and ensure you spend less time on the sideline with injury by doing a bit of self-analysis!

Hope this helps!

Curve Music

Mod: Afraid you are right it is in breach of charter to look for "normal protocol". an injury can be caused by a number of things and just because people might have had the same injury does not mean the same cause and treatment applies. Stick to the advice of your physio or if you are not happy with that look for a second opinion from another medical professional

Nanazolie

wow, I didn't know there were so many of us! And you feel so lonely when it happens.
Thanks for your answers, it's great advice and I'll definitively put my sideline time to good use
I'm reading "Born to run" right now, it is enlightening

ecoli

Nanazolie wrote: »

wow, I didn't know there were so many of us! And you feel so lonely when it happens.
Thanks for your answers, it's great advice and I'll definitively put my sideline time to good use
I'm reading "Born to run" right now, it is enlightening

Reading it myself and all I would say is don't get too hung up on the barefoot running too much.

People seem to hone in on that and think "oh there good I should be doing the same" yet they ignore:

Chia seeds as nutrition (more science behind this than barefoot running)
They drink like fish (you wouldnt emulate this so why emulate another aspect solely on premise of the book)
Normal US runners have gone much faster in Leadville (2 hours) so barefoot running isnt essential to be good

Very interesting read but training wise I wouldn put all my hopes ideas on the book

Nanazolie

Sure, Ecoli, but I'm more interested in the "running as a way of life"'s aspect of it. I am not a competitive runner, but I find running fascinating: why do some people hate it so much while for others it is liberating?

Curve Music

Curve Music wrote: »

Mod: Afraid you are right it is in breach of charter to look for "normal protocol". an injury can be caused by a number of things and just because people might have had the same injury does not mean the same cause and treatment applies. Stick to the advice of your physio or if you are not happy with that look for a second opinion from another medical professional

'Pologies squire

Bally8

So how is everyone doing? Has anyone gotten off the bench yet? Im still broken, thought I was getting better last week but my arch is very sore again this week:( Keeping myself busy with walking, swimming and cycling. Maybe Im doing too much?

dahat

Been to physio twice,ITB issues and muscle tightness.....all been treated.
Have pronation issues which we are working towards solving without getting new runners or 300 quid orthotics as she has some ideas,we will see how they go........
Still doing a little running,stretch,ice etc...........hopefully i can get back to my normal level pretty soon....

rainbow kirby

Not injured, but seemingly I can't go more than about 5 weeks without this bug (or something similar) coming back to me. Stupid immune system.

Bally8

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Not injured, but seemingly I can't go more than about 5 weeks without this bug (or something similar) coming back to me. Stupid immune system.

Ah sh1te RK, I thought you were well back on track. Must be so frustrating.

Nanazolie

Bally8 wrote: »

So how is everyone doing? Has anyone gotten off the bench yet? Im still broken, thought I was getting better last week but my arch is very sore again this week:( Keeping myself busy with walking, swimming and cycling. Maybe Im doing too much?

I'm sitting with you on that bench I can't walk but I have 2 young kids so it's impossible not to be on my feet most of the times. My foot was getting better but after the weekend with the kids I could feel the pain coming back AND in my other foot too. Luckily, they go to the creche during the week and my mum is coming over soon so she can help and I'll have a chance to rest both feet.
I can swim too, and I need it because my back is sore from waddling. I can cycle too, but today is too windy I don't want to push my luck too much

Nanazolie

Do you find the ice help injuries? I've tried to apply ice packs but aside from my skin feeling numb, I can't notice any difference

jester1980

Hi All.

Just looking for a little advise, doing my first half marathon this sat.

Two Saturdays ago i did an 18 KM run and started to get a lot of uncomfort in my right knee, i rested it up last week for 4 days and went running on thurs and did 10 km and 16km on sat. Now ive been icing it up again, i wouldnt say its painful but its uncomfortable but i dont feel the uncomfort on the short run only after about 13 km on the long one.

Any advise on what i should do, only 3 shorts runs this week so will prob be fine but its still a little niggly at the moment, i'd just be afraid i'd blow up on saturday at the race. I really want to do it as have put in some hard training.

Thanks all

Nanazolie

No advice, sorry, but I wish you the best of luck for Saturday. I should have been there too, now I'll wait until next year.

tHE vAGGABOND

jester1980 wrote: »

Hi All.

Just looking for a little advise, doing my first half marathon this sat.

Two Saturdays ago i did an 18 KM run and started to get a lot of uncomfort in my right knee.....

Go and see a good physio before doing anything else would be the only sensible advice.

I recently lost 4 weeks training due to not giving a trivial knee issue enough respect early on.

aigster

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

jester1980 wrote: »

Hi All.

Just looking for a little advise, doing my first half marathon this sat.

Two Saturdays ago i did an 18 KM run and started to get a lot of uncomfort in my right knee.....

Go and see a good physio before doing anything else would be the only sensible advice.

I recently lost 4 weeks training due to not giving a trivial knee issue enough respect early on.

get it checked , if your experienced you may know the issue , and you can manage it... If your not... Race day buzz ... Followed by injury and months on couch...

chinguetti

As said by the previous posters, go to a physio. Its your first half so you probably want to do it good. Otherwise you risk getting injuried and not finishing.

I had to pull out of Saturday due to injury. I could do it but there's other races i want to do before the year is out.

connundrum

I'd a problem with my achilles approx 5 weeks ago which stopped me running any more than 2-3km.

I went to a physio and worked with him right up till the IM70.3 in Galway. I ran zero km in the 4 weeks leading up to the race. During the race I was good for approx 8-9km and then had to settle into a walk.

Went back to physio last night and he reckons that I came just short of a tear. No activity at all for this week, then starting back with swimming etc. Ice and heat.

I still find it mad that he can trace the achilles problem on one side to under my foot, and on the other side to my hip. 'Its all connected' is a phrase I'm getting pretty tired of.

So, it'll be ice cream and jelly for the next couple of weeks

Do I regret doing the IM70.3, no. And I still raging about the further damage I caused myself, yes.

hot to trot

connundrum wrote: »

I'd a problem with my achilles approx 5 weeks ago which stopped me running any more than 2-3km.

I went to a physio and worked with him right up till the IM70.3 in Galway. I ran zero km in the 4 weeks leading up to the race. During the race I was good for approx 8-9km and then had to settle into a walk.

Went back to physio last night and he reckons that I came just short of a tear. No activity at all for this week, then starting back with swimming etc. Ice and heat.

I still find it mad that he can trace the achilles problem on one side to under my foot, and on the other side to my hip. 'Its all connected' is a phrase I'm getting pretty tired of.

So, it'll be ice cream and jelly for the next couple of weeks

Do I regret doing the IM70.3, no. And I still raging about the further damage I caused myself, yes.

Achilles and other tendon injuries are very slow. I have had two previous Achilles issues for which I had laser with dr leahy at the laser centre in Hume St. I changed my running technique and had no problem for years until I had some recent bad luck.
I currently have a big tear and without the laser I dont think I would be as good as I am now. What I like about his treatment is that he does an ultrasound scan first to see what damage is there and its exact location. I Likely had a small tear at first but I didnt recognise how injured it was because I could still run on it. Then it went bang!
If you can have an ultrasound scan it will at least tell you whether it is just overworked and stressed out or whether there is an actual deficit that will take months to repair. Some select physios do have a diagnostic ultrasound scanning service otherwise it may be hospital app. Just a thought if it persists.
I only needed to stop running for about 2 days after the first treatment and it was perfect after it .

pgmcpq

Bally8 wrote: »

I was getting better last week but my arch is very sore again this week Keeping myself busy with walking, swimming and cycling. Maybe Im doing too much?

I'm slowly and painfully learning, this time around, that if it is sore ... figure out what is aggravating it and stop ! It may not be too much ... but it might be too much of a specific thing.

Nanazolie wrote: »

Do you find the ice help injuries? I've tried to apply ice packs but aside from my skin feeling numb, I can't notice any difference

AFAIK, ice is useful to reduce inflamation - but like everything else whether it is useful depends on the type of injury. Some injuries call for heat, some call for both. The general rule it thumb is to apply ice for 15-20 minutes an hour max. There is no benefit to freezing yourself - more may not be good let alone better ! What does the doc/physio say ?

jester1980 wrote: »

Just looking for a little advise, doing my first half marathon this sat.

... started to get a lot of uncomfort in my right knee, ..... i wouldnt say its painful but its uncomfortable but i dont feel the uncomfort on the short run only after about 13 km on the long one.

.... I really want to do it as have put in some hard training.

As other have said - see a physio. But here's the question - are you willing to risk doing real damage to get this race in ? There will be other HMs, other races ....? The training you've done will stand to you if you keep it up consistantly. So that's the trade off you face ... it tough but only you can really decide if this one race is worth it. I know I usually figure there is always another race... though dropping out of my A 'race' for the second half of this year has been difficult to take.

So ... I'm now on comeback attempt number 4 ! Have run a few times ... but am no longer trying to return for an autumn marathon - or any racing for the rest of the year. The big goal is get back to where I was. I've finally accepted that I really hurt myself - though I still cannot understand how and so I did not really REALLY believe it until about a week ago.

I've resurrected my old knee brace to protect against a re occurrence of an old injury from overcompensating for the current injury. Distances I would have felt were a warmup a eight weeks ago are now a ....challenge ! It's odd how strange running feels right now. After the run today the butt muscle is not 100% and the hip is achey. This time I am taking is very very slow so no run tomorrow.

gerard65

After weeks of very good training, no issues for two races I have planned - the half on Sat and the Rathfarnham 5k the following Sun, my achilles has started acting up, but in a weird way. Good session yesterday morning - no problems, but walking to the shop yesterday evening it got very painful, had to limp there and back. Today is the same, but only sore in higher heeled runners and shoes, if I walk in barefeet or low healed shoes - no pain. Just can't figure it, usually its the other way round with achilles problems. It seems to be sore about halfway down when I pinch it, so I hoping its just some sort of bruising. Have been icing it today and taking today and tomorrow off. Fingers crossed:cool:

connundrum

hot to trot wrote: »

Achilles and other tendon injuries are very slow. I have had two previous Achilles issues for which I had laser with dr leahy at the laser centre in Hume St. I changed my running technique and had no problem for years until I had some recent bad luck.
I currently have a big tear and without the laser I dont think I would be as good as I am now. What I like about his treatment is that he does an ultrasound scan first to see what damage is there and its exact location. I Likely had a small tear at first but I didnt recognise how injured it was because I could still run on it. Then it went bang!
If you can have an ultrasound scan it will at least tell you whether it is just overworked and stressed out or whether there is an actual deficit that will take months to repair. Some select physios do have a diagnostic ultrasound scanning service otherwise it may be hospital app. Just a thought if it persists.
I only needed to stop running for about 2 days after the first treatment and it was perfect after it .

I am always wary of physios, and have asked my guy yesterday whether laser and/or other treatment would be necessary. He advised no, but then I'm (cynically) wondering whether he's just happy for the €50 per week he's getting from me.

Thus far he hasn't guided me wrong, but again he's only giving me an opinion (by feel) as to how bad my injuries are.

I guess that this will be the constant problem with people visiting physios i.e. what if he's getting it wrong, could I be recovering quicker etc etc.

Ah, I dunno

Sorbet

I'm off the road with sciatica (according to the Physio). I was new to running and was following the couch 2 5K so can't imagine I was overdoing it. What I'm wondering is, is this condition something that's going to stop me running long term? I was keen to keep at it with a DCM as a (very) long term goal. Not looking for detailed medical advice but if anyone else has had this and run would welcome your experiences. Thanks.

hot to trot

connundrum wrote: »

I am always wary of physios, and have asked my guy yesterday whether laser and/or other treatment would be necessary. He advised no, but then I'm (cynically) wondering whether he's just happy for the €50 per week he's getting from me.

Thus far he hasn't guided me wrong, but again he's only giving me an opinion (by feel) as to how bad my injuries are.

I guess that this will be the constant problem with people visiting physios i.e. what if he's getting it wrong, could I be recovering quicker etc etc.

Ah, I dunno

Laser provided by physios and other therapists are low level or cold laser. probe outputs are around 200mw. What I had was a high power hot surgical laser with power in the 000's mw. You have to have a local anaesthetic before it is applied. The laser probe is put within the damaged tissue and stimulation of new collagen tissue happens where it is needed.
Physio laser is done through the skin and by the time it reaches muscle and deep tissues you have lost a lot of the available power. It has its uses and I do use it but I find that its a waste of time for "proper" achilles injuries.

Nanazolie

gerard65 wrote: »

After weeks of very good training, no issues for two races I have planned - the half on Sat and the Rathfarnham 5k the following Sun, my achilles has started acting up, but in a weird way. Good session yesterday morning - no problems, but walking to the shop yesterday evening it got very painful, had to limp there and back. Today is the same, but only sore in higher heeled runners and shoes, if I walk in barefeet or low healed shoes - no pain. Just can't figure it, usually its the other way round with achilles problems. It seems to be sore about halfway down when I pinch it, so I hoping its just some sort of bruising. Have been icing it today and taking today and tomorrow off. Fingers crossed:cool:

So I'm not the only one, then.... The GP advised rest and ice and anti-inflamatories, and to wear shoes with a small heel. Which I found excruciating, so when I have a chance I kick them off and my feet feel so much better.

I have an appointment with a physio at noon, I hope it will help because not only the injury is not any better but my other foot is starting to ache as well from limping (and my knees, and my lower back, and and and.... )

littlebug

Niggly achilles was starting to ease, having taken a bit of a break from running. Then I went and fell up a step.... ok it was a footpath. Aside from the public humiliation:o I also managed to twist the other foot. Not badly but I'm walking with a mini limp. Thankfully I have a physio appt on Friday anyway... hopefully won't be out much longer.

Nanazolie

Went to the physio, the tendons and ligaments are perfect, my posture is good, my striking is great... Only the bone (can't remember the name) on the side of the heel has suffered some stress and bruising. He gave me ultrasounds, a crutch to avoid pain in the other foot and leg, recommended swimming (yeah!!!) and if things don't improve it could indicate a stress fracture. I really hope that's not the case because he was talking about cast to alleviate the pressure on the heel. Oh dear! :eek:

ecoli

Nanazolie wrote: »

Went to the physio, the tendons and ligaments are perfect, my posture is good, my striking is great... Only the bone (can't remember the name) on the side of the heel has suffered some stress and bruising. He gave me ultrasounds, a crutch to avoid pain in the other foot and leg, recommended swimming (yeah!!!) and if things don't improve it could indicate a stress fracture. I really hope that's not the case because he was talking about cast to alleviate the pressure on the heel. Oh dear! :eek:

Wouldnt completely dismiss it:

http://running.about.com/od/injuryrecovery/a/Tips-For-Deep-Water-Running.htm

Has kept me going during times of injury