giving up - Health + Injury

shazza

10/11/2002 at 19:50

I feel like Im fighting a loosing battle.I absolutely love my running..it makes the rest of my life easier!But Im always getting injured(literally) I dont over train...honestly, or increase by more than 10%, I stretch at least 2xs a day ..At the moment Im returning from running after an achilles injury, a number of lower leg muscle tears and a major calf tear, (for which I had physio, and rested for 5 months) I have been taking it easy(20 mins 4 times a week..slow) But im injured again and this time its patella tendonitis!
My physio is great and is working on strength and mobility...She has suggested a podiatrists takes a look cos I supinate on one foot and over pronate on the other..Also she thinks a past osgood schlatters injury has added to my tendancy to get injured.
I could do with some real hope that things will improve..as they just seem to be getting worse.
Are there just some people who shouldnt run?

Plodding Hippo

10/11/2002 at 19:59

cant offer you any specific advice, but Ill offer you my sympathies
Would treadmill help for a bit?

shazza

10/11/2002 at 20:22

Thanks Benz......But Im afraid its much the same whatever the surface.I curently run on grass and mud..Trail... I dont know if I should just keep persevering or give up before I completely knacker my self!

The Evil Pixie pirate

pirate

10/11/2002 at 20:25

don't give up!
You said you love it so see what happens
what about gym work to strengten yourself?

Lee

10/11/2002 at 20:25

dont give up there is always a solution try differant physios, chirpactors doctors there always the good one

wobbly ball boca jnrs

10/11/2002 at 20:39

Shazza,
Dont give up on running, is there any historical reason why you pronate on one foot and supinate on the other, have you had yor spine checked and pelvis checked for twisting. It may cost you but have a good M.O.T at a specialist. We all have problems time to time but keep each other running.

Weep Iglet

10/11/2002 at 20:42

I'm sorry to hear this - it must be really depressing! Give the physio's podiatrist advice a whirl, and hopefully that might lead to some sort of improvement. In the meantime, I hope your patellar tendonitis is soon better.

shazza

10/11/2002 at 20:45

Thanks Pixie , I do love running though Im not sure it likes me too much! Im starting some strength training ...I cant get down the gym( work commitments,kids) but my physio has given me some special strengthening and mobility exercises to do at home...
Cheers for your support lee, my physio is great and isnt about to give up on me..its just maintaining that self belief and motivation ,staying positive!
Seriously though does anyone have a similar experience or insight..are there people who just arnt built for running?!!!

shazza

10/11/2002 at 20:53

Wow thanks you lot..Your encouragement and support is brilliant...Just what I need...Graeme...to keep me wanting to keep running.
As far as I know apart from my osgood thingy theres no other historical reason for my unusual gait..I think you are right about having the full mot, any ideas about who(which specialist ) I should see?
Thanks Piglet for your kind words.

Buney

10/11/2002 at 21:52

hi shazza - what does your physio say about running at the moment - maybe this is time for rehabilitation while you strenghten your muscles - etc.

how long have you been running and how far? if you are new to it or back after along lay off maybe a good walking programme would help you stregthen and rehab your legs before beginning to run again?

do you have a swimming pool you could exercise in - water is a good resistance and therefore strengthener- you can run in the pool which may help to rehab

N ick

10/11/2002 at 21:59

Yesterday I went swimming for the first time in ages, did lengths on my back with minimal arm strokes - felt like a really good run without any of the impact (and I didn't get any wetter than I would have done running outside)

LizzyB

11/11/2002 at 09:20

Shazza - my sumpathies - I know how you feel! I've been a club runner for about eight years, and have probably spent about a quarter of that time not running. I thought I was one of those people destined not to run as I was always having problems - usually running related but also related to my job (I used to drive 30-50,000 miles a year so had some horrible back and hip problems, as well as the occasional case of whiplash ...).

I used lots of physios who would solve the immediate problem, and anything else they could find, but then three months again I'd be injured again. Eventually I was (after some persistence) referred to the sports injury clinic at a major teaching hospital, who found out what the problem(s) were and after months and months of physio (re-aligning my body, getting muscles that I should have been using but weren't to work again, stretching various ligaments etc!) I've just celebrated eight months of injury-free running (apart from a strained ankle which was my own fault - foot down a rabbit hole syndrome - so doesn't count).

I think this must be one of my longest stretches of being injury-free - my only other was the third time I tried to train for the London Marathon (the previous two times I'd had to pull out cos of injury).

Anyway, persevere, perhaps have a chat to your GP, or ask round your area for names of specialists who may be able to help. There will be, somewhere, a solution. It may not be the obvious one, but you'll get there in the end. LizzyB

LizzyB

11/11/2002 at 09:21

"Sumpathies"?!?!? Sorry, that should be 'sympathies'!

shazza

12/11/2002 at 14:25

Thanks to all of you for all your support and encouragement.Lizzy, you have some determination there! I guess its like you say just keep persevering, finding out whats causing the problem in the first place and correcting it. By the way, which specialists did you see for your diagnosis? Sounds like it may have been a team effort.
Bune, Ive been running on and off for two years now... more than 1/2 of which time has been off due to injury! Its a slog but Ive kept coming back.....

LizzyB

12/11/2002 at 14:52

Hi Shazza - Yup - it was a bit of a team effort. In the end the case was solved by two doctors from the sports injury clinic discussiong my case with the senior physio at the hospital ... who I think was the one who got to the bottom of it all and found out what the problem really was (I was born with my hip joints out of alignment - only very slightly but enough to cause damage to my ankles and knees).

So after spending a fortune on private physios, my problem was solved by the good old NHS! Inidently, I'd seen specialists in the NHS before, but their treatment was always either 'six months rest' or 'consider surgery' (knee hoovering) or 'carry on as normal and take painkillers'. None of which I liked the sound of! Where I think I went wrong in the past was not stressing to the specialists just how important running (and climbing, my other sport) were to me, which was why I didn't get satisfactory (for me) treatment until my mid 30s! (I'd had this problem since I was 11!).

Shazza, don't give up, just keep persevering and once you find out why you have these problems you're halfway to getting them sorted! Good luck . LizzyB

Tony Longhurst

12/11/2002 at 15:24

Just had my first workout in 16 months as i had a double hernia. It took 13 months, 2 doctors and 3 physios to find what was wrong with me. Try a sports specialist, its was the only person who knew what was wrong with me. It feels good back training again and hope you are soon.

Freakette

12/11/2002 at 16:49

Hi, maybe you could help me too! I seem to have the same problem as Shazza, in that I'm plagued by injuries. Like shazza I don't overtrain - injuries have meant that though I've been 'into' running for nearly two years, I've never gotten much beyond 30 miles per week. At the minute it severe shinsplints (I couldn't even walk easily a few weeks ago) so I'm not running at all, which really gets me down. And the physio thing is a bit awkward, as I'm a student in London and £20+ per session is bit steep. I work out in the gym a lot so my cardiovascular fitness and all-round strength is good, but what can I do to get back to running and stay fit long enough to improve?

Buney

12/11/2002 at 16:57

do physiotherapy schools take in clients for them to practice on - might be a way of getting assessed on a budget - another thread mentioned the Podiatry school at Salford uni doing this

I know that sports therapy and massage courses take in paying clients at a reduced rate - enquire at your local college if they do these courses

Fell Running

13/11/2002 at 08:23

Shazza

Something you might like to try as a credible less injury prone alternative to running is Race Walking (Not power walking - thats different). Its a bit of a cinderella event in athletics but if you get good at it you'll be as fast as a lot of runners, and without all the impact injuries. There are a number of running clubs that have walking sections, and there are a fair few novice events for you to try.
Walkers are also welcome at a lot of road races - a good walker is only 15 - 20% slower than a runner.

Its all about technique though - you need to learn that. If you're interested look on the RWA website for your nearest club.

Good time of the year to start too.

Fell Running

13/11/2002 at 08:27

RWA website URL:-http://www.racewalkingassociation.btinternet.co.uk/

I forgot to say - I do some walking in the winter as part of my training programme. I find it increases my fstw twitch reactions for those steep downhills in the summer (but not sadly my ability to avoid tripping over large rocks)