Share your achilles/calf woes and words of wisdom here...

[cgraz]

So while my achilles has been getting better since the initial pain in early July, I'm still not thrilled with where it's at. I've been seeing a traditional chiropractor - he does some adjustments, uses electric stim on it, rolls it with a Theraband flexbar, then tapes with Rock Tape. Plus he had me start using orthotics to properly align my foot and ease the strain on that side, all the way up the left leg, which has always been my "problem child." Usually it helps, but lately I almost feel like it hurts more after seeing him!

I'm not sure if I'm impatient or if after 6 weeks, I shouldn't be feeling pain any more - or if I'm doing too much to begin with! I rested for at least a week and half, no running - just swimming and light yoga. Been easing back, running with the orthotics, stretching a lot, and biking and swimming too. Sometimes it is just sore at random times, like today - although I biked 34 miles and ran 5.65 over the weekend, so I guess I worked it pretty hard. I feel like the pain has changed from the original pain to something duller, and more nagging.

Is this kind of treatment effective enough? How is ART different and would that be better? I know lots of you guys rave about it, so I like this chiro, but I feel like it might be time to try something else if I'm not seeing the best possible results. I want to get through my sprint tri in early September and move on to HM training for November, without having these issues. Should I try ART or stick with this guy?

[Richard21142]

Whenever my achilles tendon has been a problem, I put something under the heal to elevate the foot and take the pressure off of the tendon.  I would elevate the heal until I could no longer feel any discomfort.  Then I would go for a run.  When I felt it had healed, I would gradually, over time, remove the lifts under my heal so  the tendon would stretch back to typical.

Without knowing the severity of your injury, I don't know if this would work.

[Magic Microbe]

ART is about breaking up adhesions and scar tissue. I found it in conjunction with Graston Technique and kinesiotape to be very effective at treating my PF. I never tried it for an achilled issue though.

[Mom of Scooby]

My friend got serious pt for her achilles issues


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cgraz]

Richard, that sounds similar to what my orthotics are doing for it - so I know with summer I've been wearing flip-flops a lot, with no support, and am now trying to force myself to wear casual sneakers when not running, with the orthotics.

I think I'll see what he says at my next visit as far as what improvement I should expect by now. I just don't want to waste a lot of time with it, or let it get any worse.

There's another chiro I know through my tri club who talked to me about exercises to strengthen my hips and provide more support for it that way, too. So I'm kind of tempted to try checking in with him, but then I feel like it gets so confusing with everyone believing their method is best...

[JBM]

Cgraz - I've been dealing with AT as well. My pain is all very low on the heel, I also have bony spurs at the end of my heels where the AT attaches - Haglunds deformity. I am going to PT twice a week and honestly not much better. The bumps  have shrunk significantly with ultra sound, but otherwise I just have this dull, buzzy feeling in my heels that comes and goes. I have not run since June. I have cheap arch supports in my sneakers and added a gel heel lift as well. I am not seeing much of a difference at all. I have good days and bad. I went to yoga 2 weeks ago and gave myself a huge set back, so that was a bad idea all around.
I am working with a trainer who is focusing on strengthening my hips and core and hopefully this will all help what is going on with the AT. If anything I feel like it will encourage blood flow and healing. I hope anyway.
I haven't been good about the exercises that I am supposed to be doing, but I am working on it. I can't stretch very well because I have a pulling on where the AT attaches which is not good. My calves as a result of all this have cramping.
Anyway, I feel your pain and if you find the magic bullet to fix it all, let me know. I also got a boot that I am wearing the 8hrs that I am at work, but not full time. I am having commitment issues otherwise with it.

[cgraz]

Thanks JBM...that sounds frustrating. I definitely feel it has shifted from the initial pain up where the achilles meets the calf, to duller pain along the lower achilles and down into the heel sometimes. I know more stretching helps and I do my best with that, but it is just slow going. I'm starting a new training plan that will help with core, hip, glute strength over time, so maybe that will also help. Hope we both get some relief.

[JBM]

I got a massage last week and he massaged the soleus muscle in my calf which was very tight. I can't seem to get it to stretch very well and it's frustrating because I can't relieve it myself with the stick or my own hand massage on the area. Most frustrating is the I have it in both heels. They both had bumps, but the right foot was the one that had the pain and was significantly worse. The left one has decided to join the party and it's been very frustrating all around. The right one is in the boot right now, but I feel buzzy tingles on the left one right now. The whole thing is making me crazy.

[cgraz]

Yes! I feel like my calf muscles are both a mess of tight knots. I get some relief with acupuncture, and I use the stick and foam roller, but it feels like they are just deep in there. I even had a horrible calf cramp at the end of a long bike ride on Saturday - as I pointed my foot to clip in, the whole calf just knotted up. It hurt for a while after, and my chiro even worked it out some that afternoon. I have been thinking of getting a sports/deep tissue massage and seeing if that helps with tightness all up the kinetic chain from the calf into the hamstring and hips. I am tight!

[Mom of Scooby]

Yes! I feel like my calf muscles are both a mess of tight knots. I get some relief with acupuncture, and I use the stick and foam roller, but it feels like they are just deep in there. I even had a horrible calf cramp at the end of a long bike ride on Saturday - as I pointed my foot to clip in, the whole calf just knotted up. It hurt for a while after, and my chiro even worked it out some that afternoon. I have been thinking of getting a sports/deep tissue massage and seeing if that helps with tightness all up the kinetic chain from the calf into the hamstring and hips. I am tight!

I've been getting the deep tissue massage pretty much almost twice a week since the end of March.. there is one area in my calf that I was told will not stretch out on it's own and it's pretty much taken until now, with all those massages to improve.. this is to deal with my pf and some achilles issues, which are all connected I think. I a finally feeling pretty good.. managed 37 miles last week including a long run of 14.5 and a track work out with very little pain. 

I hihgly recommend massage but make sure it's deep tissuie and theraputic.

[cgraz]

Thanks, MoS...that's my next task is to find a place that can do the right kind of massage. With the soreness in my heels coming on, I am afraid of developing PF and want to nip this frigging thing in the bud!

[merigayle]

Has your acupuncturist worked on it?

[cgraz]

Has your acupuncturist worked on it?

Yup. She has worked on it since it started back in July. She does a lot to release stuff all up the back of my legs...calf muscles, hamstrings, hips. It helps but seems temporary - there is always more to do, every time.

[Mom of Scooby]

Thanks, MoS...that's my next task is to find a place that can do the right kind of massage. With the soreness in my heels coming on, I am afraid of developing PF and want to nip this frigging thing in the bud!

Go to Anne in Meredith's office.. she's awesome!

[Richard21142]

Yes! I feel like my calf muscles are both a mess of tight knots. I get some relief with acupuncture, and I use the stick and foam roller,

I use the stick on my hamstrings and the foam roller on my quads.  But, I also stretch both multiple times a day.  It seems to have helped a lot.  I also hand massage my calf muscle while I watching tv. 

[Ice Cream]

I use the stick on my hamstrings and the foam roller on my quads.  But, I also stretch both multiple times a day.  It seems to have helped a lot.  I also hand massage my calf muscle while I watching tv. 

It really gets on my nerves when DH does this while watching TV.  he always has to get out of my field of vision when he does this.

[cgraz]

I saw my chiro today and kind of did a "where do we stand" update on the progress. I feel a little better - as he reminded me, after the initial week or so, I have not avoided my activities - just scaled back a little. I also picked up a new gadget for rolling - it's the one he uses and it seems to work better on that area. It's ridged, hand-held like the stick, but with ridged foam on it. It's pretty cool. So I'll stick with that, and I have a deep tissue massage scheduled next week. So I'll give it some more time and work in more stretching and self-massage on my own too.

[Mom of Scooby]

I saw my chiro today and kind of did a "where do we stand" update on the progress. I feel a little better - as he reminded me, after the initial week or so, I have not avoided my activities - just scaled back a little. I also picked up a new gadget for rolling - it's the one he uses and it seems to work better on that area. It's ridged, hand-held like the stick, but with ridged foam on it. It's pretty cool. So I'll stick with that, and I have a deep tissue massage scheduled next week. So I'll give it some more time and work in more stretching and self-massage on my own too.

One thing to keep in mind with chiropractic care, after a good while with no significant improvement, my chiropractor suggested I see someone else... Some times they do like to treat indefinitely


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cgraz]

One thing to keep in mind with chiropractic care, after a good while with no significant improvement, my chiropractor suggested I see someone else... Some times they do like to treat indefinitely


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

True - he is not that type, generally, from what I know of others who've seen him. I used to go to a guy like that, and it was crazy.

[JBM]

My calves were making me crazy by the end of the day yesterday. I could not for the life of me stretch them out. I got home and did more stretching, hand massage, stick and finally rolled them over a lacrosse ball. For some crazy reason they felt a lot better today when I got up. I switched the boot to the left foot today to give that one some time. My heels feel decent today.