[HappilySingle!]

I am hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced this feeling:

My doctor told me about 3 weeks ago that I have tendonitis. I have pain to the touch and some numbness in the muscle to the outer edge of my tibia. I am backed off on workouts and have been applying "balm" - Tiger Balm patches, but am very bored and can't stand to let myself go any longer! I want to get more intense with my workouts again.

I am wondering if I have shin splints rather than tendonitis? My leg does not hurt AT ALL to ride, elliptical, stand on my tippy toes, etc. It hurts when I bump it on something, press on it, and it feels a little tingly to the touch. It is not swollen, red, or otherwise abnormal looking. YES, I have researched this on the net. I'm hoping for some REAL feedback from people who may have experienced this. It started over a month ago after a seriously long snowshoe outing in some deep snow!

Thanks in advance for any tips you might have!

 

[formica]

Get a second opinion? See a sports specialist? GPs don't always have the knowledge to properly diagnose.

welcome aboard, btw!!

 

[HappilySingle!]

Hi Formica, Thanks for the welcome. I do believe it's time to get a 2nd... was just hoping someone has had a simliar experience. It is quite irritating to feel good enough to play hard.. but at the same time, I'm afraid of doing more damage! GRR

 

[formica]

I get all concerned, I had a knee problem that was misdiagnosed for about 4 years.

 

[LadyDi]

There's anterior tibial tendonitis and posterior tibial tendonitis. The respective symtpoms of these two conditions are different as night and day. The anterior version is commonly called "shin splints". I'm so lucky, I've had both! The shin splint was apparently triggered by an improperly-fitting ski boot. My symptoms were similar to your yours and went away w/ no special treatment (and avoidance of rental boots). I'm now recovering from posterior tibial tendonitis, as diagnosed by a top foot/ankle orthopedic guy here in SoCal. That was real fun-- I could barely walk, shooting pains, etc.

Bottom line, if you're experiencing significant pain & mobility issues due to an injury, skip the family doc & head straight to an orthopod who specializes in body part in question.

 

[Lucky]

I am hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced this feeling:

My doctor told me about 3 weeks ago that I have tendonitis. I have pain to the touch and some numbness in the muscle to the outer edge of my tibia. I am backed off on workouts and have been applying "balm" - Tiger Balm patches, but am very bored and can't stand to let myself go any longer! I want to get more intense with my workouts again.

I am wondering if I have shin splints rather than tendonitis? My leg does not hurt AT ALL to ride, elliptical, stand on my tippy toes, etc. It hurts when I bump it on something, press on it, and it feels a little tingly to the touch. It is not swollen, red, or otherwise abnormal looking. YES, I have researched this on the net. I'm hoping for some REAL feedback from people who may have experienced this. It started over a month ago after a seriously long snowshoe outing in some deep snow!

Thanks in advance for any tips you might have!

I'm no doc, but some sort of PT may help you recover. I have heard of people alternating ice and heat to help with tendonitis and other soft-tissue injuries. Don't take my word for this, though, as I am only repeating things I have heard. I would go to an orthopod who specializes in sports injuries, as someone else suggested, and see what they recommend.

My experience is that some doctors just don't comprehend how important it is for us to get back out and get active, and now, dammit! Others "get it". It's not always the docs who are active themselves, either. I shattered my wrist a few years ago, and it ended up healing crooked. The first orthopod suggested I just go to PT and see what range of motion I could get from a wrist with a 40 deg kink in it. I'm and engineer, and I could see it wasn't ever going to operate my SRAM twist shifters in that position. I went to a hand surgeon, who suggested it might be ok for a sedentary person, but that my lifestyle would need a better repair. I had him rebreak it and straighten it, and it turned out beautifully in the end. And he appeared to be a sedentary guy himself, but was able to take my personal needs into account. I think it's more of a personality thing.

Anyone who specializes in sports medicine probably "gets it," so I'd definitely try that.

Good luck!
Kathy

 

[[email protected]]

PTand Athletic trainer here. It sounds like you have tendonitis of the tibialis anterior. The heavy snow on top of your foot when walking caused some muscle damage and because you use this muscle to walk it has not had a good chance to heal. The tiger balm is basically a topical irritant that makes you forget about the discomfort underneath. I would definitely see an orthopod or podiatrist. They can give you stretches and exercises to get you back to a full recovery. They may recommend PT that will help too. Until you seek some medical attention if you are active you might want to ice afterwards. One of the best things is a small dixie cup full of water and put it in the freezer. Use the frozen cup to give an ice massage to the effected muscle for about 8 mintues.with the foot pointed. Works wonders. I have done this myself when I was younger and suffered from the same thing. Good luck and I would go see a specialist.

 

[HappilySingle!]

Hi Heather, Thanks for the information. I called my doc today and he wasn't in. He's going to give me a call tomorrow. I'll be requesting a referral to a PT or Specialist of some sort? I appreciate the "icing it" tip and comfort in knowing someone else has had a similiar problem. I can't believe how many people I have asked and they look at my blankly!? I have never been injured to this extent (minor by comparison I'm sure) and feel very lost. As long as I ice it after use... what kind of damage will I do if I continue to use it? Any insight? I'm so bored!