Ankle tendinitis-any experience with it?
 

I have had mild ankle tendinitis (diagnosed by a Dr.) for the last year or so and have tried to keep it under control by stretching/icing while still training. It would surface after a few harder days of riding and go away after a couple days off, very frustrating. I've played with cleat position and seat height to try to fix it, with very little positive result.

So, now that the race season is done and I'm going to be busy relocating, I decided to take 3-6 weeks off the bike if need be and get this tendinitis thing cured once and for all. I have started icing several times a day, mild stretching and taking Ibuprofin 2x a day. I have done alot of web research on this and many sites mention the use of a home ultrasound system as being very helpful. Is it a valid treatment and can it be effective if I do it myself vs. a doctor? Does anyone have some positive treatment regimin/results that might be useful? Also, are there any bike fit experts in the Atlanta area (where we are relocating to) that might be worthwhile to visit?

Any help appreciated.

I had Achilles tendonitis many years ago. I tried all kinds of stuff, but what finally eliminated it was stopping the physical activity that was irritating it for 12 weeks.

I did not try ultrasound.

Another thing to consider is medications. For example, Cipro a common antibiotic, can cause inflammation of tendons, especially the Achilles tendon. Do you currently take any meds?

Check out http://www.bicyclelink.net/ for bike fit.

Az

Man, I'm out of commision with aggravated tendonitis right now. Mowed the lawn Sunday, no problem, don't remember doing anything drastic to it. Woke up Monday, and couldn't even put any weight on it, so I went to the ER. It's been R.I.C.E.-ville ever since then, with a nice unpaid vacation. :( About 4 years ago I waited tables when my ankle was hurting a little, the next day it my entire ankle was devastated-I couldn't put any weight on it for 6 weeks. It's never been %100 since. So what I've done now is aggravate a pre-existing condition.

A couple tips:
Wear ankle support, especially when you know you won't be walking on level ground. I made the stupid mistake of mowing the lawn in sandals. It might make you feel feeble, but once you tear it up, you've got to baby it.

RICE

As far as cycling goes, I have found that cycling shoes and clipless pedals aggravate tendonitis far less than toeclips and platforms, sorry Grant. Needless to say, wear some ankle support on the weak one for longer rides, or if you're climbing a bunch.

Stretch when you get up in the morning, maybe do some sun salutations if you're into yoga.

Listen to your body very closely.


Good luck.

Az B:
No, I am not taking any meds. Thanks for the link, I'll give them a call when I get in town 1st of October. Do you know of any sports med centers in Atl that have direct experience w/cycling I could check out?

Kris:
I have been using Speedplays for a couple of years and I definitely like the range of motion. I don't think the problem is the pedals but there might be something with positioning I could change that might reduce the chance of the tendinitis coming back (I'm hoping at least).

Mark,

Have you done any physical therapy for it? My experience is that a good physical therapist is often a lot better at addressing those sorts of issues than the do-it-yourself approach.

You say that you've played with seat height and cleat position. Have you had a professional fit? Preferably the aforementioned physical therapist.

I keep having recurring achilles tendonitis also. What I have found that works for me is when I take my shower in the morning, I plug the tub and let it fill up with warm water. When it gets ankle deep, I stretch my achilles (pushing against the wall like your trying to hold it up) with straight legs and also slightly bent legs. I hold each stretch for about 20 - 30 seconds and do each ankle 2 - 3 times. Morinings are usually the worst for me as my achilles are very tight then so stretching in the shower helps me loosen things up. If they are bad during the day, I'll ice them when I get home from work and on occaision, will wrap also. My doctor (ortopedic surgeon) recommend this for my case as it was not too severe. I'm 39 years old, was very active and athletic and played/participated in many sports up to the age of 31 and then pretty much nothing till spring of this year when I started cycling again, FWIW.

Which anke is it by the way, or is it both?

Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of it is to stop the activity in order to heal. And the way to keep it from coming back is to do specific exercises to strengthen the tendons gradually.