Hi, everyone,
Now that my next Camino is less than four months away, I think I should get serious about my heel. Last spring, when I walked from Sevilla, I had to stop in Caceres because of severe heel pain. Though I couldn't see my sports medicine doctor till about 3 months later (and by then my heel was fine), his diagnosis concurred with my web research -- I had a heel fat pad injury.
I have had new, softer orthotics made, which I hope will help. And my doctor says that the best thing I can do is slow down, to reduce the force of the impact of the heel on the Camino. Aside from that, does anyone have helpful tips? I take ibuprophen regularly when I walk (I've gotten some reprimands on that from people here, but my stomach tolerates it and I think it helps). I also ice my feet every night. And whenever the Camino is on pavement, I try to get on the side onto grass/dirt/gravel. What else can I do? I plan to start in Sevilla again and am hoping that this time I'll make it all the way to Santiago. But I am kind of nervous about it.
Thanks much, Laurie
Now that my next Camino is less than four months away, I think I should get serious about my heel. Last spring, when I walked from Sevilla, I had to stop in Caceres because of severe heel pain. Though I couldn't see my sports medicine doctor till about 3 months later (and by then my heel was fine), his diagnosis concurred with my web research -- I had a heel fat pad injury.
I have had new, softer orthotics made, which I hope will help. And my doctor says that the best thing I can do is slow down, to reduce the force of the impact of the heel on the Camino. Aside from that, does anyone have helpful tips? I take ibuprophen regularly when I walk (I've gotten some reprimands on that from people here, but my stomach tolerates it and I think it helps). I also ice my feet every night. And whenever the Camino is on pavement, I try to get on the side onto grass/dirt/gravel. What else can I do? I plan to start in Sevilla again and am hoping that this time I'll make it all the way to Santiago. But I am kind of nervous about it.
Thanks much, Laurie