I’ve had what I believe was a tendon injury before. I braced myself with my right arm, reached over, and lifted something heavy from the floor. I lifted it from full extension, and a day or two later it started hurting me bad. It took a while to heal, and I still feel sore from time to time.
Back in June, I hurt my right foot. I can’t be certain, but I think it happened when I was lifting some very heavy boxes unassisted. Some of them went up stairs, and it was a strain on everything.
I lifted with my legs, and stopped when I felt like the weight was too much.
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I think I was wearing shoes, and not boots or safety boots. I remember this because I was extra cautious about my foot placement.
Sometime after that work, my achilles area was feeling sore.
And when I backed my heel into things, I felt a strong sharp pain.
I was limping about a little bit, figuring maybe I injured my heel. I mean, I could move it without strain, and the pain and weakness only came when I put weight on my foot. Weird.
After about a month of pain, some weakness, and limping about, I went to a foot and ankle doctor.
I had inflammation in my tendons, and he diagnosed me with achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. He also gave me a cortisone shot, which numbed me initially and helped relieve the pain for a few days.
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I had to wear an immobilizing boot as much as I can, and was told to ice the area nightly, and once during the day if I could.
About 2 weeks later, I’m feeling much better, but I’ll still wear the immobilizer when walking around a lot.
But there’s another problem – I have a pinched nerve in the same foot, leading to my 4th toe feeling a bit numb.
The doctor said it’s common, and that it’s hard to tell what caused it. It could be from the same time I injured my tendons, or it could have resulted from my over-compensating due to the tendon injury, placing extra pressure on the ball of my foot.
A quick ultrasound showed some inflammation.
A quick cortisone shot and instructions to ice the toe and continue wearing the immobilizer boot, and I was on my way.
It’s the weirdest feeling. Until I felt the distinctiveness numbness, there were minor irregularities in sensation. It felt like maybe my toenail was too long, and when walking around the kitchen barefoot there were a few times when the floor felt sticky. Apparently that “sticky” feeling is a very characteristic of a pinched toe nerve.
There’s a reason I’m mentioning all this. I limped around for a month, probably making things worse.
The doctor said that most people wait a lot longer – several months – with this type of injury, and that I came in early.
After 2 weeks, my foot is mostly better, aside from the numbness in my 4th toe. I was really tempted to continue waiting for it to heal on its own. It was the contact pain, and not the movement discomfort that led me to go to the doctor. The sharp pain had me convinced that maybe I hurt the bone in my heel.
I know that a lot of people don’t like to go to doctors. But in this case, how long would I have suffered with this new-to-me tendon pain before it might have healed on its own? Definitely a lot longer than the few weeks I’m wearing the immobilizer boot.
yadda
Been there, done that. In addition, I have a oblique strain that I reinjure every six months or so. I can’t seem to get it healed before I reinjure myself again. Some of these injuries can be avoided by not overextending or wearing better footwear or back protection, but sometimes with the best of protection and intention injury occurs. Sigh….
Allen
Jebus, cortisone shot is usually late treatment. Lots of things you can do before that. Ice morning and evening, noon if possible for about two months.
For the plantar facitis some orthotic inserts helped me a ton. Go to physical therapist, custom made mine where $40 a pair. Know that there will be pain when you first wear them, youmare stretching that tendon, or ligament, I forget.
Good luck, it might take a while.
Chris
I would suggest starting with some mild stretching (usually these types of injuries are cause by tight ligaments, tendons, muscles or in most cases a combination of them). A great stretch that not many people know about is a simple stretch in which you lay on your back directly on a hard surface, grasp a belt or rope with both hands and loop this around the arch of your foot, while keeping one of your legs straight on the ground raise the other leg (also keeping it straight) and assist with the rope and try to get to 90 degrees to your body (if you can get beyond 90 you are already plenty flexible but most will not be able to break 90 the first time). Keys to this stretch while a little painful at first is to flex your quad and dorsiflexion at your ankle (doing this will keep your both legs straight which is what you want to do and if you are inflexible this will be extremely difficult). Try to hold the stretch at the top for a few seconds and then relax and do it again. Do this for a few minutes a day you will be amazed how back problems, plantar fasciitis and other ailments will go away over time and even prevent future issues. You might look a little funny doing this but it will definitely help with tightness in your back, hamstrings, calf’s, and achilles heel. Nothing to loose to try it.
BonPacific
I was taught this stretch when I messed up my knee a few years ago. By favoring it and limping, I had allowed the stabilizing muscles to weaken and inflame the joint. This stretch was one of the main treatments. Within 2 weeks I was able to go on a 3-week walking holiday in Europe.
Jay
Holy cats! Sounds awful. Get well soon.
ca
Lesson learned: always lift with your back.
Ray
Absolutely not!
MikeakaFazzman
Sorry to hear Stu,Ive done this exact same thing and it is no fun gimping around. it’s even worse when you have a bad recurring back injury like myself (got mangled in a car accident on freeway as a teenager). Sadly it doesnt get easier as we get older.
Rest that leg and go easy man,life is too short especially when you have little ones.
Rick
I’m one of the many who’ve walked the ‘foot issue’ path, and spent (literally) thousands on orthotics, doctors, shoes, etc. trying to get ‘better’. Early this year, I was directed to these: https://www.nwfootankle.com/correct-toes, and the theory behind them. Sounded too hokey and simple to be effective. Now, many months later, after taking the risk w/the Correct Toes, and realizing almost immediate benefit, I no longer wear my high-dollar orthotics; I’ve ditched my elevated-heel, motion-controlled (expensive) shoes; started wearing ‘minimalist’ style shoes; and I am one happy camper!! I am doing things (eg. roof work, ladder work, uneven terrain, bit of jogging, etc.) that my foot doctor said I’d never do again. (I’m mid 60’s). I can work longer on hard surfaces w/less fatigue. Etc, etc, etc. After years of foot pain so severe, I could hardly walk from point A to point B w/out having to get off of my feet, I am back in the game!!
Worth taking a look at the videos on the North West Foot and Ankle site to see what the doc had to say about the numb toes, the planters, and other ailments; might be something you can use.
YMMV
Jonathan
Hey Rick, your the second person I’ve heard talk about perfect toes.
I’m a 45 y.o. Landscape contractor and rely on mobility to make my livelihood much as many contractors on toolguyd do, my phone says I walk between 15-25k steps a day.
The first was from the nutrition/specialist @ Natural Grocers at the Clackamas store , I was looking for a non-NSAID anti-inflammatory as they have their own side-effects.
I belive I inflamed the planter tendon, one thing that has helped, and anyone who knows that stabbing pain in your arch when you first get out of bed in the morning, one inexpensive item that helpped, I was skeptical that a thin piece of plastic could help relieve pain (but I went back and bought 3 additional pairs for my other work books and for a pair of slip on Merrells I wear around the house and now the first thing when I get out of bed
are Danner (the boot brand) Airthotic.
I still deal with minor pain, but can’t afford to take time off during my peak season, it allows me to remain mobile without NSAIDS or homeopathic pain relief.
The cortisone shots while providing relief, can be really hard on your body and one can do some serious damage because of the lack the bodys pain warning system’s, one can really aggravate an injury (from what I’ve read).
The Danner Airthotic are about $15 and again YMMV, I remember my mom having thick orthotics for her shoe’s when I was kid. These are completely different about the thicknesses of a credit card and approx 3″ long (part of why I was skeptical they could do anything or provide any relief).
But a pain reliver, and the pain has gone from 7-8 down to a two even the next morning after a 25k steps the previous day.
But I’m going to look in to a pair of the perfect toes, thanks Rick.
Doug
More empathy, Stu….
Had a number of these foot things over the years, and good news, you’ll probably get more as you age. (My apologies for that). Its hard to do physical work and horse heavy stuff around and not eventually discover these neat science facts about the body and its methods of protest when it feels we’re not doing right by it…
I guess I have learned a few things from the process of healing from foot strains/sprains etc:
(1) It always takes longer than you want it to. When the doctor says “keep it in a brace for 4-6 weeks” don’t say “Oh, I heal fast, so I guess that means 2-3 weeks for folks like ME.”
(2) You will have days when the foot feels just fine, but it isn’t yet. Inflammatory processes take a goodly amount of time to resolve — especially in a part of the body where you are almost constantly flexing and twisting when you are upright — and that carries all your body weight in a very concentrated area. So you’ll have days when it feels fine, you’ll act as if it is, and by evening, it will hurt like hell. Remember Point (1) above.
Back when I was doing a lot of backpacking I got certified in Wilderness First Aid and as First Responder. People always want to “walk off” a bad backcountry sprain, and usually don’t even want to tape or brace it. The slogan in response used to be “One hour of walking gets you your first month of rehab, and then the predictions get worse after that first hour.” I’m not at all sure that there is research behind that, but its a useful point when someone wants to carry a 60# pack down a steep trail after an injury.
(3) Ice and NSAIDS are your friends. Even if you don’t have much discomfort at the end of the day. Within reason (DO stop short of frostbite) ice is always, in my experience, the most helpful thing. But the combination is for me always better.
About the numbness towards 4th toe — look up “neuroma.” http://www.apma.org/Learn/FootHealth.cfm?ItemNumber=987
I assume your Doc mentioned that, but on the chance he didn’t, I suspect that reference will ring a bell.
Doug
RC Ward
Sounds like you are breaking down dude, take care and watch what you are doing
Zack
Best wishes for a smooth recovery. Soft tissue injuries are tricky because you have to thread the needle between getting enough exercise to rebuild, and getting so much that you strain or reinjure something. I’ve also experienced injuries cascading from one area to another, as with your toe nerve — protecting one area can put another at risk.
T
I suggest a second opinion. Took three doctors before an xray to realize i had hairline crack in tibia. First two suggested i had severe bruising due to nature of incident leading to injury (trip/fall over debris). Not pleasant.
Joe
I had a long Friday night out drinking and when I got home I continued at it :)…the next day I woke up and noticed that three of my right arm fingers felt really numb and puffy as if they where about to explode. Well, I did some detective work and it turned out that I rested my arm on a cell phone box for a longggg period…essentially cutting the blood circulation to the three fingers. Normally, the body wakes you up when you are sober, but when drunk, your body tries but it can’t due to your state of drunkenness.
I figure that my fingers where going to fall off and so i didn’t go to the doctor to get the news. At any rate, after 3 and 1/2 months my nerves stater to heal and now they are back to normal….man you gotta love how the body heals itself sometimes. BIG lesson learned though.
Rick C
I sprained my right ankle badly cleaning up after the Rowlett TX tornado on New Years Day. I went down hard enough to wrench my back on the left side. I worked for another hour+ up and down on ladders and hauling limbs off, then drove three hours home. I thought I’d have to cut my boot off, but I finally got it. Wife says go to doc, grumble grumble grumble I don’t need no doc. Guess who won that one. So the doc said no broken bones or torn ligaments, use crutches, ice it, no weight on it for four weeks. Of course I fast forwarded through everything. Wife strangely thinks my age, 56, and testostupidity have something to do with the twinges I still get.
Kim Mcculloh
It usually takes a while for swelling to develop with the condition. After a few weeks of minor symptoms, you may notice a soft lump forming over the tendon, which is often tender to touch. This is most common in Achilles Tendonitis . The foot and ankle often becomes stiff as a result of ankle tendonitis limiting the amount of pain-free movement.