L Lower Leg, Achilles Tendonitis
2004-12-21 – 2006-05-21
Grade: 3
Severely screwed up achilles on both left and right legs. Never had an achilles problem before this.
I caused my injuries by running home, not in running shoes, severly pissed after a work party in the middle of nowhere at which noone was in any condition to drive!. At first it was inspirational, It was pissing cats and dogs, I was invincible, the 15km hilly run was a piece of piss and was going to be the start of my comback. (did I mention I was quite inebriated). Boy were my calves tight the next day!!!!!!
What a dumb ass!
Spent the next 2 1/2 years trying to sort out both achilles... for a very long time I could hardly walk when I first got out of bed.
I tried physio: mainly stretching, heal lifts etc (lots and lots) didn't really work.
I tried acupuncture: that bloody hurt cos I'm a softy when it comes to shoving things inside your tendon and rubbing them vigerously up and down each week. Didn't seem to do anything anyways.
Eventually through a friend discovered a guy who does neuromuscular deep massage therapy. He didn't really focus where it hurt but gave the calves a very good workout deep down, splitting the muscle apart and getting in behind and using ice sparingly to get the blood circulating where he wanted.. Yes it hurt, in a good way. Do not try this at home, he insited you could do a lot of damage if you didn't know what you were doing.
I KNEW I WAS ON TO A GOOD THING THE VERY NEXT MORNING when for the very first time in a long time I got out of bed with far less pain!
It took quite a few sessions, back to walking and cycling - no running, and building those calves up slowly.
It's almost 4 years now and I'm training fully, occasionally I have aches and they stiffen up a bit, when they do I put cold water on my calves in the shower and do some cycling instead of a run for the next training session.
*Importantly I try my best to train off road now as it's quite rare for me to get niggling injuries from this compared with road running. The rougher terrain also keeps all the fast and slow twitching fibres working and the hills strengthen the muscles.
I'm finally free to run. Note the same therapy guy was trying to sort out a posture imbalance by stretching my body in some rather odd ways and somehow f'd my back well and truely. It was so bad I had 5 weeks off work and visited various doctors physios, osteopaths etc. none of whom have helped. I now have a constant pain in the lower back thats been with me for 2 1/2 years that keeps me awake. Ahhhhh.