Monday, November 19, 2007

THINGS ARE LOOKING BRIGHTER

I ran 4 miles on Saturday with my dog in the misty rain. It was nice and the body hold on. I was in a lot of pain the morning after though. And could barely walk for the first 15 mins when I woke-up... On the good news side, I had an encouraging appointment at the chiropractor =) He has started some ESWT (extracorporeal shock-wave therapy) at low intensity on my heel. It's mostly not painful, unless he's hitting the spot where I have pain, which makes me cringe a little.

"Shock wave therapy is thought to work by inducing microtrauma to the tissue that is affected by plantar fasciitis. This microtrauma initiates a healing response by the body. This healing response causes blood vessel formation and increased delivery of nutrients to the affected area. The microtrauma is thought to stimulate a repair process and relieve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis." -http://orthopedics.about.com

I am going to have 5 treatments (once a week) before I leave for Christmas and that should be enough to totally heals it. That made me happy, I trust him 100%, he solved my shin splints problems in 3 treatments with Active Release Technique in the past. He said I probably won't see a full recovery until the treatment is all over but it should start feel better soon. Since I don't have any pain when I run (just the morning after) he told me I can still run =) And that I could probably do the marathon. I'll wait until we're closer to the date to decide what I am going to do.....

Ok, well that's the story of my road to recovery!!! Thanks for reading everyone and happy Running!

7 comments:

TNTcoach Ken said...

Wow you’re on the cutting edge when it comes to treatments, I just use ice! I was tempted to try ART but never did. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Oh yeah, I tagged you!

Marcy said...

Good thing it isn't too painful because with a name like "extracorporeal shock-wave therapy" it sure as heck sounds painful LOL

yumke said...

shock wave, huh? get well. I'm hearing too many stories lately of foot and leg injuries

Laurel said...

I hope the shock therapy works for you! Are you still planning on coming down if you can't run? We definitely have to meet up!

I haven't run in over a week and the tendonitis is getting better but I still have some major discomfort when I bend my left leg. Sigh, I guess one day at a time.

Michelle said...

I hope it works for you so you can get back to doing 20-milers on a regular basis!! LOL!! ;-)

Sonia said...

I want to get rid of the problem as quick as possible, might be why I invest all this money in treatment!

I will be in Miami no matter what... I do hope I can do the full but will be intelligent about it and go for the half if things don't improve after Christmas!

Thanks for leaving comments guys =)

Anonymous said...

occasional reader of your blog here, and a runner who has dealt with several bouts of plantar fasciitis over the last 10 years. the last 2 have been the worst and I am now the proud owner of a custom night splint for each foot. this may seem a bit extreme but it worked, and quickly. the splint keeps your foot in a flexed position while you sleep and allows the plantar fascia to heal while lengthened and you end up with little to no morning heel pain. i was told that athletes in particular respond the best to this treatment, in combination with physio/ART or whatever other therapy you pursue. a less costly option (although some benefits plans cover the custom splint) is the Strassburg Sock. I've never tried it, but it's available in many running shops for about $50 and works on the same principle as the splint. sorry for the long comment but i know how painful, frustrating, and unpredictable this injury can be. Good luck!