Thursday, October 27, 2011

Injury status - I do have a Haglunds bump

I got the scan done, had it interpreted by my sports physician. The guy is really good, seems to have my best interests at heart.

The diagnosis is that I certainly have Haglunds syndrome, but it is apparently one of the best scenarios for such a condition. I have minimal if any tendon involvement, and the pain is from Bursa inflammation. The Haglunds bump may not even be involved in the Bursa inflammation, it could simply be too much running and not enough recovery.

My treatment is Cortisone injection in left heel, if that helps do the other one. And then physio for the next 6 to 8 weeks. From then on, gradual intro to running.

Very much looking forward to getting back to some running again. Will update when I have had the injections. Apparently they hurt a bit!!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Update - Seeing Sports Physician for heels problem

I have partially recovered from flu - in fact I am vastly improved. I did a quite a few runs, one 5km race where I did a slow 21:45...

I did 22 minutes 5km in training 2 weeks later when I was feeling MUCH better, and did it quite easily. So I am certainly on the mend.

However, my heels problem that has plagued me for at least 18 months has come back. I am very poor at personal risk assessment I have realised. I tend to gauge things on a day to day, moment by moment basis. Thus what would seem bleeding obvious to someone else - like the long term issues with my heels, and the profound effect it has had on my running - tended to be overlooked by me. I am an eternal optimist.

I was confronted by this fact just the other day - the day the Melbourne Marathon results came out. Second year in a row where I had entered the race but pulled out due to injury one year and illness this year. It occurred to me that I was actually planning to do exactly the same thing I did last year - wait and see if heels hold up to increased work load.

So I thought I have had enough of this, I want to seek medical help and get it sorted once and for all. My aims are simple:

- Get to the stage where sustained, week in week out mileage of 60-70 kms can be done


The reality is that I have never achieved this basic requirement, and according to many experts, to be able to run _good_ marathon races and finish ultra's like the Comrades event in South Africa, I need to be able to hold together with mileage beyond 60km.

So I have seen a Dr. I now have Nitro-dur patches, 1/4 on one patch on one heel each night, alternating. They cause slight headache in morning so far. And I am getting an MRI done this afternoon to see exactly what is going on in detail. Oncewe know for sure what i going on the final plan on treatment can be formed. It could be one of the following in decending order of seriousness:

- Haglunds syndrome - Abnormality causing tendon inflamation. Needs surgery to fix. This one seems unlikely
- Achilles Heel Insertional Tendinosis. This seems most likely based on where the pain originates - Shockwave therapy, and long term strengthening and reintro of running over a LONG period
- Heel bursrtis, cortesone injections, and gradual reintro to running

It could also be a combo of bursitis and Tendinosis.

Anyway, worst case, 6 months, next best 2 -3 months , and best case 1-2 months.

At least I have some hope now :)