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Tendonitis or Taking the rest of the year off

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  • December 11, 2017 at 10:21 pm #27914
    Organon

    This year I have been struggling to ride further than I have ever before. I had a target of 9000km, but was up to 31km a day needed as of last week when one of my gear cables snapped. I spent a frustrating weekend fishing around inside a muddy frame [first time I’ve had to replace internal cables/how does the mud get in there?] and still need to index my gears. I am just riding to work and back in fixie mode, no extra mileage. I just need to go to work to reach last years total of 8500km~ish.

    Sad though I am not to meet my rather arbitrary target (one that many of you probably bust out on a Sunday morning before walnut cake,) it might be a blessing in disguise. I was planning having a go at 10,000km next year which means no slacking in January. However since this summer I have been suffering with tendonitis in my left Achilles tendon. It has quite a lump I can feel on it and can get sore on longer rides. I did a 100km in September where it was quite painful.

    I tried doing some stretches, but this made it worse. 

    I could see a doctor about it (assuming it is not ankle cancer) but what exactly could they say or do about it? “Why do you need to cycle so much?” might be one question. “Rest it.” She is hardly going to get me an operation. I am not a pro athlete who gets his tendons regularly rinsed out with a power hose. I haven’t changed my shoes or set up, it is just something that set in over the course of a few months.

    Just to be clear, the pain is a niggling annoyance some of the time. But it is not going away and I don’t want it to get any worse. Does anyone else have any chronic issues like this and how do you cope whilst ‘still going.’

    Long time lurker here, hope you fellas can give some good advice.

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  • August 23, 2018 at 10:18 am #907643
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    Anonymous
    ConcordeCX wrote:
    You could find a multitool which includes a bone saw, and amputate your own leg [1], or you could read this:

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tendonitis/

    [1] Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am a psychopath. Do not rely on medical advice you may receive from me.

    I am on my feet all day and by evening they are hurting also I am suffering from  Achilles Tendon Pain. I am still breaking them in but foot pain is decreasing. My feet feel snug and supported. The arch support is very noticeable and feels good. Will be trying sandals also. orthofeet sneakers felt great as soon as i put them on. I am walking several miles a day and even started running some.

    January 3, 2018 at 9:14 pm #907641
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    Organon

    I am back up to 16/22 gears

    I am back up to 16/22 gears after some tinkering, though the shifting is very slow. Needs more cleaning and fettling. Who needs 28/25 and 11 anyway?

    January 3, 2018 at 10:27 am #907639
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    dottigirl

    Forget about fixed. Go geared
    Forget about fixed. Go geared.

    Spinning is much better for aggravated body parts than grinding. Unless you have a perfect body with no injury tendencies, grinding will fuck you up.

    January 3, 2018 at 1:29 am #907637
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    Organon

    Well I’ve covered 260km since

    Well I’ve covered 260km since I made this post. Mostly commuting and shopping at slow speeds. My ankle feels less tender, but there is still a hard lump on my tendon and although the aggravation is less it will probably come back. I’ve started the year off with two 14.8km commutes, but no extra mileage due to heavy rain on the way home. Although there is no point hitting targets on day 2. Life is too short to wait for everything to be perfect or I could be off the bike for months (or ever) so I’ll be heading off into the country on the weekend. Sorry to hear about some of your knarly medical issues, I should shut up about my little niggle. Bonvelo 2018.

    December 17, 2017 at 6:53 pm #907635
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    The _Kaner

    I feel your pain, literally.

    I feel your pain, literally.

    I had a similar issue a few years back.

    Physio, ultrasonic/laser treatment and then finally acupuncture…where, on one occasion,  a stand in physio prep’d my right calf with the linament…then proceeded to stick the needles in my left calf.

    I did eventually get over the issue, but it was around 12 weeks before I was able to go any great distance, scar tissue was cited as the main culprit… stretching and ultrasonic treatment brought it to a level of being able to cope with the pain and get back to a basic fitness level.

    This year however, I am once again sidelined with a C6/C7 herniated disk and narrowing of the nerve canal in C3. I just cannot get on to a bike and hold onto the bars.

    The issue has manifested itself in a total lack of sensation in my left arm/hand – particularly in the thumb/forefinger, where it is 24/7 pins and needles.

    The meds I am on – until I get to see the ortho specialist- mean that I could quite possibly just fall off and kill myself…

    So I might just set up the turbo and do some gentle spinning, where I don’t require to have a death grip on the bars. Until then, it’s rest time.

    That’s my advice to you…goals are great…but your own health and well being are far more important.

    December 16, 2017 at 1:21 pm #907633
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    jacknorell

    As a preventative measure to
    As a preventative measure to offset the tightness and no real core strength cycling gives me, I have found yoga with a focus on abdominal girdle work very helpful. Also helps loosen tight shoulders from roadie position and a desk job.

    December 14, 2017 at 3:35 pm #907631
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    Bluebug
    HalfWheeler wrote:
    zzk wrote:
    Love that even commentators on roadcc like to kick the NHS.

    Nope, just an observation that sporting injuries are pretty low on their list of priorities. And totally understandable.

    NHS is great for critical care. Minor/middling stuff much less so. They’ve only got so many resources and have to allocate  them as best they can. NHS physios have have to deal with all sorts, eg. stroke or car crash victims learning to walk again, people rehab-ing from serious injury back into work, etc etc. When someone comes along with a sore lateral knee or pulled hamstring and it’s stopping them from running or cycling then they won’t get the same level of attention and rightly so. 

    You put it politer than I would.  The hoops I was told to jump through to get an NHS physio appointment each time mean it is more cost effective e.g. time off work to get doctors appointment before being allowed to be referred to the physio to go private immediately.

    Even people I know who needed urgent physio because they have actually ruptured a tendon and had surgery on the NHS, have had a much poorer time with NHS physio compared to those who were treated privately.  

    In fact if you work and your employer provides you medical insurance and you do any sport, then get the insurance.  You may still be out of pocket for some tests but if you do something relatively major sports wise you will get treated quicker and your appointments won’t be cut short because the physio is overworked.

    December 14, 2017 at 1:12 pm #907629
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    Jimmy Ray Will

    What caused the tendonitis? 

    What caused the tendonitis? 

    Until you crack that, you are on a hiding to nothing. 

    In the past I have had achilles tendonitis caused by a mal-fitting work shoe. I have also had it after leaving my cycling shoes under the radiator for a couple of weeks. 

    However, the majority of achilles issued I have had were rectified by gettin a bike fit, which in turn took the stress off my achilles, all but negating my susceptibility to achilles tendonitis.

    As for rest or not…

    If you have identified the source and removed it, carry on riding. If you do not know the cause, then defintiely rest. 

    Rest trumps everything else 

    December 13, 2017 at 8:08 pm #907627
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    willsdad

    I have just had some

    I have just had some interesting info sent to me by an old colleague who is writing his PhD in rehabilitating Achilles Tendinopathy. Google Seth O’Neil and have a look at some of his recommendations, just might help you find your way.

     
    December 12, 2017 at 10:45 pm #907625
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    HalfWheeler
    zzk wrote:
    Love that even commentators on roadcc like to kick the NHS.

    Nope, just an observation that sporting injuries are pretty low on their list of priorities. And totally understandable.

    NHS is great for critical care. Minor/middling stuff much less so. They’ve only got so many resources and have to allocate  them as best they can. NHS physios have have to deal with all sorts, eg. stroke or car crash victims learning to walk again, people rehab-ing from serious injury back into work, etc etc. When someone comes along with a sore lateral knee or pulled hamstring and it’s stopping them from running or cycling then they won’t get the same level of attention and rightly so. 

    December 12, 2017 at 8:48 pm #907623
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    zzk

    Love that even commentators

    Love that even commentators on roadcc like to kick the NHS. It all depends on who you see, level of knowledge and sports awareness. There are many more rogues in the private sector, more than happy to take your money and spin you a yarn about minor leg length discrepancies, pelvic tilt, core weakness that will take a lifetime to correct and cost you a fortune. 

    Tendons are like ropes, they essentially lose their tight knit structure with age and accrued damage from hard work. If you have a hard palpable lump and it only niggles, you are likely to have some scarring from attempted healing of some minor tearing. The best and only evidence based treatment is eccentric loading. The fact it hurts after is likely a good sign, but be careful not to over do it. Essentially you stretch the tendon to length under load. Faster healing has been shown with increasing the load, such as a barbell or dumbell in your hand. A heavy bag or ruck sack will do. Increase the weight with your confidence.

    Its likely you should reduce your training load and keep the cadence higher, but stopping and resting will be counterproductive unless you rehab hard. You should check your cleat position and saddle height to ensure a neutral position at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Too much heel drop or too high can be problematic in equal measure. Too high being potentially worse.

    Good luck. It takes time and patience.

    December 12, 2017 at 8:18 pm #907621
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    HalfWheeler

    If your pain free while

    If your pain free while cycling to work then you should be fine but if it hurts, even when you’re commuting, I’d stop cycling.

    Pain is a sign of damage being/been done. 

    Give it a complete rest and use public transport (if at all possible).

    December 12, 2017 at 8:07 pm #907619
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    Organon

    Okay, so very positive

    Okay, so very positive responses to taking it easy. The weather is a factor. I still have to get into work 11 times before the end of the year, but that is a flat 7.4km commute on city roads I barely average over 22kph in traffic. But no taking the long way home. Some of your stories seem nightmarish, compared to my twinge. I definitely don’t blame it on my shoes or anything else, more probably the getting old business. Now if only I could grow a Zaphod like third arm to hold components still.

    December 12, 2017 at 7:39 pm #907617
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    HenHarrier

    I took up cycling because my
    I took up cycling because my achilles were so tight it was painful to even run a few yards. Found a great physio who said that because I’d found it painful I hadn’t stretched anything from my neck down to the soles of my feet for years. He recommended eccentric heel drops, hamstring stretches, and massage on the lumps on the tendons (inflammation). That was a couple of years ago I’ve kept at and I’m still pain free now. I’m not a qualified medic so take or leave this comment but I honestly thought that by not working the tight bits I was helping myself heal – I was building up more and more trouble instead. Ymmv but take time out, get a programme of gentle stretches underway, and hopefully you’ll be back on the bike pain-free fairly quickly

    December 12, 2017 at 6:13 pm #907615
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    check12

    See a physio for 45mins/an

    See a physio for 45mins/an hour

    buy a foam roller

    buy a massage ball

    do the excersises / rolling / ball massage they prescribe

    do British cycling’s foam roller routine. 

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