Painful ankles and knees - newbie here!

C

cinnamon

0
Hi there,

I'm new here so thank you in advance for any help or advice you offer, it is much appreciated!

Firstly a quick few lines about me so you have some background. I'm a 30 year old woman, so far I've lost a stone, i'd like to lose another one but I'm not massively unhappy with my body shape (although I weigh a lot i think, about 11 1/2 stone, but i'm 5'8) I've recently - 3 weeks ago - started running after being basically inactive since leaving school, I have a 4 year old child and am on a budget!

Anyway, I've taken up running as a way of loosing weight and because my friend has bet that I cant complete a 10k race with her on the first of April, a date that looms closer by the day! I've been doing really well and getting into this running malarkey more than I ever thought I would, I never really enjoy the run itself but the feeling of having achieved something afterwards and watching how I improve, really spurs me on. But, my ankles are killing me. It's a constant ache at the moment, at the back of my ankle/heel area, i think they're perhaps a bit swollen too. My knees ache too, although I sort of expected that from talking to other people who run.

I got a new pair of specific running shoes before embarking on my regime, not expensive, but on sale and as much as i can afford.

My questions are:
Is this pain caused by my body just not being used to the demands I'm suddenly making on it?
Am I going to do permanent damage if try and push through the pain and ignore it? (I went for a good walk today rather than run to try and help them to feel better)
Is the problem my trainers? If so can i do anything to improve my trainers without having to buy new ones?

I hope someone can help me pleaseeeeeee

Thanks in advance
Cinnamon x
 
I hope this post isn’t too late to help. I know it’s been about two weeks but I saw no one had responded so I wanted to offer what advice I could (unfortunately I'm neither a doctor or a medical professional so that advice is somewhat limited).

It sounds like there could be a couple of things going on here:

- It could be the shoes. I know you said you bought a specific pair of shoes and I assume you mean they were running shoes – correct? The shoes you’re wearing can really make a difference; this doesn’t just refer to the type but the fit as well. Do your shoes feel comfortable?

- It could be that your body simply isn’t used to running; however, after 3 weeks this seems less likely if you've been consistently running. Do you push yourself extremely hard? Do you run every day? Do you stretch and warm up first? Did the pain decrease when you switched to walking?

- It could be an injury/medical issue such as Achilles Tendonitis (irritation of the tendon at the back of the ankle that can cause pain and swelling) or maybe Plantar Fasciitis (This is an inflammation of tissue in the foot, but I think this more from the heel along the side of the foot rather than the ankle).

I know you have that 10k coming up so I would recommend that you visit a doctor to confirm a diagnosis. It could be something as simple as not stretching properly, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you have some kind of injury/medical issue continuing to run could cause worse and/or permanent damage.

In the meantime (of if won’t be going to the doctor) you can try:

- Stretching - Make sure you thoroughly stretch before physical activity and warm up first.

- Strengthening your ankle - There are exercises you can do while you’re just sitting on the couch. For example, when I broke my ankle (running cross country), one exercise the physical therapist gave me was writing the alphabet in the air with my foot – so you just move your foot in the shape of the letter A, then B, and so on. You can do caps and lower case.

- RICE – Rest, ice, compress, and elevate your ankle/foot.

I hope some of this information has helped. While I wish you luck with the 10k race I hope you’ll put your health and well being as top priority. By the way, congratulations on losing weight and sticking with your goals!

AWebb
 
Try using insoles, Dumbing down your distance and slowly working up to the distance you want. Don't run on too many days out of the week. Always try to have a day of rest between runs. Stretch before runnning, perform "warmdowns" and stretch off after every run. Try ankle supports and specialist running socks for added support and comfort. These are cheap and can be picked up @ jjb and sports direct etc. Most of all DON'T over do it as your body can suffer long term from excessive exercise. Any more info you need just hit me up and Best of luck.
 
I think it would be better for you if you do not run more in your normal speed. As you are already feeling pain in your leg. It is advisable to keep yourself off from running.

If you feel severe pain then you need to talk with your doctor and discuss everything regarding your current condition. It would damage your leg in severe way in future if you compete in the competition. First of all you would not win the competition and more importantly it would damage your normal routine also.

Just follow the advice of your doctor.
 
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