Sports Med Question

[Dr. Dukes]

Hello, I have a sports medicine question. On Monday I ran (and finished) the Boston Marathon. In the last several miles I started to feel some pain/discomfort on the outside of my foot, right under my ankle bone. I didn't think much of it at the time, mostly because I just wanted to finish and both my legs were killing me. However, when I finished and started walking that random pain turned into 8-9/10 sharp pain whenever I picked up my foot. I went to the medical tent and a podiatrist told me that I had tendonitis of the peroneus brevis and not a stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal (best news I heard that day)
My question is this: I know I should rest my foot, but that is almost impossible considering I need it for walking. I'm wearing a good pair of hiking boots today, and that stability combined with a whole lot of Tylenol, Aleve, and a Salonpas (topiccal analgesic) patch has the pain down to 5-6/10. How do I immobilize it further?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

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[Tired]

I went to the medical tent and a podiatrist told me that I had tendonitis of the peroneus brevis and not a stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal (best news I heard that day)
My question is this: I know I should rest my foot, but that is almost impossible considering I need it for walking. I'm wearing a good pair of hiking boots today, and that stability combined with a whole lot of Tylenol, Aleve, and a Salonpas (topiccal analgesic) patch has the pain down to 5-6/10. How do I immobilize it further?

Seriously, why settle for a diagnosis from a guy in a medical tent, even if he is a podiatrist? If it were me, I'd go see someone who had access to an xray machine, and could give you crutches or a Cam Walker if it's warranted. And screwing around with a possible base-of-the-5th injury, knowing all the potential long-term problems? Bad idea. Go see your doctor.

 

[Dimoak]

I second Tired's post. A tendonitis diagnosis based solely on descriptions and a pain scale isn't always the best way to rule out other potential damage. Since interpretations of pain and sensation can vary between individuals, even the most skilled and experienced specialist may not be able to give identify a complete diagnosis without a thorough examination and an x-ray. A visit to a local podiatrist or other expert can give you a more complete diagnosis, as well as suggest and prescribe more effective ways to help you recover.