Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Injury Update

The good news: the x-rays did not show any structural problems with my heel and the stress fracture from last fall looks pretty good, too. I'm definitely glad I don't have a break or heel spur. He also said my achilles is nice and loose, which is good (all that stretching I've been doing). After listening to my extensive (but relatively short in time) history of foot problems and not seeing anything on the x-rays, Foot Doc did a sonogram to check for inflamation.

That's where he found something: inflamed ligaments. Apparently I've been doing things the right way so far, but he gave me a few additional options: (1) taping, (2) anti-inflamatory patch that stays on my heel all day/night,  (3) ultrasound treatment to decrease inflamation, (4) cortizone shot. I left his office with my foot taped, a perscription for the anti-inflamatory patch and an appointment for Thursday morning for the ultrasound treatment. I'm not quite ready for the cortizone shot but if the patch and ultrasound doesn't work quickly, I'm going to go for the shot. I am so ready to get over this. He also suggested that I use heat in the morning and ice in the evening. This is a bit different from most running injuries which require ice only and sometimes heat can actually do damage. Woody and I talked on Sunday about the use of heat, but I decided to put it off until I talked to Foot Doc and see if it was okay. Sometimes heat can do more damage than good, depending on the injury.

I picked up the prescription this morning, check out how big this box is!
Not sure about this warning label - "may cause dizziness"!
I'm sitting with heat on my foot right now as I type. The diagnosis could have been much worse, but I hope this new plan of action gets to work and does its thing quickly!

After my appointment I came home and made lunch. Had to finish off my eggplant (Woody doesn't particularly like eggplant, so I have to find quite a few uses to finish off one on my own before it goes bad). I found a perfectly ripe avocado yesterday morning at Trader Joe's, and picked up a little bit of cabbage salad from a grocery store around the corner. It looked so pretty and Spring-like! I need to find ways to add cabbage to our menu. Cabbage is a member of the cruciferae family of vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, collard greens, and brussel sprouts. Unfortunately, it seems cabbage is at its best in late fall and winter. Hmmm. Anyway, it is loaded with Vitamins C and K and is also a good source of fiber, manganese, folate, vitamin B6, potassium and Omega-3 fatty acids. It's also packed with phytonutrients. In case you're wondering, here's a look at my delicious lunch:

My tip of the day: become friends with the foam roller. I've been spending a lot of time with one at the gym the last few weeks and I can tell a difference. My legs aren't stiff and my turnover on the bike is so much faster now than it was before. I spent a good 10-15 minutes this morning with the foam roller and worked out a lot of knots. It hurts like crazy while you're using it, but the results are totally worth the pain!

Do you use a foam roller or the stick on a regular basis? Do you take time to stretch?

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Workout Stats -
18.5mi bike
3x10 ea: front arm raise, weighted side bend (each side), bicep curls, hammer curls, lat pull down
lots of stretching

14 comments:

J said...

Well I hope that medicine doesn't cause you any dizziness. I have a foam roller and I dont use it enough but I do love it!

Anonymous said...

Hope you're better. Most of the drugs have side effects listed. My doctor told me, most don't happen. They do a trial of the drug and anyone who is in the trial can say anything, like, "I feel dizzy." Then that side effect has to go in the report.
Besides...
I'm always a little dizzy all the time :-)
Mary

Christy Ashley said...

Hope you start feeling better! Glad it's nothing serious!

Can you explain the foam roller? I don't know anything about it!

shelby @ eatdrinkrun said...

I hope the patch/heat/ice combo does some good for you!

I have never foam rolled or stick-ed or any of those...but I see people doing it at my gym all of the time. Hmm, maybe I should give it a shot?

Kruns2 said...

Your thoughts on using heat jumped out at me. From a physical therapy point of view, the heat increases blood flow to the area and can help "wash out" the inflammation. However, it's not suggested during the acute stage of an injury because the blood flow can increase swelling. That's why ice is the modality of choice for runners. Usually your using it right after a workout (in the acute phase) to stop swelling and decrease pain by slowing the blood flow to the site. Not to mention it's easier to get. :) Wow, I come across like a "know-it-all". Sorry. Best wishes!

Molly said...

Great that you have a course of action to follow, hope you can avoid the cortisone, ouch.

I was just looking at rollers yesterday, my hip is still bugging me and I think I need to invest in one.

Susan said...

I've never used a foam roller..... but I stretch all the time!

Jon said...

I am a huge fan of the foam roller. I started using it in January and it has made this season much more pleasurable because it helps reduce a lot of the soreness for me and keeps me loos(er).

I was given this link and it helped me get started. Hope it helps you!

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/foam-rolling/

Hope your inflamation disapears SOON!

Robyn said...

Glad to hear your heel isn't as bad as it could've been. I got the cortizone shot which I recommend because it's just quick.

Stacie said...

I love foam rollers. It gives you that "hurts so good" feeling and you're all loosie goosy afterwards. Even though I don't own one I use the one at my PT's office. I actually use a marble rolling pin instead. It feels great in the summer months if you put it in the freezer for about an hour pre use, plus the cold helps with inflammation. Two birds with one stone!

Admin said...

Lisa

Thanks for the update, now I know what to expect from my office visit.

Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly said...

I always stretch after a run but I need to be better about using the foam roller..I love it and I just need to be better about rolling out. My husband rolls out almost every night before bed...he is so good!

akjenniekt said...

I hope your treatment works! I didn't know that about heat...although I've heard a lot of references to using ice.
I don't spend nearly as much time stretching as I should but really want to try out the foam roller.

The Laminator said...

All in all, I think it's all good news, no? You're on your way to getting all fixed up! Yay!