A Passion for Running

it might not be a stress fracture

passion for running category: running on Wednesday, March 28 2007

I’m being proactive and have an appointment with ex-Edmonton Oiler Dr. Randy Gregg – a doctor specializing in sports related injuries.

But that appointment is next Wednesday so, to try and learn something while I wait, I decided to pester the doctor that sits beside me at work (he’s officially retired from practice). The other day when I approached him, he thought my injury might be a stress fracture. But now he thinks it is more than likely some very severe tendonitis and, get this, he also thinks it may even be a mild case of …gout. gout Strange as that diagnosis may be, I have many of the symptoms of gout and I have read that runners have been known (albeit rarely) to get gout as an extreme reaction to dehydration and the stresses of going long or hard. Strange huh?

Whatever I have, it still hurts like a S.O.B. and will prevent me from running for …however long it prevents me from running.

Anyway, the Doc says I need to up my dosages of anti-inflamatories and seems to think I may not have to stop running entirely. He says that if it’s tendonitis or gout, I will likely be able to resume running in a few days but that I will probably have to slowly increase my mileage to previous levels.

All this is speculation until at least next Wednesday when I see Dr. Gregg. Still, there is some hope in this latest bit of information.

13 comments

13 Comments

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Comment by jeanne

Wednesday March 28, 2007 @

well, la-de-da, i think there might have been a FEW commenters who might have said that maybe this whole self-diagnosis thing was not the smartest…! but GOUT!? that is just so…Dickensian! I’m sorry it hurts, but I’m really hoping it’s not a stress fracture. I bet dr. google has something to say about gout. check him out.

may you HEAL FAST!

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Comment by Mark

Wednesday March 28, 2007 @

yeah, i did a lot of reading on gout. there are quite a few symptoms that i share with it. go figure. however, as the doc said, SEVERE tendonitis is still the most likely problem.

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Comment by Runderwoman

Wednesday March 28, 2007 @

If it is a stress fracture, they tend not to show up on xrays right away (mine didn’t), so waiting a week for your appointment may not be such a bad thing. Good luck.

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Comment by Andrew Seeley

Thursday March 29, 2007 @

Here’s my diagnosis: You were running and you hurt your foot. Now your foot hurts. Ease up on the running and the foot will heal. Resume running.

Gout indeed.

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Comment by Bruce

Thursday March 29, 2007 @

I like Andrew’s diagnosis. I definitely see your point about going from 0 to 70 miles on the hard pavement. Hope it gets well soon.

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Comment by Susan

Thursday March 29, 2007 @

Gout? is that a real diesase? I thought it was a made up disease from the dark ages.

Feel better soon Mark.

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Comment by Anne

Friday March 30, 2007 @

OK, that graphic is giving me the heebie jeebies. Good thing about gout is it’s treatable. Then again, tendonitis is too but the Rx takes longer to work.

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Comment by beverly

Friday March 30, 2007 @

Sorry to hear about the injury … good logical thinking in your previous post.

Gout? Sounds awful. I’m curious to hear what Dr. Gregg has to say. I didn’t think he was still practising … that’s great you got in to see him so quickly.

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Comment by Jennifer

Sunday April 01, 2007 @

Mark,
Sorry to hear about your injury.
Your pain sounds like what I had two years ago. It turned out to be tendonitis, and it didn’t go away with rest. Eventually the only thing that worked was ART (www.activerelease.com) therapy.

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Comment by deene