Threading blisters

[Peachy]

I developed some huge ones after a 35 km day, they have been really concerning me, and everyone has different advice,

i did read about threading blisters on this forum and some i've met here swear by it, others say no way.

My blister on my heel is so large that it slowed me down today through concern of how best to deal with it and wearing shoes i prefered not to walk in as they are my spare shoes for after walking etc

so i just ran a needle and thread through it,..it really hurt for a few minutes, burning, raw,..as the fluid drained out,..but i guess i'll just have to take my chances , see what happens! ..maybe compeed on it tommorrow?

I'm really happy with my shoes, nikes with a good inner sole, ..i had nothing blister wise,. till that walk when i knew i maybe should have stopped five kms previously perhaps in hindsight.

live and learn! its put a bit of a reflctive spin on things for me wondering how to best handle it. I tried to let it heal naturally as the body creates it's own fluid for a reason, ..and given i'm surrounded by people, mainly young men in their twenties drinking beer etc, ..i feel like i should just take my own advice and do what feels right. I'm not as tough as they are and dont have that gung ho attitude to distance and to my body.

I've learned, to listen to it instead and treat it with kindness.

which lately includes picking lavender when i can and threading it through my bracelet for later moments on the walk that are tough,..i find squashing a bit and sniffing it's scent gives me a good boost, and makes me breathe in deep through the nose giving me more oxygen and helps me through.


I look around and feel a bit like a wuss atm :lol:

 

[whariwharangi]

Draining the blister is a good idea. Do it before you turn in for the night to let the blister dry out.

I used thread for the first time ever on the camino ... it worked well in keeping blisters open and drained. I wetted the thread and the needle with alcohol to sterilize.

Vaseline works wonders. You can get small pots about an ounce in size at any store. Apply in the morning before you walk to lubricate the feet.

I had mixed success with compeed. It works on the blister but new ones tended to form on the edges of the compeed. I ended up with tiny but painful blisters that were very hard to drain on the sole just under the toe joint.

I used moleskin on one persistent blister and it worked quite well. Just cut a hole large enough to cover the blister so it reduces friction on that spot.

If it gets really bad duct tape works well but its a horror to take off.

 

[scruffy1]

The old stab it with a heated needle trick! Together with lots of iodine mercurochrome antibiotic cream and prayer I trust. What has happened has happened and will happen again if you don't try and figure out why. New shoes/boots? Fit? Socks? Insoles? Stop and rest your feet, take your boots off every few hours and stretch legs feet and toes. Change your socks at lunchtime and should you be walking much further again towards the end of the day. Better to wash and carry damp socks then to lance another blister. Remove the insoles and allow your nasty sweaty boots to dry overnight. Could be anything but do work it out. Inflamed and infected blisters are no joke, limping off a blistered foot to ease the pain can cause problems with the other knee, ankle, or Achilles. No fun at all. Hoping you enjoy a better Camino.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I you are going to put a compeed on it tomorrow you have to cut away all the blister skin first otherwise it will chaft agaist the thin thin skin under the blister and give you a blister under the blister. I have leared that the hard way so if i get blisters and don't have the time to wait I punctuate and cut away all the "extra" skin and wipe it clean with wound wash and dry it. Then I add the compeed. I have walked & ran 2 100 km ultra marathon and 4 110 km mountain races and I know at 70 km my heal will blister even if i use vaseline and put protective tape on it. Have some other hot spots that I have tried to use compeed in advance on but the only thing it does is ruin the socks. Put some tape above the compeed so it doesn't curl up in the edges and ruin you socks.

Take of the shoes and socks as often as you can, change socks at least once a day during the hike. Wash the other pair and put them on your backpack with safety pins.

My worst point are between the big toe and the next, hard to put tape or compeed there so on the camino I'll try the ten toe socks. I have hiked in them here at home and it looks promising. I also hope that the fact that I'll stop and rest for several hours evening/night will prevent my feet from blistering as they do on a 16 - 28 h continuous walk/run when I do the races.

I wish you luck with your feet and hopefully you will not feel any pain tomorrow.

 

[jpflavin1]

Peachy:

The advice about finding the source of the blisters is the best. Something is wrong with your shoes boots, socks etc. to cause blistering.

That said, this is how I take care of my feet.

Each morning and evening I put Vaseline on my feet. If I feel a hot spot while walking I stop and put a Compeed on that area. I only use Compeed to prevent blisters not after they have formed. Any time have ever put a Compeed on a hotspot, I have never developed a blister. I have had two blisters in four Camino's. One on my heel, used thread method and it worked great. The blister drained and kept draining. Each morning I would put antibiotics and re-bandage. The other was on the ball of my foot. I just lanced, used antibiotics and bandaged. within a week it was totally dried up.

I would explore different foot ware than you currently have. Try wearing a liner under your socks, double your socks, or different socks. When you get a hot spot stop and treat it with Compeed before it turns into a blister.

Good Luck on the rest of your Camino.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Magwood]

[quote="jpflavin1. When you get a hot spot stop and treat it with Compeed before it turns into a blister.
Joe[/quote]

Joe, when you use a compeed to treat a hotspot, how long do you leave it on for?


Buen camino, Maggie
Daily report from Camino Frances Apr/May 2013 at http://magwood.wordpress.com

 

[David]

Hi - beware putting compeed over blisters that you have threaded and then walked on for a day. Unless all the wound area is immaculately clean, by placing a compeed over it and sealing it down you will trap bacteria into a perfect mobile petrie dish :|

My opinion it is always better to drain. At home, if you get a blister you aren't walking miles and miles the next day. On Camino, where you pound along wearing a pack you hammer the blister with each step - as the blister is full of liquid it causes the blister to force itself outwards, separating the skin layers at the edges and enlarging it - not good.
So - immaculately clean it, drain it carefully, flatten it, clean it again, smear anti-biotic cream on it - or tea tree or Calendula - and carefully cover it with a good plaster or even a folded tissue and gaffer tape. And - you did wash your hands before you did all that didn't you?

Then - take a really good look at your footwear and socks - what is going on? If blisters are down between the toes then your boots may be too tight there - take your laces off and put them back on again but ignore the first pair or two pairs of eyelets - this will allow your footwear to open at the front.

Said before - but absolutely crucial - the instant you feel a hot burning spot on your foot STOP! Take off your boots and socks and cover that hotspot with a plaster or similar. Compeed is good but can be difficult to get off sometimes. Then take a good look at your socks and boots - is there a lumpy bit? bad stitching and so on? You may be able to cover it with some gaffer or a plaster if they are strong ones - if not, cover your foot at that point. Then put your socks back on but on the the other feet (not your spare feet in your rucksack but right to left and left to right) - doing this anyway, taking your boots and socks off every couple of hours allows your feet to breathe and dry - feels good too.

Of socks - most important three rules: wear clean socks, wear clean socks, wear clean socks!

Oh - and don't tie your footwear as tight as it will go - you are supporting your feet, not punishing them :wink:

Buen Camino!

 

[Peachy]

hey thanks..i took all your advice into account, (and will use alot of it also to some degree )

what i did was drained it, put the compeed on, walked 22 kms today and it was all fine. hurt like hell mind you when i first put my shoes on first thing for the first 5 kms...expected

then i decided,..this is my personal camino, and nz is very far from europe, ..so killing two birds with one stone i caught a train shaving two/three days walking..to leon, ..and it's beautiful,..so i'll spend a couple days healing and seeing a little of this lovely city, loading up on vitamin c, potassium, magnesium etc,.then head back on.

feel really good about it, ,i've been finding going from a mainly vegan and alot of raw food diet,..to allmost no vegetables and alot of meat, bread based meals effecting my mental health..but of a shock to the system!

so thanks so much,..i'll get prepared for the next leg.

..and for me it's just so different from new zealand that i do want to take some time appreciating the country ..most of the people on the walk i've met are from here, or a nearby european country so can come more easily. I may never be here again for many years.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

@peachy Glad to hear you are OK and do the camino the way you want to. León a couple of days sounds nice.

 

[Peachy]

@peachy Glad to hear you are OK and do the camino the way you want to. León a couple of days sounds nice.

hey thanks!

and ..oh..wow...that is totally insane,..in an amazing way!..the runs you do!!!!! you must be superwoman!

 

[Doodles]

Hi - beware putting compeed over blisters that you have threaded and then walked on for a day. Unless all the wound area is immaculately clean, by placing a compeed over it and sealing it down you will trap bacteria into a perfect mobile petrie dish

David is so right ... DO NOT put Compeed over a blister. To do so is asking for a bigger problem. It is only good as a preventive measure. Drain it, antibiotic ointment, bandage and keep dry as possible.

 

[cloud86]

I bought my boots back in march to walk them in for 5 months. I got a blister the first time I wore them and being a typical bloke my feet swet. I rubbed my feet in talc powder before wearing my ankle sport socks under my hiking ones! Haven't had a blister since! I feel my boots are now broken in. Lets hope the good luck continues! Buen camino!

 

[Peachy]

Buen Camino Cloud,

just heading off here back into it.


I had a quick look at your blog, ..looks good!..i have one also and i find it very handy although it is not as prosaic as i may have hoped for at times! But i know i will be glad i have it as a personal record among other things and my family and friends enjoy it.

I work on more the internal outwards basis often, ..aswell as the external dressing ..nutrients and things that hhelp heal the skin for example,..and my blisters are healing well..so ..bring on the next couple weeks and i feel as nervous as i did the first time leaving.

But figuring i walked around 340 kms allready, and passed through 54 villages,..i am sure it will be all well!

buen camino and travel safe,..all who are heading off soon, ..it is a beautiful experience on many levels


..i actually spent allmost all the money i have on the world on this so it was a bit of a leap!

 

[Annie Little]

Are there any other ways to sterilize needle and thread ??

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Are there any other ways to sterilize needle and thread ??

I take a 2 oz. bottle of isopropyl alcohol. It sterilizes, and is good for removing foot lubricant if Compeed is to be applied.

 

[jpflavin1]

[quote="jpflavin1. When you get a hot spot stop and treat it with Compeed before it turns into a blister.
Joe

Joe, when you use a compeed to treat a hotspot, how long do you leave it on for?


Buen camino, Maggie
Daily report from Camino Frances Apr/May 2013 at http://magwood.wordpress.com[/quote]

Maggie:

I leave the Compeed on for several days. Then remove it. If there is still a problem or the hotspot returns, I replace it.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

100k is easy first you walk/run 10 km and that can anyone do. Then you do it again and again and suddenly you have 20 horrible km left

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[NicoZ]

I feel my boots are now broken in.!

Or your feet have toughened up.