Adventures In Running

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Rock Bottom

After almost two years of pain of one type or another in my left foot, I have reached the point that I need to find out what is going on and if I can overcome this. It is one thing to be sore and stiff from hard training or a long race. It is another to be sore and stiff from very little activity. If I run one day - it takes 2-3 days before my foot quits burning. We are not talking long runs - more like 4-6 miles.

The physical therapy I did earlier this year was good and helped me get over the three types of tendonitis I was battling. But it caused my plantar fasciitis to flare up - that was not so good.

After reading some blog posts and asking around on Facebook - I set up an appointment with Dr. Brady in Provo. I've seen a chiropractor several times on my foot and he helped some, but nothing long term. So, with some skepticism, I did the long drive to Provo. Boy, was it worth it.

A technician started off my massaging my foot. She found lots of tender spots in the foot and ankle. After applying heat, Dr. Brady came in and started asking my foot history. And the injury history to my left leg. He wanted to know anything that might be a contributing factor. It was almost embarrassing to say the list: born with partially formed hip sockets, knee surgery at 19, three foot surgeries, tearing out a tendon in a fall but not seeing a doctor on it, the infamous dog brush to the ankle episode, etc.

Within a few minutes of comparing my feet/ankles, he pointed out what is probably been my problem all along. My left foot does not pronate (roll in) and seriously supinates (roll out). In fact, I had to work hard to pronate the left foot at all. He then did some massive alignments in my foot as well as massage that about shot me through the roof. After that he put an herbal patch on and taped the foot and sent me home with the initial plan.

Right now I am wearing a boot for at least two weeks and working on pronating the left foot whenever I can while sitting and standing. I basically need to relearn how to walk correctly. I will also be working on massaging/stretching the foot, ankle and calf and letting the PF heal.

It may take a while to get this to heal and learn to walk and run correctly, but it will be worth it. He cautioned me that I probably have quite a bit of arthritis in that ankle and that might determine the long term prognosis. Let the fun begin.

Or maybe I should say, let the healing begin.

2 comments:

Johann said...

Good for getting the process of healing started. All the best!

Hollie and Mike Christiansen said...

it sounds like he knows a bit more than most you have gone to at this point--good luck with the healing process!!