How do you know.....

annebaum41912

I'm thinking this was the best forum to post this in. And please, serious answers. Serious aside from "go to the doctor" because I know that's the best advice. But when you don't have insurance that's usually only an option if you are sure you hurt yourself. So I'm looking for opinions on if this happened to anyone else and if they went to the dr and found out what was wrong. This will give me better advice as to if I need a 2-300+ doctor bill or if I just need to rest.

Ok so for the past few days my foot and shin has been bothering me on the left side (sometimes outside of foot, sometimes in the shin, rarely both). But it's very strange. Sometimes it makes me hobble. Sometimes it's bearable. But the oddest part, is once I push past it and get moving, either walking quickly for exercise, doing zumba, or doing a WATP video, the pain goes away. Completely. Doesn't come back until later.

Is this just "normal" and I just need a few rest days? I find it hard to believe I could have injured it and the pain go away during workouts. But I figured someone here might have an answer.

TIA
Anne

annebaum41912

bump.
what could cause pain only after being restful? once i get moving i'm good. walked almost 8 miles today (stopped at one place for my husband to eat and then another for me to eat). only time i felt pain was for the first few min after we had been sitting down for a while. so weird

laurajade111

It could just be a strained muscle - once it is warm from exercise it loosens up hence the pain dissipates, when you sit for long periods it tenses up. Try a hot water bottle on it when you are stationary and see if that helps?

kimosabe1

strained muscle I think..... it takes ME a few months to recover from those. I always use my heating pad........

TinaBaily

Look up "shin splints". I had those a while back and they are painful, just as you describe. I'm not a doctor, nor a nurse, but you can find reputable medical websites that can give you tips on how to treat it yourself and what to do to avoid getting it again. If that's what it is, it can last a few weeks. Good luck!

Aviendha_RJ

Is it PAIN pain, or just "muscle soreness" that you get from working out?

Muscle soreness goes away from stretching, activity... and is usually CAUSED by excercise... it's basically your muscle tearing a little, and using water to repair itself... it tenses up, and gets uncomfortable. At least... that's how my trainer explained it. Anyway... once the muscle is moving again, that tense, uncomfortable feeling dissipates.

Try some stretches after you work out... nice, languid... deep stretches... when your muscles are still warm. If the pain doesn't come back or is less afterward... maybe it's just muscle soreness from working out?

But LISTEN to your body. If the stretch gets painful/unbearable STOP. Stretching should feel GOOD with warm muscles... not make them more stiff & sore!

jenilla1

The "right" answer is to go see a doctor. I don't have insurance either, but I know what usually happens when you do see a doctor for these things. They tell you to ice it, compression wrap it, elevate it, take ibuprofen and rest. Then they charge you $400.

You can also use heat if that helps more than ice. Soaking in Epsom salts is another good remedy. Look online for physical therapy stretches. Sometimes it take weeks for wierd things like this to heal, but they generally do on their own. If it gets worse or starts to swell or turn colors, go see a doctor right away.

littlepinkhearts

i have Rheumatoid Arthritis....if I push passed the original killing pain, it's usually smooth sailing from there. Then it's completely gone for a few days and may or may not pop up somewhere else. It's also recently been discussed by my doctor that I may have Hypermobile Joint Dysfunction. Apparently my joints hyper extend themselves sometimes, simply cause they're messed up somehow...this in turn causes pain for a few hours to a few days. Just something for you to consider. Hope you figure it out. Extra strength Advil sometimes dulls the pain enough to enable me to get moving. Perhaps rest it for a few days and see if it comes back when you start your exercise?

AlexThreeClaw

Shin splints. It does sound like the tissues in your foot are tight. Movement loosens them up so that the pain subsides. It's usually worst in the mornings because you've had a whole night of rest.

I recommend you alternate ice and warmth. Massage your feet. Stretch often, especially your calves and hamstrings. Actively rest your legs for a week or two. (Keep moving, but don't attempt anything strenuous.)

When you start ramping up your exercise routines again, make sure you don't up the effort too quickly. Give your muscles plenty of time to get used to the work. It could take some time to recover completely but if it's not getting even the slightest bit better at all after a month or two you really should think about getting it checked out.
(Edited for incorrect use of punctuation. >_< )

annebaum41912

Shin splints. It does sound like the tissues in your foot are tight. Movement loosens them up so that the pain subsides. It's usually worst in the mornings because you've had a whole night of rest.

I recommend you alternate ice and warmth. Massage your feet. Stretch often, especially your calves and hamstrings. Actively rest your legs for a week or two. (Keep moving, but don't attempt anything strenuous.)

When you start ramping up your exercise routines again, make sure you don't up the effort too quickly. Give your muscles plenty of time to get used to the work. It could take some time to recover completely but if it's not getting even the slightest bit better at all after a month or two you really should think about getting it checked out.
(Edited for incorrect use of punctuation. >_< )

the shin splints sounds likely. it's not a muscle pain. and it bothers me most the first few minutes after i've been sitting on my butt lol if it was serious i'm sure i couldn't walk almost 8 miles. hoping it goes away soon. otherwise my option is to just never stop moving lol