alank2

Not a bike riding question or issue, and actually I am hoping that getting back into riding helps me with general fitness. I wonder though if this is a muscle issue. Sitting in a chair if I pull my foot upward bending it at the ankle, it is fine as long as my knee is bent. Now if I extend my leg so it is straight at the knee and then pull up my food in the same way, I will feel a stinging type of pain in my heel. Same thing if standing and you bend over all the way and touch your fingers to the ground. The first time I encountered this I was jumping rope and perhaps did too much too fast. I as doing that on carpet with no shoes which did not help, but it healed up. Then it returned, but I'm not sure what could have caused it this time. I did some setups, but honestly not that many. My theory is the muscle connecting to the tendon is too tight and just needs to stretch or grow a bit, but I thought I'd see if someone else has experienced this.

Carbonfiberboy 

Stinging pain - you tore something, probably a bit of your Achilles tendon attachment. I think the best response is to do nothing which causes or might cause that pain for maybe a month. No exercise, no bike, no stretching, careful walking. Then try doing gentle calf raises on a stair. If that goes OK, do that every day for a month. If that goes OK, do one legged calf raises, both legs, on a stair to exhaustion, every other day for a month.

But before following my advice about the calf raises, see if you can get a phone or video appointment with a orthopedist. This isn't something to be messed with IMO, having once ruptured an Achilles. Until then or it feels OK, rest it.

Jumping rope is a form of pliometrics which put multi-G forces on your tendons, muscles, and bones. All good until it's not. If you'd been fit with lower stress exercise and stretching, wouldn't have happened jumping rope.

alank2

It is only certain movements which cause the pain - I can avoid them easily. No pain walking or riding (and I just started riding two days ago). Do you think I should avoid riding all together for a month or just go easy on it? No pain during riding. I'm not giong to be doing a lot, today I did 15 minutes and 2 miles and was planning on that twice a week or so to begin with. Ultimately I want to get fit to where like you say it wouldn't have happened. Thanks!

Carbonfiberboy 

Pain of that sort is a sign of damage. I.e., no pain, no further damage. So fine to ride as long as it doesn't hurt, my opinion only. Dr.'s opinion would be better, This isn't something to fool with.

alank2

I appreciate the help - thank you!

canklecat

Always wear good gym shoes when skipping rope, especially at first. It's working muscles and connective tissue we rarely use in any other exercise. Shoes with little or no tread patterns are best. The rope is less likely to snag the soles and trip you. Boxers traditionally used high top shoes with smooth leather soles, scuffed up and it with rosin, but that's out of fashion now. Wrestling shoes are a decent alternative and often less expensive.

Get a firm but resilient floor mat or grippy rug for jumping rope. That's what many of us did in the boxing gym with skipping rope is a staple of boxing training. Some folks even skipped rope in the ring, although the same type of padded mat on the floor would work as well.

Some folks can skip rope on pavement or hard floors, but once you get an injury it's better to avoid repeating the same stuff that caused it.

It's a good exercise but takes awhile to build up strength and coordination to do it without injury.

If you watch some experienced boxers skipping rope their feet barely move, just enough to clear the rope. Not really jumping. Others do running or walking type steps rather than jumping. Try those and see if it reduces the strain.

mirfi

Sounds like plantar fasciitis. Look it up.Then go to the Walgreens/Walmart/Target and get the Dr Sckools shoe insets or equivalent for $20. Or go to a podiatrist and spend $900 for the same thing. Also look at the plantar fasciitis threads on BF.

Carbonfiberboy 

Good point. OP, is the pain in the back or the bottom of the heel? I assumed the back. Fasciitis would be the bottom.

alank2

I would say it is right on the edge between the back and the bottom. At first I wondered if the heel was just overly dry and maybe it needed moisturizer and sanding or something. I've had that muscle along the bottom of my foot hurt a long time ago (early 20s while rollerblading), but this is not that although my wife says her mom's planar fasciitis was towards her heel. It is worst when I am standing and I bend over with straight legs to touch the floor with my fingers. I can feel it when sitting if I extend my leg and then pull up my toes towards me while extended, but it isn't too bad that way compared to bending while standing. It seems to be one of those things that is worse at first, but maybe once the muscle in the back on my leg stretches out a bit then it better. Right now sitting, leg extended, and pull my toes upward and it is only a slight small sting at the end.

Again, what I find odd this time is that I don't remember really doing anything that would cause it to come back necessarily like I did when I overdid the jump roping 6 months ago - I knew what caused it then. Sometimes I do a quick sprint run when checking the mail and maybe that isn't such a great idea with no warmup.

What I want to do is get in better shape, heal it up, and be more fit so it doesn't happen in the first place.

SayWatt

If your confident it’s a muscle issue, get a balance disc from a sporting goods store or amazon, and do exercises to strengthen them. if it’s currently an option for you could also go to a sports therapy center to get it evaluated by a pro(may have to wait till the pandemic is over to do this depending on where you live).

alo

Cut some flip flops in half, and put the back in your shoes, under your heel. Having this very soft padding should be beneficial.

washed up

I have something similar that seems to come around about once a year or so. I diagnosed myself with Achilles bursitis.
https://www.betterbraces.com/injury-...illes-bursitis
My pain sounds similar to what you describe. It almost always takes about 2 weeks to go away and if I keep riding it stretches out to about 3 weeks.

alank2

That looks very much like it could be it. Do you feel pain when standing if you bend at the waist to touch your fingers to the floor, etc.?

Carbonfiberboy 

A quick google of Achilles bursitis yielded a lot of good info including this: https://footadvice.com/difference-be...-and-bursitis/
Other bursitis conditions I've had yielded best to stretching, tendinitis to minimal repetitions at high loads, slow movement, especially eccentric contractions.

alank2

I can appreciate that that page is trying to point out some differences between the two, but I'm still not really clear about how to discern one from the other. I am definitely guilty of pushing it too much too fast or not properly warming up sometimes so I need to stop doing that. It seems to be healing up now so I can bend and not feel pain at this point (or at least I am feeling it in the muscles along the back of my leg now when stretching instead). I'm just going to go easy on it and try to work on being more fit, hopefully that will keep it happy.