If you haven’t already, then it’s probably worth you reading the original posting, which covers the background information to this post. You can find it here: No Walking!
I’ve allowed the foot to heal as much as I possibly can. I’ve done no proper walking – that is hill walking or training – for almost two months, which is what that Podiatrist recommended. I’ve had to do some walking of course, to and from customers, around the supermarket, etc. but I’ve kept it to a minimum.
The foot still isn’t completely healed, I think I knew that when I went for my first test walk on Wednesday this week. I can still feel a slight discomfort at times, I can feel a distant dull ache in the foot after I’ve done any sort of walking. But I have this compelling even on the horizon in 4 weeks – a 212 mile walk across Scotland that is calling to me. I needed to train and test the foot properly.
So on Wednesday I did five circuits of our estate, about 2.2 miles in all. I could feel the niggling ache as I walked, but on a pain scale of 1 to 10 it was at about 0.5 – not a pain as such, just an awareness of something not being completely right.
On my return to the house it all felt fine, no pain, no discomfort. I thought maybe it was going to be OK after all.
Two or three hours after the walk the old ache returned – the ache I’ve been experiencing over the last several months after doing exercise, the ache that I hoped had been banished through giving the foot two months rest. It’s not sorted the problem.
On Thursday I extended the walk to eight circuits and the ache was no worse in the evening than it had been on Wednesday evening. Today I’ve just completed a 5.5 mile walk along the river, the terrain is more uneven than the footpath and there were a couple of gently inclines to negotiate. After about three miles the foot began to feel achey, but that dissipated after about four miles.
The long and short of this is, the foot is not healed. I’m in the same position I was three months ago, before the problem ‘exploded’ into full-on pain and an inability to put any weight on the foot. It’s only really a matter of time until that happens again I suppose. To say I’m gutted would be an understatement. I’m pretty devastated at the moment and all sorts of long term walking plans now look to be in danger, which makes me feel depressed too.
I’ve decided not to cancel the Southern Upland Way, unless the foot ‘explodes’ again. I can live with the slight pain while walking, it doesn’t cause me any immediate problems and the post-walk ache is generally gone by the morning. I now need to concentrate on trying to build some fitness in time for the start and that means hills.
Tomorrow I’m going to try a proper hill walk, bugger the consequences, I have to test the foot properly.
How to solve this in the long-term? I have no idea.
8 thoughts on “No Walking! …Update”
Stuart, is it plantar fasciitis the tendon that forms the arch of your foot? The pain is normally where this feeds into the heel. If so I have been through this. Eventually “solved” with inserts for my shoes but specific ones for me from a podiatrist I don’t use them in my walking boots but all of the rest of the time. All shoes have to be lace ups so they can be tied tight. No barefoot walking round the house or slippers. Walking boots need to kept tight and usually re tightened every hour or two when walking. Calf stretches help.
No, I don’t think that’s the issue Paul. My son suffers from that too.
The pain develops in the outside of the left foot only, just beneath and slightly forward of the knobbly bone thing (ankle bone?). I have a nagging suspicion it may be related to my damaged left knee, which has quite a lot of ruined cartilage. This may have changed my gait somehow and results in the foot pain, which only developed after my knee was diagnosed. I’m clutching at straws though I think.
Stuart – that doesn’t sound good at all. It seems to wash away all your plans and I know that you feel like being knocked out. I had pain over 2 years every time I was sitting down – to eat – at the pc, on the couch -whereever – and let me tell you, xyou have to sit a lot. 8 doctors couldn’t help me they said, I have to live with the pain and then I searched the internet up and down. There are always people with simular stories to find and to learn form. You can grap ideas there. I tried Acupunture and accupressure and finally landed at EFT. I simply knocked the pain away – perhaps if nothing else helps you would like to give it a try. I personally have the best results and the good thing is, its working even when you don’t believe in the method.
Anyway, if with an food surgeon or other methods – I hope you will be better soon and there is a chance for you to walk – you shure need some training before the “big walk”. Fingers crossed!!!
Besides all that happy easter nd keep the faith!!!
Thanks Maren – really appreciate your words and sentiment, it sounds like you’ve had a much tougher time of things that I have. Not sure about EFT, like you I think I’ll leave that a last resort. I am making an appointment with another Podiatrist who does a biomechanical assessment of the foot, while you walk on a special machine. I will see if it’s gait related, perhaps because of my bad knee. He can also fit orthotics if he deems them necessary.
I did 12 miles today, over some tricky paths and the foot is now sore, but wasn’t a problem while I was walking. I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and walk as much as I can to prepare for the SUW. For how tired I feel after today’s walk, I’m going to struggle with back to back 20 mile days! 🙂
Thanks again 🙂
Stuart
Stuart, sounds like a plan to me. If the walking mashine test doesn’t give any clues wbout the reason for your pain, you should perhaps keep in mind that the pain in your foot could come from a completely different place. Like from the back, or the knees. I even heart from someone whos backpain came from the teeth. Might be,but must not. I am completely painfree now, what a feeling! Peace again in my body and soul. I can really imagine how this affects you. You need to be out walking I think. So hopefully you can manage to go the southern upland way. We send best wishes from freezing germany and think of you and keep our fingers crossed.walk on!
That does not sounds good at all. If I were you I would get a second opinion from a different podiatrist or consult a foot surgeon. Check this out:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/186125-what-are-the-treatments-for-damaged-tendons-in-the-foot/
Good luck and I hope you get to walk the SUW!
Thanks Eva, that’s a great article. After similar advice from folk on Twitter, I’m going to make another appt with the GP and see what they recommend as a next step. I’ve been taking Ibuprofen with every meal for the last two months. I may also look for a foot support that will fit inside my boot.
Grap some medical or Installation tape and start at the big toe and make a Figure of 8 all the way under Ark to the rear and then to the little toe (tape has to be tight) I’ve had this the last four marathons I’ve done and this helps