Doctors - PAH! page

[Tribal Rob]

Really I give up.

I've got something wrong with my achilles tendon, so I went to the doctors.

Now I only run once a week, and I never do more than 10 miles, and I have been running for at least 6 months, starting in Fila Skeletoes and then getting some vivo barefoot trail shoes super cheap off Amazon when it got muddy I and was starting to fall on my arse in the skeletoes.

I went easyin the vivo barefoot at first as they are more barefoot that the skeletoes, I got a bit of calf soreness, but nothing major.

I think I have done something when I fell down the front steps about 5 weeks ago, and made it worse when I had a minor slip when out on rocky desent, and my worry is it's not getting better for resting, if anything it's getting worse.

Doctors Advice - It's an over use injury - buy shoes with more arch support

I didn't say F*&^%)FF, but explained that I didn't belive that that was the correct approch, and there is plenty of reseach to show that running shoes cause more injuries than they prevent, but that I wasn't an expert and of course you can find reseach to back up most POV.

I've been refered to physico at least, not that I have much more faith in them either.

Bah, guess I'm gonna have to be my own doctor and use the internet to cure me.

[primalrob]

i think you'll have a much better experience with the physio...they have more specific knowledge of A&P and kinesiology from my experience. they're probably more used to sitting down and working with a patient too, rather than quickly slapping on a diagnosis, prescribing something, and moving on to the next patient like most general physicians do.

i'm certainly no expert, but it really doesn't sound like an overuse or arch support injury. but, if you recently switched to a more barefoot-ish shoe, that could have some effect on the achilles. are you running on trails, grass, road?

[arthurb999]

Could you have done too much too soon...

[kiks]

have you taken any antibiotics in the past 6 months?

[Tribal Rob]

i think you'll have a much better experience with the physio...they have more specific knowledge of A&P and kinesiology from my experience. they're probably more used to sitting down and working with a patient too, rather than quickly slapping on a diagnosis, prescribing something, and moving on to the next patient like most general physicians do.

i'm certainly no expert, but it really doesn't sound like an overuse or arch support injury. but, if you recently switched to a more barefoot-ish shoe, that could have some effect on the achilles. are you running on trails, grass, road?

I run mainly on foot-paths which are grassy, or muddy in woods and sometimes rocky and sometimes gravely, and bits of pavement to and from the trails and inbetween sections of trail. I was running 10 miles in skeletoes then ran just under 6 in the vivo barefoot shoes the first time, and my calfs were a bit sore the next day as I think I was a bit sloppy in the skeletoes - not heal striking, but letting the heel come down harder than needed as there is a bit of padding there (about 10 mm sole I think) But I think it was just DOMS as it went in day or two.

Hopefully I'll get further with the physio (or it will have healed by the time I get the appointment) and I'll take both pairs of shoes with me.

Could you have done too much too soon...

I don't think so as I've been running in minimalist shoes for a while (probaby from about late May) I wouldn't have thought the difference between skeletoes and vivo barefoot would have been all that much?

have you taken any antibiotics in the past 6 months?

I've not had antibiotics for ages, I would guess well over a year, but couldn't say for sure, It's certainly be a while.

[primalrob]

I run mainly on foot-paths which are grassy, or muddy in woods and sometimes rocky and sometimes gravely, and bits of pavement to and from the trails and inbetween sections of trail. I was running 10 miles in skeletoes then ran just under 6 in the vivo barefoot shoes the first time, and my calfs were a bit sore the next day as I think I was a bit sloppy in the skeletoes - not heal striking, but letting the heel come down harder than needed as there is a bit of padding there (about 10 mm sole I think) But I think it was just DOMS as it went in day or two.

that doesn't sound too bad. my thinking was that the change to a more minimalist shoe may have led to a little bit of side to side stress or even some ligament pulling. but, i don't want to offer anything that could be way off. the physio will take the time to talk to you about the changes, figure out what makes it hurt, how to build the strength around it, etc.

[Owly]

Not all physios are anti-minimalist. Mine has been running in lighter shoes (mostly racing flats) for years and wholeheartedly approved of my choice of VFFs.

[Coach Palfrey]

To be fair, anyone who goes to their doctor and expects to get good advice regarding exercise and athletic ability is in the wrong. It's (unfortunately) not really their job.

[Owly]

Lol, true. My GP just tells me to go see my physio for most of that and would probably refer me to a sports medicine specialist if it was beyond what my physio can do. I like that she doesn't pretend to be an expert on everything. More doctors need that skill.

[sbhikes]

My GP tells me EVERYTHING I complain about is an overuse issue and I should take it easy because I'm getting older. Phooey on that. This is why I never go to the doctor. They don't know what to do with active people and they have no ability to diagnose sub-clinical problems. My doctor would have waited until I had a heart attack or full-on diabetes before he would ever have suggested maybe I have a problem with carbohydrates, and even then he'd never suggest I had a problem with carbs, he'd just throw some pills at me.

One time I went in there because after a backpack trip my ankle hurt a lot. He diagnosed me with bursitis and said I should not get any exercise for 6 weeks and ice it. I iced it and sat around for 2 days. It just got stiffer and worse. I knew intuitively I should at least walk around gently, not just sit there doing nothing. It went away very quickly then and I've never had the problem again.