A soccer player with a chronic groin injury

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I was reading up on cortisone shots and came across a post on your blog from 2006. Here is a little back story on my injury. I am 20 years old and I play in the premiere soccer league in XXX. I play for XXX FC. I went through a period earlier this year where I was training twice a day 5 days a week with a game on the weekend. Of course I kept pushing through fatigue and muscle soreness thinking I was young and that my body could take it, what ignorance! Anyway I developed a niggle in my left groin at the insertion point for the adductor longus, this was about 2.5 months ago now.
So I handled it with strengthening exercies and a neoprene sleave. This seemed to do the trick. Then one day I felt a sort of pull at the insertion point and what resulted was a lot of weakness in my left groin. There was no real pain and hasn't been throughout this whole thing, just discomfort, and a dull ache. This happened 6 weeks ago. So I saw my physio, XXXX, and I also went to the XXXX Sports clinic that is tied with XXX University, I saw XXXX. Their diagnosis was a groin strain, that had not quite developed into tendonitis yet.

I have been diagnosed with water on the knee with mild degenerative changes

What has sparked me to contact you is an article I read by you in the Walking magazine issue 128.

The thing is I have recently been diagnosed with water on the knee with X-rays reporting arthritis (mild degenerative changes) so I’ve stopped all my usual exercise high impact classes – as knee has been too sore anyway and I’m seeing a physio, and also started taking glucosamine tabs.

However, I was interested to read the advice you had given a reader in your article with a knee arthritic condition also, that he shouldn’t walk or cycle but swim. 

Having been an exercise addict for 23 years I would find it hard to give up walking, cycling etc and my knee seems to be a lot better now than even a week ago (has only been troublesome for a few month though).  Although I have discussed cycling etc with my physio and he seemed to think it should be ok as long as I don’t over do it.  I do intend to gradually go back to Pump classes, Zumba, cycle classes and aqua jogging, and I’m already doing an hour or so walking per day plus upper body Pilates and weights with one of our PT’s

I would like to try manipulation for a stiff toe problem

Gary

I would like to try manipulation for a stiff toe problem. However, I am concerned that this may just cause further damage to the cartilage/joint and/or speed up the arthritis. I have read that rest is the best thing. What do you think?

I damaged my toe about 8 years ago which set off this problem and have periodic bouts of pain, which last a week or so and then can clear up for a couple of months. My doctor says the range of movement is good enough that it would not classify for surgery on the NHS in the UK (I could go private but I am not keen on surgery in any event). I am 57 and pretty active e.g. running, walking.

Advice for a suspected case of tibialis posterior tendinosis

I've been suffering from medial ankle pain for about 2 to 3 months (since early May). I initially though it was a grade I deltoid ligament sprain (in both ankles) because the pain was delayed and pretty minor. The pain came a few hours after performing lower body exercises (squats, lunges, single-leg balancing) while trying to force my feet into a neutral position, because I am an overpronator. It responded well to ice and compression at first, and after 3 weeks the pain had subsided. I was walking normally and going up and down stairs as if I was never injured, and about 2 weeks later, the pain returned. What also aggravated it probably were the exercises that I attempted to do to rehab it (single leg balancing and directional movements with theraband resistance). I think I was too aggressive with the exercises. Heat and ice both assist in pain management, but now walking will just bring pain back immediately. I have no visible signs of inflammation - no swelling or heat - and stretching seems to help for the short-term. Exercise also isn't that bad (theraband directional movements and calf raises with the knees bent) but a bit after some discomfort will arise. About a week or two ago, I found out that the pain had to be from either my tibialis posterior or another muscle in the shin/ankle (the flexor hallucis longus? I'm not sure) Since the pain usually comes about with standing and walking, and the fact that I overpronate, led me to believe it is more likely my tibialis posterior, since this has a direct link over overpronating and such

Is your Achilles tendon injury really that: Or is it something else?

When people come to see me with their injuries and health problems, it is usually because they have exhausted every other option.  Achilles tendon injuries are near the top of the list of reasons for paying me a visit.  These injuries tend to be very poor healers.  The reason given most times is that this tendon has no direct blood supply to expedite healing.  There may be another reason why Achilles tendons fail to heal: The injury may not actually be to the Achilles tendon; but to one or more muscles immediately adjacent to it.  Of course, recovery will be poor if the wrong part is being treated.

If the first diagnosis is of, say “Achilles Tendonitis”, the tendency for all who may subsequently become involved in your treatment is to blindly continue down the Achilles pathway, even when the results are disappointing.  One reason why this may happen is the medical hierarchy and ACC claims setup makes it difficult for a therapist to