OT: Ankle Injury

Quoted message said:

I'm not wondering eight days on whether to go and see someone about
it, as I'm still limping. The pain is now where the achilles joins the
back of the ankle.

I've had a couple of similar things happen to me. Turned out to be ill-
fitting shoes. Chucked the shoes and the problem went away.

Quoted message said:

p.s. also, to make it cycle related, should i be staying off cycling
too?

If not seeking professional help, I'd consider stopping all activity until
it goes away, then restarting it an activity at a time. During the 'off'
period, replace physical activity with pies and BEER to give yourself some
motivation when you're getting back into it. Nothing like a growing beer
belly to spur you into action.

woops spelling mistake ...

Quoted message said:

I'm *now* wondering eight days on whether to go and see someone about it,
as I'm still limping.

elyob said:

Any advice on achilles injuries? I started tennis beginning of Jan, and have
been playing twice a week with no problems except a bit of tiredeness in my
arm and tight shin muscles when walking the steep hill to the club.
Then since a week ago on Monday I've been hobbling with a slightly swollen
foot and pain either side of my achilles.

I have had similar problems since a 70 mile ride on Saturday followed by
a more-intense-than-usual treadmill session at the gym on Monday.

I'm suspecting achilles tendinitis brought on by overuse. Like you, I
haven't seen the need to bother the GP about it; I'd likely come out of
the waiting room with something much worse - given some of the bugs that
are going around at the moment.

Rest is what I'm giving it. Oh, and Ibuprofen. And Beer.

--
Chris

When doing the Tour of Norfmandy, one of the guys in the group developed
said injury. Liberal application of anti-inflammatory gel got him through
it. Mind you, as you aren't in the middle of a cycle event you want to
finish, I'd suggest going to see your doc, and in the meantime, *rest* the
foot, and put some icepacks on it. If it were me, I'd be on the
anti-inflammatories too.

Cheers, helen s

Chris Smith <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

elyob said:

Any advice on achilles injuries? I started tennis beginning of Jan,
and have
been playing twice a week with no problems except a bit of
tiredeness in my
arm and tight shin muscles when walking the steep hill to the club.
Then since a week ago on Monday I've been hobbling with a slightly
swollen
foot and pain either side of my achilles.

Quoted message said:

I have had similar problems since a 70 mile ride on Saturday followed by
a more-intense-than-usual treadmill session at the gym on Monday.

Quoted message said:

I'm suspecting achilles tendinitis brought on by overuse. Like you, I
haven't seen the need to bother the GP about it; I'd likely come out of
the waiting room with something much worse - given some of the bugs that
are going around at the moment.

Quoted message said:

Rest is what I'm giving it. Oh, and Ibuprofen. And Beer.

Rest, ibuprofen, elevation, AVOID *ANYTHING* THAT PROVOKES PAIN, shoes
with higher heels if you can get them (!?!), Beer if you like it [1].

DON'T let anyone inject steroids anywhere near your Achilles tendon,
ever, PLEASE!

Helen (who did a 400km Audax many eons ago with a sore Achilles tendon)

[1] I dislike beer so can't recommend it...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

elyob wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Is it something to bother a doctor about, or are they (as I'm presuming)
going to say 'rest it, stay off it'.

Ok, I've had *serious* achilles tedonitis and it goes like this;

1) Ibuprofen[1]. If this doesn't work see 2.
2) See a doctor.

He'll prolly give you some stuff which will probably make it go away.
If it doesn't, he'll give you a cortico steroid injection[2] which, 24
hours later, will have you wondering why you didn't ask two weeks ago.

Fwiw, at the casualty department they wanted to put my leg in plaster.
Me saying I was 500 miles from home lead to an 'interesting' discussion.

Just my tuppence worth, but you can't beat steroids.

[1] It's good stuff, I'll bet a lot of peoples here have used it.
[2] If he asks you to lie still, *don't* ask till afterwards.

I've had a mild achillies tenderness for a few months - probably
brought on by running. So given that it still hasn't completely cleared
you may want to take my advice with a large pinch of salt...

I eventually went to see a physio - I should have gone sooner.

The general advice was:

1)If it hurts don't do it (sometimes it can take a few hours
to a day for the inflamation to get worse after the excercise)

2) Many shoes can rub on it and inflame it - serious surgery
may be required (to the shoe, not you!)

3) Cycling was probably OK, provided it didn't contravene 1)
to reduce the strain on the achillies you can pedal with the
instep rather than the ball of the foot

4) Ice can help

5) Anti-inflmatory gel may help

6) Stretches may help - seek advice from a physio before trying
as I think the wrong stretches maywell make it worse.

7) Patience - there is little blood flow so healing is
often slow

Tosspot <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

elyob wrote:

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is it something to bother a doctor about, or are they (as I'm presuming)
going to say 'rest it, stay off it'.

Quoted message said:

Ok, I've had *serious* achilles tedonitis and it goes like this;

Quoted message said:

1) Ibuprofen[1]. If this doesn't work see 2.
2) See a doctor.

Quoted message said:

He'll prolly give you some stuff which will probably make it go away.
If it doesn't, he'll give you a cortico steroid injection[2] which, 24
hours later, will have you wondering why you didn't ask two weeks ago.

Quoted message said:

Fwiw, at the casualty department they wanted to put my leg in plaster.
Me saying I was 500 miles from home lead to an 'interesting' discussion.

Quoted message said:

Just my tuppence worth, but you can't beat steroids.

They can beat you thobut...

Quoted message said:

[1] It's good stuff, I'll bet a lot of peoples here have used it.
[2] If he asks you to lie still, *don't* ask till afterwards.

I repeat: do NOT allow anyone to inject steroids anywhere near the
Achilles tendon, ever.

Unless you are willing to let it go <POP> and sue the doctor...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Helen, no worries, no steroids ever.

Thanks for the advice, I'd prefer to hobble than ruin my body & blood.

I may see some of you at the Love-yr-bike thing this weekend. I'll hopefully
be ready to cycle by then!

Nick

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

I repeat: do NOT allow anyone to inject steroids anywhere near the
Achilles tendon, ever.

Unless you are willing to let it go <POP> and sue the doctor...

Just of of idle curiosity.

Why do they want to?

Why is it a bad idea.

Tempted by a kiddyback tandem

Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this:
Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
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"Andy Morris" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

I repeat: do NOT allow anyone to inject steroids anywhere near the
Achilles tendon, ever.

Unless you are willing to let it go <POP> and sue the doctor...

Quoted message said:

Just of of idle curiosity.

Quoted message said:

Why do they want to?

Quoted message said:

Why is it a bad idea.

Quoted message said:

Tempted by a kiddyback tandem

Quoted message said:

Andy Morris

Quoted message said:

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Quoted message said:

Love this:
Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

Steroids are GREAT at quelling inflammation, locally and systemically.

A steroid injection into a sore shoulder can work wonders, sometimes,
for example.

Steroids weaken collagen.

There is a well-known risk of Achilles tendon rupture associated with
steroid injection. It is well enough known for it to be possibly legally
actionable should this occur.

I would not like my Achilles tendon to go POP even if I could win
£zillions in compensation.

A steroid-injected Achilles tendon is a bummer to repair; consider
trying to secure two ponytails end-to-end...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

There is a well-known risk of Achilles tendon rupture associated with
steroid injection. It is well enough known for it to be possibly legally
actionable should this occur.

I would not like my Achilles tendon to go POP even if I could win
£zillions in compensation.

A steroid-injected Achilles tendon is a bummer to repair; consider
trying to secure two ponytails end-to-end...

Yep. Doc said "Lie really still I need to get this between the tendon
and the sheath or it will rot the tendon". Gave me *loads* of
confidence that did. Mind ewe, like I said, running around like a
trooper the next morning. Horses for courses, nothing else worked.

Tosspot said:

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There is a well-known risk of Achilles tendon rupture associated with
steroid injection. It is well enough known for it to be possibly legally
actionable should this occur.

I would not like my Achilles tendon to go POP even if I could win
zillions in compensation.

A steroid-injected Achilles tendon is a bummer to repair; consider
trying to secure two ponytails end-to-end...

Quoted message said:

Yep. Doc said "Lie really still I need to get this between the tendon
and the sheath or it will rot the tendon". Gave me *loads* of
confidence that did. Mind ewe, like I said, running around like a
trooper the next morning. Horses for courses, nothing else worked.

Almost as scary as the time I had a broken arm set while it was full
of novocaine held in by a pneumatic strap around the upper arm. Having
yanked the arm straight the doc said to the nurse "Ok, take the
pressure down." There was a sudden whoosh as she dumped all the air
out. "No!" screamed the doc, "Pump it up! pump it up! If you let out
all that novocaine at once it'll stop his heart when it gets to it!"

Fortunately it didn't :-)

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

Chris Malcolm said:

Quoted message said:

Yep. Doc said "Lie really still I need to get this between the tendon
and the sheath or it will rot the tendon". Gave me *loads* of
confidence that did. Mind ewe, like I said, running around like a
trooper the next morning. Horses for courses, nothing else worked.

Almost as scary as the time I had a broken arm set while it was full
of novocaine held in by a pneumatic strap around the upper arm. Having
yanked the arm straight the doc said to the nurse "Ok, take the
pressure down." There was a sudden whoosh as she dumped all the air
out. "No!" screamed the doc, "Pump it up! pump it up! If you let out
all that novocaine at once it'll stop his heart when it gets to it!"

But not nearly as scary-looking as the time I had an injection into my
eyeball. It was intended to get (steroids + saline carrier) into the
sclera; it actually got between the sclera and the conjuntiva and the
latter ballooned up, turning the outer surface of my eyeball from
roughly spheroid to something resembling Homer Simpson plus beergut.
"Don't worry, it'll get absorbed over a period of time," the nurse
cheerfully told me.

P.S. mental note to any future victims of such a procedure: take a piece
of coal, clutch it in your right hand as the needle approaches your
eyeball. You'll get one helluva diamond at the end.

R.

Chris Malcolm said:

Almost as scary as the time I had a broken arm set while it was full
of novocaine held in by a pneumatic strap around the upper arm. Having
yanked the arm straight the doc said to the nurse "Ok, take the
pressure down." There was a sudden whoosh as she dumped all the air
out. "No!" screamed the doc, "Pump it up! pump it up! If you let out
all that novocaine at once it'll stop his heart when it gets to it!"

Fortunately it didn't :-)

So not a heart-stopping moment then? ;-)

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

A steroid-injected Achilles tendon is a bummer to repair; consider
trying to secure two ponytails end-to-end...

Why am I twisting my legs and feet together?

Thanks that makes a lot of sense and helps me understand what people are on
about.

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this:
Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

Thanks for all the achillies advice. I've decided to see the doctor
tomorrow. There is no point not getting it seen by an expert, and when beer
didn't work. I've hobbled to the pub a lot, with no beneficial results.

I now look forward to the doctors secretary asking "Is it urgent". "Well, if
it was I'd be going to the A&E 2 miles up the road, you know the one. The
one with an entire cancer ward and specialist areas. Nuclear stuff .. you
know."

Tomorrow, I'm going to say "Yes, and going to get my blood pressure tested
too." I bet my blood pressure is down from when I said "No", and they sent
me to the back of the queue.

On another note. I haven't had a cigarette for 6 weeks. Maybe a good time to
check my blood pressure ...

In article <[email hidden]>, elyob

Quoted message said:

On another note. I haven't had a cigarette for 6 weeks. Maybe a
good time to check my blood pressure ...

Well done with the cancer sticks.

--
T h e - e x t e n d e r ! ! ! !

elyob said:

Thanks for all the achillies advice. I've decided to see the doctor
tomorrow. There is no point not getting it seen by an expert,

Well if it's your doctor he/she's definitely not an expert!

Episodes from my past:

Go to doctor to get flying medical certificate signed: See doctor's tie,
"Oh is that an 'Enterprise dinghy'?" 20 minutes spent discussing dinghy
sailing, signature on form, my blood pressure not taken....

Go to doctor: "My feet hurt" 12 months later after lots of tests the
local physios say "Your feet are going flat, perfectly normal."

Go to doctor: "My knee hurts so much I cannot stand up." In this case
it was the locum, who called in the junior in the practice, who spent 20
minutes on the phone with the experts in Addenbrookes, and eventually did
things to my knee with a big syringe that still hurt to think about. If
if had been the proper GP I don't think I'd be walking yet....

Do not got to a GP, find someone understands sports injuries.

Mike

and when

Quoted message said:

beer didn't work. I've hobbled to the pub a lot, with no beneficial
results.

I now look forward to the doctors secretary asking "Is it urgent". "Well,
if it was I'd be going to the A&E 2 miles up the road, you know the one.
The one with an entire cancer ward and specialist areas. Nuclear stuff ..
you know."

Tomorrow, I'm going to say "Yes, and going to get my blood pressure tested
too." I bet my blood pressure is down from when I said "No", and they sent
me to the back of the queue.

On another note. I haven't had a cigarette for 6 weeks. Maybe a good time
to check my blood pressure ...