Rehab running after injury.

InTheTrees

Its taken me three months, including 12 weeks of therapy to heal from some kind of over stretch/strain in my left calf. Feels great now and I'm really positive about getting back to running. I've been biking and in the gym so i havent been off completely.

But oh my god i'm learning the patience of a zen master now as I start actually running. trotting I should say. Slow. And a minute at a time (x6) for the first week.

Three steps forward and two steps back doesnt work... do that twice and you'll take nine steps back the next day..

It has to be one step forward, one step forward...

But finding your limits necessarily means taking three steps forward sometimes.

Anyway just a little comment and I wonder if anyone else out there is in a similar place.

tunguska

InTheTrees wrote: »

Its taken me three months, including 12 weeks of therapy to heal from some kind of over stretch/strain in my left calf. Feels great now and I'm really positive about getting back to running. I've been biking and in the gym so i havent been off completely.

But oh my god i'm learning the patience of a zen master now as I start actually running. trotting I should say. Slow. And a minute at a time (x6) for the first week.

Three steps forward and two steps back doesnt work... do that twice and you'll take nine steps back the next day..

It has to be one step forward, one step forward...

But finding your limits necessarily means taking three steps forward sometimes.

Anyway just a little comment and I wonder if anyone else out there is in a similar place.

Yeah I can relate alright. Was off for 3 months with achilles problem, although unlike you mine still doesnt feel great. But the more I run on it the better it feels, If you can get your head around that one??
Started off with two runs a week. Now Im up to 3 runs. Will hope to be up to running everyday in 3 -4weeks time. Slow and frustrating process.

rainbow kirby

tunguska wrote: »

Slow and frustrating process.

+1000

Still building up the mileage here after injuring my left ITB in Barcelona in early March. 24 days completely off the road and a very slow rebuilding process after that - my first pain-free run after the injury was only 7 minutes long. I'm back up to 25-30mpw now, but I've lost a hell of a lot of sharpness and I'm still trying to lose the bit of weight I put on while I was off the road.

InTheTrees

tunguska wrote: »

Yalthough unlike you mine still doesnt feel great. But the more I run on it the better it feels, If you can get your head around that one??

ABsolutely. I say i feel great...and I do...

But the strain/stretch/wtf is still there but hardly noticable(!), and my physio says if I keep strengthening the area as I run I can run. Gently...

ps. Should you be running on it?

InTheTrees

rainbow kirby wrote: »

my first pain-free run after the injury was only 7 minutes long.

And at minute 8 the pain came back and it felt like nothing was fixed?

I hate that feeling. Of course it just means you need to back off but its a bad feeling anyway.

tunguska

InTheTrees wrote: »

ps. Should you be running on it?

Probably not but I've had enough of this waiting around crap. If I fcuk myself up so be it, Im willing to accept the consequences.

Jnealon

tunguska wrote: »

Yeah I can relate alright. Was off for 3 months with achilles problem, although unlike you mine still doesnt feel great. But the more I run on it the better it feels, If you can get your head around that one??
Started off with two runs a week. Now Im up to 3 runs. Will hope to be up to running everyday in 3 -4weeks time. Slow and frustrating process.

I'm in the same situation as you, been off for over a month now.
Physio hasn't been that intense, some dry needling in my calves but mainly RICE
Have you used any heel lifts or tried running on grass.
What kind of treatment have you been getting

tunguska

Jnealon wrote: »

I'm in the same situation as you, been off for over a month now.
Physio hasn't been that intense, some dry needling in my calves but mainly RICE
Have you used any heel lifts or tried running on grass.
What kind of treatment have you been getting

- Been icing the living daylights out of my achilles, 2hours/day(1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening while watching the west-wing box set).
- Got a new set of runners(brooks adrenaline) that seem to be doing a way better job than the last set(asics nimbus).
- Set of orthotics to prevent over pronation
- Been foam rolling the calves, stretching them aswell.
- Strengthening exercises + mobility work + core work
- I have been running on grass but I've also been running on concrete, dont want to go down the only running on grass route as I'll have to race on concrete and that'd be too much of a shock for the body if its not used to the harder surface.
- Got laser treatment which really did a number on the inflammation, will be getting it done again in 3 weeks time

seanynova

a bit of aqua running will do no harm, was out for almost 4months with an injury only in the last few weeks of that was i in the pool but it was great.

back running now a little on grass, concrete seems to hurt the calves more but im getter there, slowly (should point out that my injury wasnt calf related but my current pains are in the calves & soleus)
as tunguska says, plenty icing, foam roller stretching but also ibuprofin after runs

Jnealon

tunguska wrote: »

- Been icing the living daylights out of my achilles, 2hours/day(1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening while watching the west-wing box set).
- Got a new set of runners(brooks adrenaline) that seem to be doing a way better job than the last set(asics nimbus).
- Set of orthotics to prevent over pronation
- Been foam rolling the calves, stretching them aswell.
- Strengthening exercises + mobility work + core work
- I have been running on grass but I've also been running on concrete, dont want to go down the only running on grass route as I'll have to race on concrete and that'd be too much of a shock for the body if its not used to the harder surface.
- Got laser treatment which really did a number on the inflammation, will be getting it done again in 3 weeks time

Same here. Iced mine a bit too much watching the London Marathon and ended up with blisters which got infected.
I was running in Nimbus 11 last year but when I could not get them anymore I tried the 12s and they just didn't feel the same. I am now waiting on a pair of cumulus to try out.
Only wearing orthotics in my normal shoes and some heel lifts in the runners.
I got a couple of "spiky balls" that I roll under my foot when I'm sitting down, not sure if they are any good

TFBubendorfer

tunguska wrote: »

- Got laser treatment which really did a number on the inflammation, will be getting it done again in 3 weeks time

Does anyone know if there is laser treatment available anywhere in Munster? And if so, can you recommend someone?

tunguska

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is laser treatment available anywhere in Munster? And if so, can you recommend someone?

I dont think there is. The guy Im going to is on Hume street in near stephens green and apparently he's the only one in the country doing this kind of laser treatment.

tunguska

Jnealon wrote: »

I was running in Nimbus 11 last year but when I could not get them anymore I tried the 12s and they just didn't feel the same. I am now waiting on a pair of cumulus to try out.

I was using Nimbus and to be honest I suspect they were responisble for my problems. Now wearing Brooks Adrenaline and they're 100 times better. If I were you I'd abandon asics altogether and go for the Brooks.

rainbow kirby

tunguska wrote: »

I was using Nimbus and to be honest I suspect they were responisble for my problems. Now wearing Brooks Adrenaline and they're 100 times better. If I were you I'd abandon asics altogether and go for the Brooks.

Completely different types of shoes - Nimbus is a heavily cushioned neutral shoe, Adrenaline is a moderate stability shoe. It's probably more that you needed the support.

RubyK

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is laser treatment available anywhere in Munster? And if so, can you recommend someone?

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I think Peter Keane in Waterford (Cove Centre, Dunmore Road) offers laser therapy - 051 843636. I could be wrong, but it would be worth giving them a ring.

BeepBeep67

I had a calf injury about about 18months - pretty severe, pulled up during a run like someone had stuck a knife in my calf. Went to physio and he complemented the treatment with dry needling and Kinseo tape - looking back I really only missed 3 weeks and a further 3 weeks where I was still protecting it.
Has anyone else tried dry needling?

rainbow kirby

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Has anyone else tried dry needling?

Dry needling was what really helped to cure the injury I had before DCM last year (high right ITB/medial glute). It hurts like nothing else on earth, it's the weirdest sensation ever, but it really works.

BeepBeep67

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Dry needling was what really helped to cure the injury I had before DCM last year (high right ITB/medial glute). It hurts like nothing else on earth, it's the weirdest sensation ever, but it really works.

Pretty weird alright, like a mini electric shock!

Jnealon

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Has anyone else tried dry needling?

I had it done today on my calve. This is my second time to get it done.
I am sure I will stiffen up later on

Jnealon

tunguska wrote: »

I was using Nimbus and to be honest I suspect they were responisble for my problems. Now wearing Brooks Adrenaline and they're 100 times better. If I were you I'd abandon asics altogether and go for the Brooks.

Did you get gait analysis before deciding on the brooks.

tunguska

Jnealon wrote: »

Did you get gait analysis before deciding on the brooks.

Yes. The physio put me up on a treadmill and filmed me running, first in asics then in brooks. Difference was massive.

tunguska

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Completely different types of shoes - Nimbus is a heavily cushioned neutral shoe, Adrenaline is a moderate stability shoe. It's probably more that you needed the support.

I know nimbus are supposed to be neutral but I used orthotics so that would change the neutral to a support. But I also tried Kayanos and another asics heavy support shoe, none of them were as good as the adrenaline. Not just by feel but I watched the video clip the physio made of me running in each shoe and you could clearly see the difference.

InTheTrees

I've been doing 15 minutes on the stepper before my brief treadmill runs and its helped beyond my wildest hopes. Its been amazing.

Fifteen minutes on a high resistance and my ankles, calves, soleus, shin feels like coiled steel cable and when I've run on the treadmill there's been no calf/shin area tightness at all. I'm a convert.