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Quote: hasbeen

Anouska,

Just a quick one. I hurt my calf Monday(running). It started when I stupidly ran 12km home from the train station after staying out too late on Thursday night & couldn't ride or bus home. It felt like a small strain high up in the belly of the muscle on the outer side. I thought it was just a bit tight, so took it easy for a couple of days. I ran on Monday, & halfway through it started hurting real bad. I limped home & iced it straight away, but the pain was sharp each time any pressure was put on that calf. It later came up with a bit of bruising in the area around the pain. The next 2 days have been painful to walk, though it has started to improve late today, and I can spin an easy gear on the bike.

What I want to know, is how early would I be able to start massage on the area to try to work out some of the scarring? Also, should I wait until all pain is gone before stretching that calf?

Thanks

Sounds eerily like my own experience Hasbeen.

I would suggest you mention possible clotting to your GP and get a referal for an ultrasound if only to write it off as a possible cause.

McB

Hi HasBeen,

Certainly sounds like a lateral calf strain (lat gastroc belly or soleus), perhaps a Gr2 going by the bruising you noticed. You can start some very light massage on the calf just make sure you avoid too much pressure on the particularly sore areas. In regards to stretching definitely do active movements of your ankle and you can begin a gentle calf stretch (against the wall with one leg back one leg forward) as long as its not painful. Just limit the stretch to short stretches about 10 seconds each so that you don’t overdo them.

As well, be careful for the next 2 weeks in regards to your running. I would suggest sticking to the bike on the flat, avoiding hills and getting out of the saddle.

If you have unusual pains in the calf, swelling, redness or particularly exquisite tender areas on palpation as McBlane says it might be worth a trip to the GP.

Hope that helps

Cheers

Anouska

Thanks Anouska,

I was certainly going to put the running shoes away at least until mid next week, and even then I was going to come back real easy. Good news about the stretching & massage though. I'll start today. The stretching isn't painful unless I put even the slightest contraction into the muscle. Then the pain is sharp.

I suppose it's finally time to begin that stretching regime I always told myself I needed to get into.

Hey Buts,

When I was coming back from my shoulder surgery (broken collarbone and upper arm - screws galore!!), I found raising my stem a little took a lot of pressure off my shoulder.

Makes the bike set-up a little less "Euro" (*lol*), but certainly meant I could ride a lot more comfortably and for longer. Might be wrth a try??

Best of luck at The Vault!!

Cheers, Abby

HAs Been, I have a set of the Compressport compression socks and find them awesome for recovery. Best thing is they are also good for use while riding/running as well. I thought they were in the fitness gimmick realm but have been surprised by how good they work. I cant get used to the wearing while training but great for post exercise recovery.

www.compressport.com.au

Quote: hasbeen

Anouska,

Just wondering whether compression socks/calf guards would be benificial, both for while I'm recovering and once I get back into training properly. Like many of these newer "aids", I'm not really sure of the real benefits, as most people advising me to use them are also the ones that would be taking my money for them if I did.

Compression socks can be quite useful when returning to running even if they only serve to be a psychological crutch. Obviously they provde compression to the calves which can assist in circulation, improve ankle proprioception and may improve calf muscle recruitment. Sometimes just having something on the area of injury can improve your awareness and act as a reminder not to do anything silly.
In terms of using the socks when cycling I would say that you wouldnt need them. The stress of running on the calves is a lot higher than cycling and assuming you have a good bikefit then they should be ok when you ride (unless you decide to go up Nebo this week or do a handful of sprints).
I would say trial them when you run, if you feel more comfortable with them on they they are already doing their job. However, just be careful that you may look like a triathlete if you use them when you ride. So if you identify as a cyclist and street cred is high on your priority list then I would be cautious using these :p

Don't worry Anouska, I wouldn't be seen dead wearing them on a bike. If I really needed them (which I don't seem to), I'd wear leg-warmers over them so you couldn't see them, no matter what the temperature was. It was really just the running & recovery I was thinking about.

Quote: ame

assuming you have a good bikefit then they should be ok when you ride

It should be, you did it.

Hi Anouska, long time reader, first time poster (and I'm asking for help) - crap I know.

Have had knee pain for sometime now and been visiting a osteo who has worked on it 3 to 4 times. Starts to feel better after a couple of weeks off, though as soon as I get back on (literally a 8km commute to work) and it starts hurting again.

Pain is on the right knee only, front left when looking down. The osteo mentioned it wasn't my ITB though some other muscle that ran along side.

Not sure what my next steps are, as what I'm currently doing isnt working?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hamish

Quote: mickncat

Quote: ame

Hi Mickncat,

Hmm..do you live in Gladstone or are there 2 angry kangaroos around atm ?

In type III injuries both the AC and coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments are torn, but the deltoid and trapezial fascia are intact. So you’ve done a good job, but it could be worse This results in the distal clavicle being relatively unstable in both the vertical and horizontal planes. So in regards to what you do in the next few weeks (wk 1-3/4)….avoid pressure through the arm i.e. on the windtrainer and avoid lifting or carrying as much as possible. You should ride on the windtrainer as tolerated over the next few weeks….best if you don’t hold on or can find something for your arm to rest on. Or….crosstraining instead. Stay in the sling as and keep it done up quite tightly but ensure you are having breaks from the sling as well and moving your arm around (out of pain). I would recommend a massage at around 1-2 weeks to make sure you aren’t getting too tight anywhere.

Generally non- operative treatment is typically indicated in type I and type II injuries. Type III injuries are evaluated on a case-by-case basis with regard to treatment. Management of an AC joint problem is dictated by the severity and chronicity of the injury and the patient’s needs and expectations. The trend in recent literature is towards the initial non-operative management of these injuries. However, consideration of other factors such as: type of sport or timing of the injury relative to the athletic season play a role in the decision-making process. In the small group of patients who have persistent pain and are unable to return to work or sports after non-operative treatment, then surgical stabilisation is encouraged.

At around the 2-3 week time frame you will need to visit the physio to begin some strengthening, stretching and most likely scapular stabilization exercises. You may be able to return to the bike around the 4 week mark however everyone is different and this could vary 1-2 weeks. Depending on your recovery you may need to strengthen the shoulder up with some heavier weight exercises down the track to improve shoulder stability as well.

Good luck with it !

Thank you

off to physio this thursday to get it assessed and a return to bike plane happening

Hi, I'm back. after 12 months I went to a specialist and I have a Type 5 separation. Apparently the local Doctors misdiagnosed it. I went to a specialist as the bone was floating and I was having touble with pain, especially if I walk around for a few hours. Getting a reconstruction in december by Dr Stewart Proper in St Kilda(After the cycling season) How long after surgery do you think before I will be back on the bike??

Quote: mickncat

Hi, I'm back. after 12 months I went to a specialist and I have a Type 5 separation. Apparently the local Doctors misdiagnosed it. I went to a specialist as the bone was floating and I was having touble with pain, especially if I walk around for a few hours. Getting a reconstruction in december by Dr Stewart Proper in St Kilda(After the cycling season) How long after surgery do you think before I will be back on the bike??

Hi Mickncat,

Hm...so you went from a gr2-3 to a 5 ? Thats a big jump and yes....completely different in terms of rehabilitation. Good news is that after a reconstruction it should be pretty good in terms of stability and pain. Depending on how much muscle wasting that has occurred in the last 12 months (which may be minimal) will depend on how quickly you recover. However Id say you could be back on a windtrainer between 4-6 weeks depending on what the surgeon recommends. However you could certainly sit on a bike without pressure through the hands from about 2 weeks post surgery.

For a quicker recovery you will need to make sure the area is as strong as possible so make sure you have seen someone for a strengthening program and consistantly complete that at least 2x/week from now until then.

Cheers

Anouska