Monday, January 28, 2013

Sesamoiditis

Alternately titled, Sesamoiditis can suck it.

I thought I should write this post because in the last two and a half months, I've spent a lot of time googling bruised sesamoids and sesamoiditis and most of what I found was horribly depressing. People only write about worst case scenarios on the internet, have you noticed? And while my injury isn't all the way healed yet, it at least feels better enough that I feel the need to write something to balance out all the "I've had sesamoiditis for 6 years and had to stop running, THERE IS NO HOPE" posts that I found. If you're here because you're a regular reader of my blog, you can feel free to skip this post. Or you can read more to learn why I've had such crazy eyes over not running much lately. But if you're here because you googled sesamoiditis, hi. I'm sorry. Sesamoids are jerks, aren't they? Did you even know that they existed before you injured yours? I didn't. Granted, I'd sometimes wear heels and have a sore spot on the ball of my feet or run hill repeats and feel a little sore the next day, but ice and rest usually cleared it up.
And then I ran a half marathon with 50 mph wind gusts in shoes with a smaller than usual toe box. My gait was off, way off. I could feel it and kept correcting it, but it was impossible in the wind to keep it normal. I could feel my feet slapping the pavement and knew it wasn't good, but there wasn't anything I could. By the end of the half, the balls of my feet felt like I'd just walked across hot sand. Still, I figured that if I iced them all day at work the next day they'd be fine. Only they didn't get better, they got worse. The tricky thing was that it only hurt when I walked, not when I ran. I kept running moderately for about two weeks because I figured that if it wasn't hurting when I ran, everything had to be fine. In hindsight, I realize this is silly, but runners don't always think straight.

The frustrating thing was that I ran this half marathon in better shape than I'd always been. I trained for a PR. In the course of my training, I ran 13 miles twice. I ran a 14 miles once. I ran 15 miles. I was fine the day after each of these runs, but there were no wind gusts and I ran them in different shoes (before the half, I wore out the Brooks Adrenaline 11s that I'd always run in. The 12s didn't work for me because a seam caused a hot spot. I tried Mizunos and the high ankles rubbled my ankle bone. I finally settled on Nike Lunarglides, which seemed to work.). I expected that I would finish this half, take a day off to rest, then continue running faster than I'd ever run before and PRing more distances. I wasn't ready to give that up, so I was stubborn. Even with the wind gusts that day, I still PRd by 13 minutes. Two weeks after the half, though, I had to admit that it wasn't going to clear up on its own. The area over my sesamoids was visibly swollen. When I stepped down, a sharp pain shot up my foot. Every single time I stepped down, which I fondly referred to as the stabbing pain of doom. I couldn't even touch that area of my foot. If you're reading this and it sounds familiar, please call a podiatrist. It's not going to magically get better on its own. Trust me.

By some magical grace, my xrays showed no fracture or break, although one did show a shadow of an old injury or the start of a fracture. The doctor believed that it was the heavy wind and gait that led to the injury, although he mentioned that my feet have two things that can also contribute to sesamoiditis: high arches and a long second toe. So while it was the wind, my sesamoids are also more prone to injury because of the design of my feet. The doctor also mentioned that he really thought minimalist shoes would be more beneficial than stability shoes. I promptly ignored him because let's be honest here. My feet hurt so badly at this point that I wanted to wrap them in bubble wrap, tie pillows to the bottom and pay someone to carry me around. So the thought running in shoes with less cushion was not one that I could entertain at the time. He put me on anti-inflammatories, gave me a topical gel, instructed me to soak in hot water and epsom salts twice a day and told me that I could continue to run because there no sign of a break or fracture and because I told him it didn't hurt when I ran and I made an appointment to return in a week.

I kept running for a few days, then realized that although my feet didn't hurt when I ran and although everything I read was consistent with the doctor, I was tired of how badly they hurt the rest of the time, so I stopped running. This was hard. The anti-inflammatories helped the visible swelling, but they didn't help the pain any. After a week of rest, my sesamoids didn't feel any better, so my doctor did cortisone shots and fitted me for custom orthotics. I know there's a lot of controversy about whether or not cortisone shots are helpful or harmful, but I was willing to try. I will say that it was probably more painful than natural childbirth, which maybe someone could've warned me about?! His hope with the orthotics was that they would support my arches enough that some of the pressure would be removed from my sesamoids allowing them to heal. After another week of rest, plus the cortisone, my sesamoids felt better. Only, I managed to give myself plantar fasciitis from walking funny to take the weight off my sesamoids. That's funny, universe. After another week of rest, I saw my doctor to get the orthotics. He gave me instructions on how to break them in and told me when I would be able to run in them. I talked to him about the PF and he said that the orthotics should knock it out (and they did), but if they didn't, I needed to get in to see him right away. My feet are just a barrel of fun, basically. In anticipation of easing back into running, I'd bought new shoes, Brooks Adrenaline 13s. The reviews I'd read online said that they were much more like my beloved 11s than the 12s, so they were kind of my hope to be kind to my feet. Note that I was still ignoring the doctor.

After spending a few days breaking in the orthotics, I started running. Slowly. My 13s felt just like my 11s. Only my feet started to hurt again. I can't tell you how upsetting this was. I could feel it as I was running, could literally feel the pressure on my sesamoids when my feet would hit the pavement, even with the orthotics. I wanted to cry. I pictured myself clearing out my dresser full of running clothes and donating it to Goodwill because that was it. I was done. My feet weren't going to heal. Then I remembered what my doctor said about minimalist shoes. I started doing google searches. I learned that most stability shoes have a flex groove right beneath the sesamoid--sure enough, my shoes did. That's why I felt pressure when I ran, because a deeper flex groove leads to more forefoot flexion and more pressure in the area of the sesamoid. Exactly what I DIDN'T need and exactly what my doctor kept trying to tell me. Oops. I wasn't set to see my doctor for another two weeks and I didn't want to wait to discuss shoes with him, but I remember Dimity from Another Mother Runner blogging about Altra shoes before and how they were supposed to help with forefoot pain. A few google searches later and yes, they come highly recommended for people with sesamoiditis. I quibbled a little bit before ordering because man, my allegiance to stability shoes is hard to break, but I looked at my feet which were well on their way to stabbing pains of doom again and hit order on a pair of Altra Intuitions (bonus: they come in pink). I anxiously waited two days for them to arrive, then rushed home and took them out for a mile run. Because they're zero drop shoes, you do have to transition slowly into them. The site recommends switching off with your old shoes, but because my old shoes are hurting me, I haven't been doing that. Because my three weeks without running left me horribly out of shape (which is unfair because I've run for two years straight without any more than 2 consecutive rest days), taking it slow is no problem. What's great about the Altras is that they're foot shaped. The toe box is much bigger than a normal shoe, so it allows your toes to spread out. After two weeks in them, I can tell that my toes have naturally spread out. When my sesamoiditis was really bad, one of the things that relieved it was to pull my toes apart, so it makes sense that this would help. The bottom of the shoe maps the bones of the foot. No flexed grooves. No extra pressure on my sesamoids. My orthotics fit easily into the shoes, too, so I've been wearing them with the orthotics just fine. I've been slowly uppping my mileage to no extra pain, which is a huge relief.

I do still have some lingering pain and I imagine it'll be awhile before that finally leaves, but it's much better. I can press on the actual sesamoid bone to no pain. All I have left is soreness on the inside of my upper forefoot that I feel when I step down. That's it. I've been relieving that with kt tape, which I would recommend to anyone dealing with this. If you want to keep running on bruised sesamoids, this is a great way to deal with it. I apologize in advance for posting a picture of my feet on blog because feet are gross, but this is the best way I could explain.
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First, wrap kt tape *tight* around your upper forefoot. I wrap all the way around to make sure it's tight and stays in place. Then take the second piece and run it down the side of your foot. This doesn't need to be as tight, but make sure it covers the sesamoid, too. This is the best way that I've found to relieve the pain. Moleskin works, too, but I don't think that it promotes healing as well as kt tape.

There's a whole lot of hindsight in this post. If only I'd run my half marathon in shoes with a wider toebox. If only I'd run my half marathon on a day without insane wind gusts. If only I'd gone to the doctor sooner. If only I'd not been so stubborn and LISTENED to the doctor sooner, but in writing this, I hope that I can help someone. Even if you don't have sesamoiditis but you're considering making a shoe switch, I would really encourage you to check out Altras. They're great shoes. I obviously never thought I'd be singing the praises of zero drop shoes, but well. Here I am. I explained to a friend that stability shoes worked really well for pre-injury me, but they workedh horribly for post-injury me. If only I'd admitted to that sooner! I'm hoping that someday soon, I can come back and tell you about how my feet don't hurt AT ALL. That would be really wonderful.

19 comments:

Bari said...

I'm so glad you've found a show that is working & your mileage is building back up. One of my friends loaned me a pair of Newtons to try (it's one of the shoes my doc recommended but the $175 price tag gives me the shakes).

JennaJo said...

Runners are crazy ... glad you are getting back into it though. Hope!

Jess said...

All this sounds terrible! However I am glad you found shoes that work and don't hurt. I've been running for a little over a year now and only in minimalist shows, New Balance Minimus Vibrams (20v2); LOVE them. Super lightweight and pretty good size toe box! My husband who has been running for over two years started with Brooks but also prefers NB Minimalist shoes. Worth the $100 price tag in my opinion! Good luck with the shoes and running!

Julie said...

I can't pronounce Sesamoiditis and I find that distracting. ;-) Glad you are on the way to being able to run again! I don't know why you want to, but glad you can!

Mommy Mo said...

Ouch! I Am having sympathy foot pains just reading this post! I hope you are feeling better already and I so get the need to get back to running.

Thea @ It's Me Vs. Me said...

I had no idea you were having so many problems after that stupid 1/2! I'm sorry. I'm glad the Altras are working for you. I've been working on veeerrryyyy slooooowwwly transitioning to Vibrams and I wear a pair of Merrells for every day wear. I can notice a difference! Here's to many more miles of healthy feet!

Foursons said...

OK, so I know this is an old post and I read it when you first published it but never got to comment and I was still thinking about it yesterday when I was out running a 5K.

First off, congrats on setting a PR despite the horrid weather conditions! You are AWESOME.

I am sorry you are injured and I hope it heals really quickly for you so you can get back out there. I understand the running addiction. While most people would not claim that what I do is actually running I still understand the feeling you get after a good "long" (all relative in terms of distance) run.

I am not sure I could run in a minimilest (sp?) shoe. I run (and walk) on the outsides of my feet and I'm just not sure how that would work in non-supportive shoes.

Anyways, I hope you heal soon!

mrscov10 said...

a) I am a teacher
b) I have pretended to be a superhero for years!!!...I even dress up as one for a race every winter...
c)...except this winter...b/c I was in a GIANT BOOT...w/ major SESAMOIDITIS!!!

Imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon your blog!!! My issue with taking time off is that I'm running w/ the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training for the NJ Half on May 5th. I've already raised over $2,200 and WANTED to train for a PR...but was sidelined with these "jerks". I'm now out of the boot and ran for two weeks pain-free. Then I took a cycle class at a gym and couldn't walk the next day...Now it looks like I'll just have to train to finish. Arg. I'm going to go get myself a pair of Altras. Thanks for the info, the encouragement, and the laughs!!!

mewo said...

Thanks for your insightful post, I could relate to a lot of what you said with my own sesamoid problems. I also initially went for orthotics and supportive shoes, per the suggestion of my doctor. For three months I alternated between these shoes, and was struggling with every pair as my sesamoiditis refused to get better. However, a couple weeks ago I bought a pair of flat flip flops with a very squishy and cusioned sole, and I'm finding that my feet hurt the least in these shoes. I was able to walk more, with less discomfort and the swelling went down. So I went ahead and bought Altra Intuition shoes with the expectation that they would help me like the flip flops. I got a pair in the mail the other day, but i've been nervous to wear them because of how there is little cushion, and I my sesamoid area feels annoyed after wearing them in the house for just a little while. I was wondering if you could update us on your sesamoid condition? Are you still on the path towards full healing?

mewo said...

Thanks for your insightful post, I could relate to a lot of what you said with my own sesamoid problems. I also initially went for orthotics and supportive shoes, per the suggestion of my doctor. For three months I alternated between these shoes, and was struggling with every pair as my sesamoiditis refused to get better. However, a couple weeks ago I bought a pair of flat flip flops with a very squishy and cusioned sole, and I'm finding that my feet hurt the least in these shoes. I was able to walk more, with less discomfort and the swelling went down. So I went ahead and bought Altra Intuition shoes with the expectation that they would help me like the flip flops. I got a pair in the mail the other day, but i've been nervous to wear them because of how there is little cushion, and I my sesamoid area feels annoyed after wearing them in the house for just a little while. I was wondering if you could update us on your sesamoid condition? Are you still on the path towards full healing?

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for writing this post. I nearly cried when I began reading it because I have been dealing with my sesamoiditis for nearly 5 months now & have spent god knows how many hours reading depressing stories about it on google. Would you mind sharing how your recovery has been going since you posted this in January? Also, if fully recovered what seems to have helped the most? I'm on my fourth week in a walking boot & am desperate for some insight on how to get this to go away for good.

Greg said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Greg said...

"The Sesamoiditis Cure" for anyone who is having a problem with sesamoiditis especially runners! http://www.thesesamoiditiscure.com

Kirsten said...

I stumbled upon your post while googling "running with sesamoiditis" and I completely agree with you - everything on the internet seems to be totally down and negative. Thank you so much for posting this. It gives me so much more hope for getting back out on the trail and pavement!

Unknown said...

Thank you for posting this (2 years ago!) and giving so much detail!
I used to run in Mizuno, for like 10 years. As I increased mileage and became more serious about running I developed pf and then severe back pain (took 3 months off from running to heal the back). My pt/chiropractor recommended changing to Newtons. I did in November and loved them. Transitioned slowly but in January, started feeling some pain the ball of my right foot, right by the big toe. I kind of thought it might be my shoes, but they were getting me PR's so there was no way i was switching! Pain persisted, kept training for 1/2's and then took another 2 months off to get started in grad school. Went running this morning, first time in 7 weeks and while it did not hurt when i ran, my foot is screaming at me now. I am not sure if the toe box is too small, I may try putting my orthodics in them to see how they feel. If not, I will give the shoes you mention a look-see. Thank you again for going into so much detail!

Unknown said...

Hi...are you still responding to this post? I have been so depressed for the past three months about my sesmoiditis, and yours is the first blog I've read that is not horrible. If you are still replying to this, could you let me know? I'm a teacher also, but I've been told to stay off my foot (non weight bearing) for a few months, so I'm not returning to school this term. Thank you in advance if you reply.

Stacey said...

We are going through this now with my 11 year old daughter. She is a competitive dancer and after working hard all year she is out for this years comps. What I am reading online is panicking me. She's only 11 but dance is her love. Thank you for sharing a story that has success and isn't all doom.

Unknown said...

The opposite thing happened to me! I have plantar fasciitis and got a cortisone injection. I had a really bad flare up from it and had to walk on the ball of my foot for a week and half. The pain in my heel went away but then I had pain in the ball of my foot from walking funny. I was diagnosed with sesamoiditis. Spent 3 weeks trying to rest, just different foot pads and lots of icing, not relief. I just got a cortisone injection yesterday for the sesamoiditis (that hurt WAY worse than the shot in my hell) and now I'm using crutches so I didn't make my plantar fasciitis worse. It's a stupid endless cycle!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much or this post!! I now feel hopeful that I can heal. I've been fighting an energy exhaustion thing for 15 months, and no it's not the change or my thyroid, I think adrenal fatigue, but just as I was getting some energy back this sesemoiditis happened. I figured it was my luck and always having feet that hurt! luckily I bought clogs 3 weeks ago. But I think the tape will for sure help. Chiropractor has been putting it back in place for 2 weeks, but it won't stay so the tape will help and getting the shoe thing which like you I'm having hard time believing until you explained why. So I'm now willing to try them.
Thank you! Please post again with an update to how long it took to feel better, if you do or if you do not feel better.