Tendonitis

[PeterBarry]

Hi Folks,
I have been struck with tendonitis!
This happened after St Bernard and at Ribadesalla I decided to stop.
(I had to return home for a sudden job interview anyway)
So now I am at home and wondering whether to return after a weeks rest.
Leg feels .....OK but not yet back to full strength.
Doing the whole Rest Ice Compression Elevation thing.
Any body know how long I should rest, Doc say 3 to 4 weeks, but that seems a bit long for me.
If I have to wait a month I may not go back at all!

Any comments or advice appreciated.

Peter

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Rest, ice, and ibuprofen seem to be the cure. I met pilgrims who took as little as three days before returning to the trail. How far and for how long had you been walking before being stuck down? When you return, stay well below the repetitive injury threshold. Good luck on a fast recovery.

 

[PeterBarry]

Hi,
I walked from Irun to Ribadesella, about 400 KM and in about 16 days.
It seems that the longer road walks after Santander caused the problem.
The shorter "Up and Down" before Santander were fine.
Also wore boots on this route and think this may have added to the problem as shoes allow more circulation and air etc.


I am going to try to walk 10 KM today at home and see the reaction from my body.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[lynnejohn]

Everyone with tendonitis seems to have a different experience. My husband developed tendonitis on May 9 this year on the VDLP. We had to stop after a rest period which did not help at all, therefore we came home. He is still in physio twice a week, still limps and cannot walk more than a kilometre or so. He was in great shape with no other medical issues before the injury. So a rest of a few days to a week gets some folks back on the road, others end up with prolonged recovery time...

(By the way, the physiotherapist said had he stopped to rest for 4 or 5 days at the onset of pain instead of walking 24K another day with the pain, he would not have had so much damage... A word to the wise)

Be well and buen camino.

lynne

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Good point, Lynne.

Since I am "in pain" almost all the time on the Camino, I think it is important for me to distinguish which pain it is safe to tolerate, and which needs an actual response. Tendonitis generally is the pulling away of connective tissue from the shin bone. This is damage which will be made worse by continued walking. The flip side is sore muscles, aching feet, tired knees, etc. which rarely indicate actual damage.

Tendonitis is serious, and should not be ignored.

 

[peregrina2000]

I know this is a perennial problem, and Peter you have a lot of company, not that that makes it any easier to bear. As someone who has had many problems with feet and shins on many caminos, here are some things that physical therapists and sports medicine doctors have told me over the years.

Hard pavement exacerbates the problem; hard orthotics in your shoes also makes things worse. I've become a fanatic about walking on dirt shoulders when the camino goes on pavement, if at all possible, and I've gotten silicone orthotics.

Though I'm not normally much of a water drinker, many people have said that being well hydrated is important for tendons. So I just keep drinking water as much as I can.

And finally, I've been told that there are two things you can do every day to help prevent it -- ice the shins and elevate your legs for a while every single day before the pain sets in. I always carry a plastic bag with me and I have only found one bar between Sevilla and Muxia, Madrid and Santiago, or St. Jean and Santiago in which the bar tender refused to give me some ice (this was in Logrono at a place right on the square near the cathedral).

Perhaps more controversially, I also take 6-8 ibuprophen daily as prevention. I got that tip from a former student who played pro basketball, but I know many people think that's a terrible thing to do. My stomach tolerates it, and my doctor says not to worry about it, so that's what I'm doing.

I do all of this regularly and, knock on wood, I have been pain free for several years.

Wishing you a good recovery, Laurie

 

[dutchpilgrim]

Hi Laurie,

Concider walking with hiking-poles.
It'll releive every step.

Ultreya,
Carli Di Bortolo.

 

[MichaelB10398]

...Perhaps more controversially, I also take 6-8 ibuprophen daily as prevention. I got that tip from a former student who played pro basketball, but I know many people think that's a terrible thing to do. My stomach tolerates it, and my doctor says not to worry about it, so that's what I'm doing.

I do all of this regularly and, knock on wood, I have been pain free for several years.

Wishing you a good recovery, Laurie

For short periods of time this dosage of ibuprophen is acceptable when combined with a great deal of drinking water. Ibuprophen is hard on the kidneys and without a sufficient amount water to flush the chemical out of the system it can destroy the proper functioning of kidneys. This is an acceptable path, just stay fully hydrated. All NSAIDs have problems so you will not get away from a problem by using another one.

Before going, talk to your doctor and (s)he may prescribe a steroid that may be better for your current situtation. Tendonitis is not something to play around with; I would stay home for at least a month and then return. You will feel better and your body should be fully recovered.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have found that glucosamine sulfate helps my joints. I know I often challenge myths (!) and placebos here in the Forum, but glucosamine sulfate has helped my back and knees (I think the chondroitin, often paired with it, is bunk!). It is not a remedy, and works only when taken continuously over a period of time, so it is too late for you, Peter, on this bout of tendonitis. NSAIDs wipe out its effectiveness, so if you plan to dose regularly with ibuprofen, as I do on a camino, don't waste the glucosamine.

Obviously, this is just a personal preference, but I think it helps me ward off tendonitis by building stronger connective tissue before I leave for walking.

And use trekking poles (properly).

 

[sulu]

How do you know if you have tendonitis? This may sound a silly question but when I did the Camino last year I had several days of agony from my shin, it was swollen and difficult to bend my foot, it started on the way to Mansilla de las Mulas. In Villar de Mazarife I saw a physio who massaged my leg with Ibruprofen gel and said I could continue walking, that I was walking it off. I took 400mg Ibruprofen every morning any way, it was the only way I could make it through the day.
A friend walked later in the year and had what she called a 'shin-splint', I assume that's what I had.
When everything hurts how do you know what's what? :?

 

[PeterBarry]

Hey Folks,

Many thanks for your sympathy and comments etc.
I tried a short walk yesterday of about 10km after a weeks rest.
The pain only began towards the end.
I think I will take the good advice and remain home for a least 3 to 4 weeks. (1 week already done)
I was inclined to return earlier as I had met a terrific group of about 11 people who were spread over 3 days. It meant that I was always able to just hold up and tap into their problem solving Spanish.

By the way, what is an NSAID. I expect that its a tablet such as IBrufen. I am using Diffiene orally and as a gel and I ICE after any exercise.

Am I doing more harm by swimming and cycling?
I also had orthotics but they had no gel and may have added to the problem.
I also used boots for the very first time and I am certain this did not help as they may have constrained blood flow around the area.

This is the 4th time for me on Camino and I really wanted to go from start to finish on one leg! (Pardon the punne) I think I will be lucky to continue. But the thought of starting again in Irun next year is just too much for me to contemplate. I am rambling!

Thanks for your concern and I will try to make a wise decision.

Peter

 

[MichaelB10398]

NSAID is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. These are the simple products we purchase over the counter for muscle aches and pains. Sorry for using the abbreviation.

Steroidal medications are used by prescription and can be quite effective. If there is something appropriate your doctor will prescribe it.

I do think you have made the right choice to stay home. I pray that you will recover quickly and be in full walking form prior to your next departure. More importantly, I do hope that you will meet new pilgrims that will be just as helpful and enjoyable. It is hard leaving a good group. Best of luck,

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Peter,
If you are taking a NSAID make sure to only take them with food as they can have a bad effect on an empty stomach. This is really important.
As a fellow dubliner who needed four trips to complete first camino I can really sympathise with you.

I hope to do the Camino del Norte next year and would be interested to hear how you get on and if you have a guide for it.

Listen to your body is the best advice I could give. On the other hand if you are between jobs i'm sure you are wishing you could be out there on the Camino

Go neari an bothar leat
Lydia

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles. I developed shin splints on my first Camino when I walked a double stage to run from bedbugs. I chose not to come home, but did do a few days of busing, walking, busing, walking to get some rest and relief. Last Camino my achilles tendons bothered me. With my MCS, I"m prone to tendonitis. I think you're doing the right thing with ice and rest. The Camino will still be there when you heal - Good luck!

 

[mmm042]

Good decision to stay off your feet for 3-4 weeks. I got terrible tendonitis in my shin (it's the same thing as shin splints) and gritted through three days of pain to finish one stretch, since I was doing my app. I had to be off for a month after that. Swimming is good, by the way, as is cycling, assuming neither causes a lot of pain.

During my next walk, which was longer, I alternated walking long days in my hiking boots with running shorter days in running shoes. I also put my legs in cold water every night and took some Ibuprofen. No one single problem. I think alternating shoes definitely helps.

Good luck!

Melanie

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Just for the record: The best place to get ice and plenty of it? The fish market. Or the fish section of the supermarket. You might have to bring your own plastic bag, though.

(I get tendinitis in my shoulders. Massage and shiatsu puts me right. The physio in Sahagun, a real healer, says it´s repetitive strain... from using a walking stick! Go figure!)

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Sulu. You had tendonitus.

I was given anti-inflamatories by another pilgrim in 1998 and they worked well. In 2007 a pharmacist gave my son ibuprofen.

I try to walk as often as I can in walking sandals and have found that by only putting on boots when I need to the tendonitus has not re-occured, though 17 days is the longest I have been on the Camino since 98. Whenever I am on the road or a UMUR then I try to walk in sandals as I find it easier on my legs and feet.

I also found the hill walking to be good-the stretching of the leg seemed to ease the tendonitus.

Peter, I hope you can take this the right way. I'm glad you're friends are now too far ahead of you. Racing to try and catch them up would probably be the worst thing that you could do.

Let us know how you get on.