Dumb heel and/or ankle!

[sundial]

Rocknrollgirl, it is frustrating, isn't it?

Brandy, I lowered the seat on my bike and took it out for a ride. My achilles knot was starting to rear it's ugly head again so I headed back. I'm beginning to wonder if I am due for orthotics.

[KnottedYet]

You might only be due for a medial forefoot wedge (like are built into Specialized Body Geometry shoes, or you can have put into your shoes at a shoe repair shop).

If your forefoot doesn't get the weight transfer pattern heel-toe like it does when walking, it doesn't always get set up to be a rigid lever. So it kind of collapses (pronates) throwing your foot/ankle/knee/and sometimes hip out of whack. Sometimes the poor achilles tendon will jump in at this point and try to stabilize the system. Since it really can't do that well, ya get tendonitis and other nasty boogers. (if the achilles doesn't even try, you can end up with knee pain as it is the next joint to take the stress)

A medial wedge (3 to 5 degrees) in the forefoot stabilizes and approximates a rigid lever.

Most PTs can give you a wedge of the correct angle for you, for free (billed as part of your treatment) A shoe store or shoe repair shop will charge you about $15. Bike shops sometimes do it as part of a fitting.

If you want UNOFFICIAL NOT-MEDICAL-ADVICE DO AT YOUR OWN RISK hints of how to fake a wedge with a piece of typing paper, PM me.

[sundial]

Hi Knot, thanks for the information. You're always helpful when it comes to these things.

I wear Specialized BG Sport mtb shoes with Frogs on my road bike and Tahos with BMX pedals on my mtb. I haven't noticed a knot developing in my achilles (or pain!) when I wear the Tahos, but I think I do remember having a tinge of discomfort with the mtb shoes last summer. Then of course it got really nasty on my first long ride of the season. So I'm wondering if I have to ditch the BG Sport shoes for something else? I'm going to try the heel cup thingies but in all honesty I think I will probably need orthotics. My right achilles decided to chime in with my bad right knee.

I was thinking about my shoes and I recall that there is one pair of Adidas that causes me the same problem. I don't have problems with Merrells.
My knot goes away usually in a day. Then when I wear certain shoes it comes back.

Ahhh, the joys of expired warranties.

[Wahine]

Sundial, where exactly is the knot? Is it close to where the achilles attaches to the heel or is it higher up, more like where the achilles starts if you were referencing the portion closest to the knee as your starting point? Or someplace in between? Is in more in the muscle above the achilles?

And do you have any numbness/tingling in the lower leg or foot?

And yeah, what Knott said about the wedging.

[sundial]

Hi Wahine, my knot seems to be at the same altitude (??) as the ankle bone.
When I run my fingers down both sides of the achilles, it's tender. It is more tender on the lateral side of the tendon and only rears it's head when I ride my road bike or wear a certain pair of Adidas shoes. Then I get a knot which feels like the size of a macadamia nut. I do not get pain in the ball or arch of the foot and I don't experience tingling. My knot goes away after a day or two. When I got home from cycling yesterday and really stretched the tendon, it felt like twisted rubber bands creaking together. Does that make sense? No pain, just that weird friction sensation.

I just bought Blue Spot heel cups to try and the doc wants me to wear them on the affected foot. I feel like I'm wearing a stacked shoe, lol.

I'll get on the bike in a day or so and give it a whirl again. Maybe, just maybe, the heel cup will help.

Thanks for asking and hopefully we can figure out a solution together.

[Wahine]

It does sound like localized achilles inflammation. Which brings us back to the search for the cause. Could be alignment (see Knott's post above), I would suggest going for a deep tissue massage to make sure there aren't any nasty trigger points in your calf that need to be worked out.

You might want to try these:

http://www.networkfitness.com/Networ...20Products.htm

If you're thinking about it I'd go with the starter set.

Is there any possibility of direct pressure on that part of the tendon causing swelling? If that's the case, it needs to be relieved.

Keep posting and let us know haw you're doing.

[sundial]

I have a wonderful medical massage therapist I go to. This will give me a great excuse to go see her. I wore the heel cup today but only on the right foot. Am I suppose to wear it in both shoes? The doc didn't specify in his special instructions.

Can one see a PT without a Rx?

[Veronica]

If your forefoot doesn't get the weight transfer pattern heel-toe like it does when walking, it doesn't always get set up to be a rigid lever. So it kind of collapses (pronates) throwing your foot/ankle/knee/and sometimes hip out of whack. Sometimes the poor achilles tendon will jump in at this point and try to stabilize the system. Since it really can't do that well, ya get tendonitis and other nasty boogers. (if the achilles doesn't even try, you can end up with knee pain as it is the next joint to take the stress)

You know, I wonder if this is what is going on with my knee. I had a bunion removed when I was twenty. I developed them because my foot doesn't get rigid when I walk. The podiatrist said it was a bio-mechanical issue, right up there with the hammer toes I've had since I was a baby.

Anyway, I've noticed lately that my right knee has a tendency to lean towards the outside when I ride. If I ride long enough like that, it hurts. If I think about it, and keep the knee pointing inward, I've been able to make the pain go away. I call it lazy knee syndrome.

Yes, I'll be going in for a bike fitting soon.

V.