lower leg pain when walking

[iowagirl]

I have been trying to combine walking (outdoors or treadmill) with my t-tapp and have a question. For the last several years, every time I get serious about walking more often, I run into lower leg pain. I looked at muscle diagrams and I think it's the fibularis (one or both) on the outside of the leg. It hurts and burns in the 6" above the bump on the outside of my ankle after about a half mile. If I speed up into a jog, the pain is a little less.

In reading about this muscle, I suspect there's some rolling in the ankles that is the cause? I've a good pair of running shoes with a wide base. I've also tried wearing my Sketchers. No difference. Also no difference if I walk outdoors or on my treadmill.

My feet and ankles do "pop" a lot when I flex or rotate them. I don't know if that's significant.

Any help and suggestions would be truly appreciated. I really want to be able to walk for 2 or 3 miles regularly, but this pain is frustrating my goals.

[Foobar]

I find that the T-Tapp KLT makes this pain worse. I also run and my trainer for running suggested using a rolling pin and rolling the muscle first. Just use the rolling pin to roll up and down the muscle. Be sure to stretch your calves and feet often.

I also have the popping all of the time. I am just getting over a tough case of plantar fasciitis and my right foot, which had the worst case, pops more. I think the whole foot is just tight and not relaxing. Do a google search on T-Tapp and foot health and you'll see a quickie workout that Teresa put together. Maybe that will help.

When I run, this only hurts for about the first mile. I just tell myself it will go away and it does...

[Vanetta]

Have you tried walking with KLT, tummy tucked, though not as tightly as in the T-Tapp w/outs, and walking on the outside edges of your feet? You can do this outside, on a treadmill or indoors with any indoor walking program. SATI (Stepping Away the Inches) is a video in which Teresa teaches this applied to walking. Make you sure you have shoes with great arch supports. You might want to go to a fitness store where your stride is analyzed for the right shoe for you. I have one foot that pronates, as well. In fact, my chiropractor usually does an adjustment in the pronating foot. Almost always there is a bone on the top part of my foot that is out of alignment. I usually feel it in the front of my ankle.

[truly blessed]

No insights. But I've had a bit of discomfort in almost the same area....looking to see what our generous-minded, knowledgeable friends have to say about it!

It does seem to hurt less if I'm wearing shoes, rather than being barefoot, so...I don't know if that's the same as you're experiencing...

[kimodified]

you might consider going to a running shoe store and having them do a gait analysis - some people pronate and some people supinate (sp?) (has to do with which way your ankles turn, towards the inside or outside) and that effects the whole leg as you walk or run. But wearing even a GREAT shoe that is correcting for the wrong thing can make it worse ... so you might want to see about getting shoes that do the correct thing for YOUR gait. Does that make sense?

[dg5boys]

Dear Iowa P.,
What are you doing with your arms when you walk? Do they swing like a pendulum in a sagittal plane or do they cross in front of your torso?

If the latter, then you may be placing tension on the knee and ankle from the twisting action of the torso from the arm motion.

Another thing that could be a trouble maker is the alignment of the torso to the hips. Is the head and torso tilted in front of the hips? Kim suggested gait analysis, which I would highly recommend. A personal trainer can do this or to an extent, some of the staff at a Fleet Feet or Foot Solutions. You do not have to buy anything, but if you are really wanting to get to the 2-3 mile goal, this may be the next 'step'.

Hope you can get past this problem and be able to not only walk further, but in a way that is totally enjoyable for you this summer.