Heel Spur

terrance said:

Hi group......

First time posting here, so hopefully this hasn't been covered. I developed
a sore in my right heel over a month ago. At first I thought it was because
of new shoes, but since going back to the old ones, the pain still exists.
I wake up in the morning and can hardly walk: it's so sensitive, but after
10 minutes I'm walking normal, although I still some slight discomfort. I
am hopefully going to see an sports orthapaedic this coming week, but would
like any opinions on what might be the cause if it is a spur, or could it be
something else.

Good idea to see a sports doc to determine cause of problem and
hopefully some exercises (or shoe change or orthotics or whatever) to
fix the cause. Your symptoms do sound like plantar fasciatus (PF) or
achilles tendinitis (tendinosis) (AT), but I'm not a doc, but have had
both - and your symptoms are definitely similar. Sometimes the causes
are weak foot/ankle muscles; imbalanced muscles; overly tight ham, calf,
achilles; too much too soon; wrong shoes, etc. If you google the group,
you will find several discussions in the past. *My* problems were
related to weak foot/ankle muscles plus some structural issues. Yours
may be completely different.

Good luck.

Dot

--
"running is a mysterious journey that we take not just to beat other
people or to stay in reasonable physical shape - but to find out more
about ourselves" - Owen Anderson

On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 14:36:51 -0400, "terrance" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi group......

First time posting here, so hopefully this hasn't been covered. I developed
a sore in my right heel over a month ago. At first I thought it was because
of new shoes, but since going back to the old ones, the pain still exists.
I wake up in the morning and can hardly walk: it's so sensitive, but after
10 minutes I'm walking normal, although I still some slight discomfort. I
am hopefully going to see an sports orthapaedic this coming week, but would
like any opinions on what might be the cause if it is a spur, or could it be
something else. I have been running consistently since April with runs from
3 miles all the way to a half marathon a few weeks ago. It almost feels
like I stepped on a rock and have a bruise, but it won't go away. Thanks in
advance for any advice or recommendations.

terrance

Try a regular Dr first. It sounds like a ganglion cyst.

"Dot" <dot.h@#duh?att.net> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

terrance said:

Hi group......

First time posting here, so hopefully this hasn't been covered. I

developed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a sore in my right heel over a month ago. At first I thought it was

because

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of new shoes, but since going back to the old ones, the pain still

exists.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I wake up in the morning and can hardly walk: it's so sensitive, but

after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

10 minutes I'm walking normal, although I still some slight discomfort.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

am hopefully going to see an sports orthapaedic this coming week, but

would

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

like any opinions on what might be the cause if it is a spur, or could

it be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

something else.

Good idea to see a sports doc to determine cause of problem and
hopefully some exercises (or shoe change or orthotics or whatever) to
fix the cause. Your symptoms do sound like plantar fasciatus (PF) or
achilles tendinitis (tendinosis) (AT), but I'm not a doc, but have had
both - and your symptoms are definitely similar. Sometimes the causes
are weak foot/ankle muscles; imbalanced muscles; overly tight ham, calf,
achilles; too much too soon; wrong shoes, etc. If you google the group,
you will find several discussions in the past. *My* problems were
related to weak foot/ankle muscles plus some structural issues. Yours
may be completely different.

Dot:

Thanks for the reply. I did a google on PF and it sounds exactly like what
I'm experiencing. I am on my feet alot with my work, but have laid off
running for 5-6 days at a time, but with no improvement. Guess I'll take
some anti-inflamatory meds that I have and see if that won't correct the
problem. Thanks again very much for your reply.

terrance

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Quoted message said:

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"terrance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:ur%%e.31353$nq.18266@lakeread05...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the reply. I did a google on PF and it sounds exactly like
what
I'm experiencing. I am on my feet alot with my work, but have laid
off
running for 5-6 days at a time, but with no improvement.

I know running athletes think thay are the only people that experience
PF but not true. People like nurses for intstance, that spend a great
deal of time on their feet, also have this problem. Now, since you spend
a lot of time on you feet and have PF, your recovery could be very slow
or not at all depending on what you are wearing on yourfeet.

Quoted message said:

some anti-inflamatory meds that I have and see if that won't correct
the
problem.

You need to understand the cause or it will likely come back again. Did
you make some sudden changes in mileage, or hills or or did it just
happen slowly? You can try handling it yourself but if it doesn't work
you may need to see a foot Vet. You have poor shoe choice or one of a
dozen other problems

"TheBillRogers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Try a regular Dr first. It sounds like a ganglion cyst.

What? You don't want to send him to a Chiro? I thought they were your
knee jerk answer to every conceivable problem.

-DF

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"TheBillRogers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Try a regular Dr first. It sounds like a ganglion cyst.

What? You don't want to send him to a Chiro? I thought they were your
knee jerk answer to every conceivable problem.

-DF

NO! This is my "jerk" answer to every problem!

http://tinypic.com/e88sjl.gif

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 12:56:21 GMT, "Doug Freese" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

What? You don't want to send him to a Chiro? I thought they were your
knee jerk answer to every conceivable problem.

No, that's your "DF approach" to chiros. There is nothing a chiro can
do for a ganglion cyst, nor is there anything an MD can do for it.

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"terrance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:ur%%e.31353$nq.18266@lakeread05...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the reply. I did a google on PF and it sounds exactly like
what
I'm experiencing. I am on my feet alot with my work, but have laid
off
running for 5-6 days at a time, but with no improvement.

I know running athletes think thay are the only people that experience
PF but not true. People like nurses for intstance, that spend a great
deal of time on their feet, also have this problem. Now, since you spend
a lot of time on you feet and have PF, your recovery could be very slow
or not at all depending on what you are wearing on yourfeet.

Quoted message said:

some anti-inflamatory meds that I have and see if that won't correct
the
problem.

You need to understand the cause or it will likely come back again. Did
you make some sudden changes in mileage, or hills or or did it just
happen slowly? You can try handling it yourself but if it doesn't work
you may need to see a foot Vet. You have poor shoe choice or one of a
dozen other problems

Hi Doug:

Thanks for the reply. I did increase my milage some. I went from running 5
miles, to around 10, but in increments. I tried training with a speed day,
middle distance run, then a long run 3 times a week. I run on a trail in
Va, so my training spot didn't change, however, it does have some pretty
steep hills. But like I said, I've been running the same trail since April.
I went to a running store yesterday and talked to a sales person that
watched me walk. Told her I was running in the Asics Gel Nimbus VII and she
said that was not a good shoe for me. So maybe it's the shoe, along with
some needed rest. Guess if it doesn't heal, I will see a doc. Thanks again
for the reply.

terrance

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terrance said:

I really have no idea for the cause. How does it happen?

This is probably most understandable page
http://www.drpribut.com/sports/heelhtm.htm

but these pages provide some additional info
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/987116429.html
http://heelspurs.com/_intro.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2200.html
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/footankle/a/fasciitis.htm

Google for '"plantar fasciitis" cause' will bring up lots more.

Sometimes it's just tight muscles / tendons, etc and needs to be
stretched. I'm not sure if my original PF was related to some of the
issues my PT found on 2nd occurrence of AT since it didn't occur 2nd
time round.

Quoted message said:

I am taking the meds and icing it. It feels much better after I ice it. I
actually went to a web site that advertised something called a "strassburg
sock" which supposedly helps correct the problem. According to this girl at
the shoe store...u sleep normally with your toes pointing down and of course
it starts to heal, then when you awake and take your first couple of steps,
you rip what was slowly healing. I guess this sock is supposed to hold your
foot in positoin so it heals correctly. Hopefully rest and ice will heal it
without me having to see a doc.

See above drpribut site.

Resting, icing, keeping it flexed (strassburg sock), and appropriate
shoes may very well be all you need besides some generic drills. You can
also roll the bottom of your foot on frozen gatorade (or similar)
bottle. But if it recurs, you might want to see a doc to find out what's
causing it and fix that. You may also want to wear shoes all the time -
or clogs - the slipper-like ones, not the tall ones. I call them
slippers with arch supports.

Just some ideas of what I do besides standard calf stretches for
prevention, are barefoot heel walking in my lawn; walking on toes while
opposite foot dorsiflexes (toes point toward knee; strengthens shin and
stretches calf); toe curls. Toe curl (pulls) exercises can be pullling
yourself across floor by crunching toes, then releasing (this is what I
do); trying to pull a towel toward you by scrunching toes; using toes to
pick marble from a pile then move it to a nearby pile.

Good luck.

Dot

--
"running is a mysterious journey that we take not just to beat other
people or to stay in reasonable physical shape - but to find out more
about ourselves" - Owen Anderson

"Caps, too
Sleepy I am. Foggy
Foggy grrl, pukin'

Shakin' no kiddin'
Lost in a brown paper bag,
Too.

Need AD[Hi!]D meds.
Located leftover Dex SR,
4 leftover, but need more,
Or no more Twittering ~ !

Need warm bed.
Need happy head."
~ Twittering

I would second what Dot says about the exercises and frozen water
bottles (the towel scrunches, marbles...PT exercises are odd, huh?),
but I would recommend getting to a sports medicine doc if at all
possible. We can all tell you about our experiences with OUR diagnoses,
but we haven't seen your feet, ankes etc--it's easy but not too
reliable to self-diagnose using the Internet. For example, I had/have
PF, but also some additional issues that I wouldn't have known about
and had treated without seeing my foot and ankle ortho.

Good luck!

Mandy

"Mandy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I would second what Dot says about the exercises and frozen water

I'll third that

Quoted message said:

bottles (the towel scrunches, marbles...PT exercises are odd, huh?),
but I would recommend getting to a sports medicine doc if at all
possible.

And I'll second that.

Quoted message said:

We can all tell you about our experiences with OUR diagnoses,
but we haven't seen your feet, ankes etc--it's easy but not too
reliable to self-diagnose using the Internet. For example, I had/have
PF, but also some additional issues that I wouldn't have known about
and had treated without seeing my foot and ankle ortho.

Even my friend and Podiatrist some time back treated me and was
confident it was PF but only did an X-ray. After significant rest,
NSAIDS etc it did not respond and I then insisted we do and MRI. It
showed a very healthy fascia but a bursitis. A pair of orthotics with a
scooped out heel and I was back to running almost overnight. We ran the
other day and kind of chuckled about it. Of course back then and MRI was
big $$ and controlled with a tight fist. Today an MRI is used to find a
splinter.

They actually used am MRI to find BR's brain, but it failed to show even
a twitch. No Surprise.

If you don't have medical coverage I can understand the financial
problem and one may have to use trial and error. If you are covered then
by all means see the appropriate doctor.

-DF

It seems to me I heard somewhere that terrance wrote in article
<ur%%e.31353$nq.18266@lakeread05>:

Quoted message said:

"Dot" <dot.h@#duh?att.net> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

terrance said:

Hi group......

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

First time posting here, so hopefully this hasn't been covered. I

developed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a sore in my right heel over a month ago. At first I thought it was

because

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of new shoes, but since going back to the old ones, the pain still

exists.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I wake up in the morning and can hardly walk: it's so sensitive, but

after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

10 minutes I'm walking normal, although I still some slight discomfort.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

am hopefully going to see an sports orthapaedic this coming week, but

would

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

like any opinions on what might be the cause if it is a spur, or could

it be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

something else.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Good idea to see a sports doc to determine cause of problem and
hopefully some exercises (or shoe change or orthotics or whatever) to
fix the cause. Your symptoms do sound like plantar fasciatus (PF) or
achilles tendinitis (tendinosis) (AT), but I'm not a doc, but have had
both - and your symptoms are definitely similar. Sometimes the causes
are weak foot/ankle muscles; imbalanced muscles; overly tight ham, calf,
achilles; too much too soon; wrong shoes, etc. If you google the group,
you will find several discussions in the past. *My* problems were
related to weak foot/ankle muscles plus some structural issues. Yours
may be completely different.

Quoted message said:

Dot:

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the reply. I did a google on PF and it sounds exactly like what
I'm experiencing. I am on my feet alot with my work, but have laid off
running for 5-6 days at a time, but with no improvement. Guess I'll take
some anti-inflamatory meds that I have and see if that won't correct the
problem. Thanks again very much for your reply.

As others are telling you, if you have plantar fasciitis and/or a heel
spur nothing you take can correct the problem. The plantar fascia,
which supports the arch, gets stretched and inflamed (this is the
plantar fasciitis) when the arch begins to break down; trying to
compensate, the body begins to grow addition bone in the underneath
forward part of the heel (this is the spur). Reducing the strain on the
fascia is the minimum effective treatment for the condition. At least
this will probably mean taping, bracing, or wearing orthotics.

Years ago I had PF with an incipient heel spur--just enough to show
cloudiness on an Xray where bone was beginning to develop. My
podiatrist (the sister of another podiatrist who was also a distance
runner) assured me it was not caused by running but by innate foot
mechanics (high arch, primarily, in my case).

She injected cortisone (two sessions) to beginning reducing the
inflammation, taped it securely both times, and designed orthotics which
at first I used in all my shoes and still use for golf. I continued to
run, and have never had a recurrence, but I do have twinges that remind
me that my left foot is not as stable as my right.
--
Don Kirkman