Experienced runner running through ankle pain?

throoper

Hey all, I wanted to get your thoughts on this since researching on the Internet has me convinced that my ankle tendon is about to rupture and destroy my life. (Dr. Google is scary!) I've run consistently for years and have been running quite a lot lately (~20-30 miles per week), mostly trail running, and did a half marathon a week ago. It was a downhill course on cement, so quite fast with some pounding impact. The last couple days, I've had pain on the inside of my ankle along the tendon there, especially when I rotate the foot inwards. Google tells me this could be a fairly common running side effect called posterior tibial tendonitis. It's not terribly bad pain - a slight dull ache and a shoot of pain that's maybe a 5-6 on the pain scale when I do tweak my ankle inwards. Once I get moving I don't really feel it much.

SO! The million dollar question! Can I keep running?? I have a 10 mile trail race in 2 weeks and was hoping to go do 10 miles (slow and easy) today. I don't want to exacerbate this issue if it IS tendonitis, but if it's just slightly tweaked, maybe it's no big deal to run on. I know it's standard to say "rest it for a few days" but you know how that can be hard if it's not necessary!

Anyone experienced anything like this? Any words of wisdom?

Thanks y'all - Lauren

midnight419

As someone who continued running with tendonitis and ended up doing 6 months of PT, I recommend you rest and make an appointment with your doctor before the pain gets worse.

RedArizona5

As someone who continued running with tendonitis and ended up doing 6 months of PT, I recommend you rest and make an appointment with your doctor before the pain gets worse.

I would rest it also and agree…if you really still don't want to rest it though, go to the ER..scheduling dr. apt doesn't seem like a viable option at such short notice i presume..in the long run its one of the best options at this point anyways..unless others have better advice. i can't run due to back going out on me and my chiropractor said that running shouldn't be completely out but i feel it will be…i can swap it for yoga..i just don't want to fill this way ever again. I was simply sitting on the couch with my legs up and tears streaming wondering how i could be in excruciating pain(10+) from not moving a muscle…maybe i can run-one day but i won't be skipping my treatments anyways
\Going to the ER-will get your questions answered and preventive treatment started and your healing if its serious..i hope itsnt though for your sake and you get to run. I love running so much..i feel so free when i do.. i don't have the need to compete-well ok i do LOL but ..God bless

brianpperkins

GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR!

If things are at the point you fear, you risk permanent damage if you keep running on it. Nobody online, including Dr Google, can ascertain what the level of current damage is to your ankle.

RedArizona5

GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR!

If things are at the point you fear, you risk permanent damage if you keep running on it. Nobody online, including Dr Google, can ascertain what the level of current damage is to your ankle.

Thats why Im hoping she skips the dr. and goes to the ER I personally wouldn't risk ignoring the issue/inconvenience .b/c if it is minor than the ER doctors can tell you what you** can and cannot do..it will be worth the bill imo I'm not rich but i would rather be healthy than sick

brianpperkins

GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR!

If things are at the point you fear, you risk permanent damage if you keep running on it. Nobody online, including Dr Google, can ascertain what the level of current damage is to your ankle.

Thats why Im hoping she skips the dr. and goes to the ER I personally wouldn't risk ignoring the issue/inconvenience .b/c if it is minor than the ER doctors can tell you what you** can and cannot do..it will be worth the bill imo I'm not rich but i would rather be healthy than sick

The ER is for emergencies. If she can get into a doctor within a day or two, it's better to see a primary care doctor. ER docs are paid to treat emergent issues then send people to either a general care physician or specialist ... do no harm but not necessarily treat something that isn't life or limb threatening.

I'd bet that an ER doc would wrap it, prescribe ice and anti-inflammatory drugs, hand out a set of crutches, then tell her to see her regular doctor ASAP. I've been there often enough with soft tissue problems from injuries.

midnight419

She should not go to the ER! Her ankle pain is not an emergency medical issue.

throoper

Thank you all! I truly appreciate your input.

Honestly at this point I'm not going to go to the ER OR a doctor... this is a mild pain that does not warrant either. I posted more because of my concern (thanks to google! but likely justified) that running on it, even if it's not much of a bother now, could turn it into something much worse.

Per the first poster's point, I think I'll be cautious and RICE it for at least a few days. Thanks again.

dbmata

Sounds like it's time to up the mileage.

Because when you come up as lame as a horse with a ruptured leg, you'll get to sit and talk with your doc for months about how you were putting up such big numbers before rehab.

So you have two options: Keep running. It's totally fine to do so, and the problem will take care of itself.
OR
See a doctor and get some PT which will fix what you did to your ankle.

Either approach though, the problem will resolve eventually.

brianpperkins

OP ... you presented a set of symptoms and asked for advice only to discount the advice and completely backpedal on the symptoms you originally listed. If you skipped the drama queen act in the first post, the advice you received would probably differ. In stead you wasted yours, and our, time.

throoper

To most people - thanks for your input!

OP ... you presented a set of symptoms and asked for advice only to discount the advice and completely backpedal on the symptoms you originally listed. If you skipped the drama queen act in the first post, the advice you received would probably differ. In stead you wasted yours, and our, time.

To this dude - what in the hell are you talking about? I said it's "a slight dull ache and a shoot of pain that's maybe a 5-6 on the pain scale when I do tweak my ankle inwards", if you read the OP. Does that sound ER-worthy? If so, that explains why the ER is so full of non emergencies.

And honestly, what is a doctor going to tell me to do? Stay off it, ice it, use compression, etc. It does not warrant surgery by any means - again, MILD pain with occasional shoots of pain when I tweak it a certain way. If I were rich or European, sure, I'd see a doc, why not. But I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars to be told to do what I'm going to do anyway.

(My original reference to Dr. Google convincing me my ankle is about to fall off was obviously a joke. I think anyone who has tried to diagnose a medical condition via the internet, and who doesn't have a stick up their *kitten*, can probably identify with that...)

dbmata

That's why I said up the mileage.

You'll find out REALLY quickly if it's an actual problem. Besides, you claim to be an experienced runner, which means you are also experienced in handling injuries.

You know what to do. Just do it right. Good luck!

throoper

That's why I said up the mileage.

You'll find out REALLY quickly if it's an actual problem. Besides, you claim to be an experienced runner, which means you are also experienced in handling injuries.

You know what to do. Just do it right. Good luck!

Well I don't REALLY know what to do... hence posting the question.... I've run consistently for 10 years and completed 7 half marathons etc, but I haven't had to deal with injuries. Been lucky I guess. But thank you for the well wishes and yes I'll take it easy.

dbmata

Doctors are generally amazingly savvy at finding out what an injury is, and what it could be caused by. They are also generally decently versed at how to recover.

ER is inappropriate. If you don't have a GP, urgent care is fine. What you'll probably want is a little physical therapy.

RockstarWilson

Way I understand it....if it is a burning pain, it is okay. If it is a pain that is more sharp and specific, you should stop. If it is a pain that inhibits free motion, or causes you to 'wince' every time you move, then you should probably stop.

ankle injuries are special, as it is the one joint in your whole body that carries your whole body.

LoneWolfRunner

I am not advising you to do this (so I don't yelled at by the nervous nellies), but I personally would run through it. I have run through a lot of stuff without lasting injury. A couple of years ago I got diagnosed with stress fractures in both feet and was told to stop running for 8 weeks. I sort of took two off and then ran a 30k trail race. Sure it hurt like a beotch, but not as badly as skipping the race...

But that's ME. YOU should stop running and go to a doctor. Lol.

dbmata

Naw, it's cool to tell her to up the miles.

I did. I think it's a good approach. She'll find out very quickly if it's just a pain or an injury. If it's an injury, she can just resolve it then.

LoneWolfRunner

Lol...you are right about that... if its something serious, you will find out pretty quick. I don't mind running a little hurt...gives me something to gripe about to pass the time....

dbmata

Yup, I ran on a knee twist from a climbing injury.

I've been rehabbing it since May thanks to the exacerbation of the injury.

throoper

Thanks yall! Appreciate the advice, even the snarky advice

Way I understand it....if it is a burning pain, it is okay. If it is a pain that is more sharp and specific, you should stop. If it is a pain that inhibits free motion, or causes you to 'wince' every time you move, then you should probably stop.

ankle injuries are special, as it is the one joint in your whole body that carries your whole body.

Thank you! I really appreciate the specificity of this answer. It's usually not a sharp pain UNLESS I twist my ankle inward, and then it is a sharp stab of pain (still not suuuuuper painful - but noticeable and unpleasant). I went mountain biking on it this weekend and that seemed fine, as my foot was essentially immobile in my cleat. No further pain afterwards.

But I am going to take the week off from running and see how it feels this weekend. I do love to run and I count on the calorie burn, but not enough to further jack up an important body part.

I've run through slight ankle issues (eg very slight strain) before with no problems, but this one so perfectly matches the description of the beginning stages of tendonitis that I'm hesitant to do anything further to exacerbate it. Despite the advice to just run more and deal with the injury then, I think I'll try to keep it from becoming such :drinker:

lmr0528

I am a firm believer that with any pain, you should not keep making it hurt and ignore it. Rest it for awhile, if it doesn't get better then see a doctor. Don't keep running, you could make it worse.

throoper

Doctors are generally amazingly savvy at finding out what an injury is, and what it could be caused by. They are also generally decently versed at how to recover.

ER is inappropriate. If you don't have a GP, urgent care is fine. What you'll probably want is a little physical therapy.

Yeah, if it doesn't go away with some RICE, I'll see somebody for advice and PT. If money grew on trees or I were European / Canadian / anyone except victim to the ridiculously expensive American health care system, I'd love to see a doctor asap - but you know how it is.

SonicDeathMonkey80

Sounds like an overuse to me. You can rest and back off the mileage until it goes away, or you can push through it and have miserable runs. I dealt with a similar situation where the insides of my ankle/shin up 1/3 of my leg were tender and painful to the touch, and it took a different kind of shoe to make it go away (was in a very responsive neutral and went to a more cushioned neutral). I also dialed my efforts back while I was getting checked out for stress fractures.

I'm curious as to what your shoes are, mileage (running AND shoe mileage), strike, and cadence are. Also, do you rotate shoes?

SquishyLaughter

I am a beginner runner that experienced the exact same symptoms and my doctor diagnosed it as posterior tibial tendonitis. (this was just about a month ago that it was diagnosed too), I took 3 weeks off running (last week was my first week running again) and followed the RICE. It is now pain free except when I twist the ankle inward, and barely any pain that way anymore.

Now, I can't say that it is exactly what you have, but definitely take it easy for at least a week.

ew_david

How are your shoes?

throoper

Sounds like an overuse to me. You can rest and back off the mileage until it goes away, or you can push through it and have miserable runs. I dealt with a similar situation where the insides of my ankle/shin up 1/3 of my leg were tender and painful to the touch, and it took a different kind of shoe to make it go away (was in a very responsive neutral and went to a more cushioned neutral). I also dialed my efforts back while I was getting checked out for stress fractures.

I'm curious as to what your shoes are, mileage (running AND shoe mileage), strike, and cadence are. Also, do you rotate shoes?

Thanks for the input. Yeah I did ramp up my mileage somewhat significantly in the last month or 6 weeks, so it could be overuse. I might have rolled my ankle a bit too... can't remember, but this is a specific but fairly mild pain along the tendon.

I run on Asic trail shoes that are maybe 3 months old, and I do most of my running on trails with some rocks and uneven surfaces. I've been doing 4-6 miles 3-4 days a week and ~10 miles on the weekend, although I ran a half marathon last week the 21st. Don't know strike and cadence - I've never been tested (embarrassed face). I don't rotate shoes and I do use the trail shoes on street surfaces sometimes....

throoper

I am a beginner runner that experienced the exact same symptoms and my doctor diagnosed it as posterior tibial tendonitis. (this was just about a month ago that it was diagnosed too), I took 3 weeks off running (last week was my first week running again) and followed the RICE. It is now pain free except when I twist the ankle inward, and barely any pain that way anymore.

Now, I can't say that it is exactly what you have, but definitely take it easy for at least a week.

Interesting! That's what I'm curious about... all the stuff about tendinitis online is when it's fairly advanced, so it's hard to tell if I'm being paranoid or whether I'm self-diagnosing the beginning stage. Thank you!

And yeah, to everyone else, thank you for your advice - I'm not going to run or do any high impact / ankle stabilizing activities for at least a week...

dbmata

Thanks yall! Appreciate the advice, even the snarky advice

It's a bit of a dumb question.

But I am going to take the week off from running and see how it feels this weekend. I do love to run and I count on the calorie burn, but not enough to further jack up an important body part.

That's an excellent course of action. Often times an ounce of prevention pays off. I personally have an odd thing going on with my ankle, and really trying to decide whether or not it's worth a run or squat session... or just rest it a few days. One thing is for sure, I'll find out quite quickly if I make the wrong decision.

SonicDeathMonkey80

Sounds like an overuse to me. You can rest and back off the mileage until it goes away, or you can push through it and have miserable runs. I dealt with a similar situation where the insides of my ankle/shin up 1/3 of my leg were tender and painful to the touch, and it took a different kind of shoe to make it go away (was in a very responsive neutral and went to a more cushioned neutral). I also dialed my efforts back while I was getting checked out for stress fractures.

I'm curious as to what your shoes are, mileage (running AND shoe mileage), strike, and cadence are. Also, do you rotate shoes?

Thanks for the input. Yeah I did ramp up my mileage somewhat significantly in the last month or 6 weeks, so it could be overuse. I might have rolled my ankle a bit too... can't remember, but this is a specific but fairly mild pain along the tendon.

I run on Asic trail shoes that are maybe 3 months old, and I do most of my running on trails with some rocks and uneven surfaces. I've been doing 4-6 miles 3-4 days a week and ~10 miles on the weekend, although I ran a half marathon last week the 21st. Don't know strike and cadence - I've never been tested (embarrassed face). I don't rotate shoes and I do use the trail shoes on street surfaces sometimes....

You should know whether or not you're heel or front striking, and I've heard of apps that can help with cadence. I use my Garmin to measure cadence, but understand that a lot of that goes out the window on trails.

Never run on pavement with trail shoes. For one, you'll wear out the lugs, and two there is a stiff rock plate in it that disperses impact from rocks and other trail junk. Doing so could absolutely be the cause of your pain because that's not their intended use.

Nothing wrong with primarily running trails, but personally, I would go out and get fitted for a pair of road shoes and mix it up a little. If you really like trails, find a non-technical trail and go on it every now and then. I love trail running, but if I do it more than 2x a week, my feet/ankles feel trashed.

Hopefully you took some time to rest/recover after your half too.

throoper

Thanks yall! Appreciate the advice, even the snarky advice

It's a bit of a dumb question.

Didn't you pay attention in kindergarten! There's no such thing as a dumb question.

Also, I do hope your ankle issue goes away. Go run 20 miles and see if it helps

throoper

You should know whether or not you're heel or front striking, and I've heard of apps that can help with cadence. I use my Garmin to measure cadence, but understand that a lot of that goes out the window on trails.

Never run on pavement with trail shoes. For one, you'll wear out the lugs, and two there is a stiff rock plate in it that disperses impact from rocks and other trail junk. Doing so could absolutely be the cause of your pain because that's not their intended use.

Nothing wrong with primarily running trails, but personally, I would go out and get fitted for a pair of road shoes and mix it up a little. If you really like trails, find a non-technical trail and go on it every now and then. I love trail running, but if I do it more than 2x a week, my feet/ankles feel trashed.

Hopefully you took some time to rest/recover after your half too.

I'll have to pay more attention to my strike. I didn't know that about trail shoes, yikes! Yeah, mixing it up and adding in road running is probably a good idea, and I will definitely get road shoes!!

I did take ~4 days off after my half, but I think the combo of the fast high-impact downhill half, trail running with all its need for ankle stability, and maybe rolling my ankle a bit at some point (I vaguely recall doing that) has tweaked the tendon. ESPECIALLY because I definitely ran that race 13.1 miles down a paved road with my trail shoes : / Oops. OK, self-imposed break will continue until the pain is gone!

Thanks again to everyone.