No pain, no blessing?

[Trampam]

Hello,fellow pilgrims!
I’ve already read about “when in doubt - ask the doctor”, but I still want to ask the experienced community first - and at that moment the nearest doctor is some kilometers far away, and most likely advice would be to stop camino.
First week of my Camino Portuguese went pretty good, I walked fast, and probably that was my mistake - after that I feel a disturbance in the upper side of the foot (ankle or tarsus - don’t know the correct word)
After halfday of rest it disappeared, but then appeared again. Now I decreased my pace and daily distance (twice), use Voltaren (it helps slightly) but still feel the sprain and sometimes pain - when do a wrong step on uneven ground.
So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? Because I see and hear a lot of things abiut pilgrims pains, so I suppose my case is not a rare thing...

 

[Waka]

The only advice I can offer is seek medical attention, if this is not close then get transport. Walking with an injury you can end up doing more damage and sometimes it can be really serious.
I was lucky on my pilgrimages because I never suffered any foot or ankle problems, but then my limit didn't exceed 25 km a day.

 

[Marbe2]

I second what Waka is suggesting! see a doctor!

 

[domigee]

So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? .

Hi! Sorry to hear this. No, it isn’t normal and you should see a doctor or at least ask in a farmacia... For a start they’ll tell you where the nearest medical centre is and maybe they’ll be able to help... We can’t tell you from here if it is serious or not
Best wishes. Tell us how you get on....

 

[Trampam]

Ok, will try to ask at Ponte de Lima, next somewhat big city on the route. Talked to other fellow pilgrim who did Camino Frances and said that last 200km (!) he had to literally drag himself through the pain, but of course there could be different cases.
Thanks for advice guys, this forum is really nice place full of positive spirit!

 

[VNwalking]

There's no way we could know from out here, @Trampam , but @domigee has a very good suggestion - ask at a pharmacia first. They're very helpful and will be able to give you decent advice about how to either keep going or whether you need to stop and jump ahead to where you can get it assessed at a clinic. It could be nothing or it could be something. And if it's something you don't want to be making it worse.

 

[JabbaPapa]

These sorts of pains are normal to a degree, though it's of course not possible to realise the degree of it that you're feeling via the forum.

They can often be walked upon without problems except the pain itself, and the inevitable slowing down that it might induce -- but a rest day is always a good idea if it gets bad, and there are also some worse cases where the pain might be indicative of something that might affect someone's Camino as a whole. Or conversely, it can just be an ordinary inflammation that might resolve itself with patience and gradual gaining of strength.

Bottom line though, as you might guess from this wide array of potentials -- Waka is right that if it's truly bothering you, then seeking medical attention would be a good idea, especially if these might be pains that you have never experienced before in different circumstances, but at that time might have been benign.

Bear in mind nonetheless that medical professionals might tend to err on the side of caution, so that you should try and get a sense, if you should be advised to stop, if this is a recommendation only or if it is a more serious "opinion" that it's best to do so, pondering it as it were intuitively, and then proceed from there as you feel would be appropriate ; whether that might be continuing, but perhaps at a slower daily pace, or the same ; resting for a day or two before carrying on ; or needing to give up for medical reasons.

Many pilgrims before and after you have felt and will feel such pains, but in IT terms they're a bug, not a feature. There's no need to feel attached to such pains as if they might be a part of the Way.

Hope that helps, peregrino, and Buen Camino y buena suerte !!

 

[Trampam]

Thank you all guys, so I asked in the pharmacy about my problems, and she just recommended cold water or freezing gel (Biofreeze). She said that she have seen much worse cases and I don’t need any doctor’s consultation. Hope she is right)
At least today I feel better, and it was a short walk ~15km, pretty enjoyable

 

[woodswoman]

Ok, will try to ask at Ponte de Lima, next somewhat big city on the route. Talked to other fellow pilgrim who did Camino Frances and said that last 200km (!) he had to literally drag himself through the pain, but of course there could be different cases.
Thanks for advice guys, this forum is really nice place full of positive spirit!

Dragging oneself through the pain seems like not a brilliant idea. On my first Camino, the Francis, I met two men who ended up in the hospital with intravenous antibiotics because they would not stop doing their 40 km days with blisters. Finally the blisters and bleeding were so infected, and these two were not traveling together. They were two separate very unwise people, and they each ended up in the hospital for a day. Then they ended up taking taxi cabs for four days to a week each because the doctor insisted they were not to be on their feet walking the Camino.

The lesson is always that when something starts to hurt and just doesn’t feel right, and doesn’t go away in a day, don’t keep walking on it without getting some medical advice!

 

[AndreaCT]

Two years ago I walked waaaaay too fast first thing in the morning, mostly because it was freezing out and I was trying to get warmed up. I injured a tendon in my left foot and the discomfort plagued me the rest of my trip. I should have seen a doctor, had a diagnosis and been treated. When I got back home, I was given some stretching exercises by my physio and he taped my foot. The taping was the pain reliever! Next Camino, the tape came along just in case, and I always started out slow. I trust that you will find relief and be able to finish your walk Trampam!

 

[marjm007]

Hello,fellow pilgrims!
I’ve already read about “when in doubt - ask the doctor”, but I still want to ask the experienced community first - and at that moment the nearest doctor is some kilometers far away, and most likely advice would be to stop camino.
First week of my Camino Portuguese went pretty good, I walked fast, and probably that was my mistake - after that I feel a disturbance in the upper side of the foot (ankle or tarsus - don’t know the correct word)
After halfday of rest it disappeared, but then appeared again. Now I decreased my pace and daily distance (twice), use Voltaren (it helps slightly) but still feel the sprain and sometimes pain - when do a wrong step on uneven ground.
So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? Because I see and hear a lot of things abiut pilgrims pains, so I suppose my case is not a rare thing...

I hear you. When I walked the Camino I had foot problems after the first week. I walked in pain and people were kind. In Leon I went to a female for help and they recommended a massage therapist. Be was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable. I rested a few days and visited him 2 our 3 times. Be had seen many perigrinos. Completion is good and a natural pain killer is arnica. Buen Camino oops bom caminja

Hello,fellow pilgrims!
I’ve already read about “when in doubt - ask the doctor”, but I still want to ask the experienced community first - and at that moment the nearest doctor is some kilometers far away, and most likely advice would be to stop camino.
First week of my Camino Portuguese went pretty good, I walked fast, and probably that was my mistake - after that I feel a disturbance in the upper side of the foot (ankle or tarsus - don’t know the correct word)
After halfday of rest it disappeared, but then appeared again. Now I decreased my pace and daily distance (twice), use Voltaren (it helps slightly) but still feel the sprain and sometimes pain - when do a wrong step on uneven ground.
So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? Because I see and hear a lot of things abiut pilgrims pains, so I suppose my case is not a rare thing...

Hello,fellow pilgrims!
I’ve already read about “when in doubt - ask the doctor”, but I still want to ask the experienced community first - and at that moment the nearest doctor is some kilometers far away, and most likely advice would be to stop camino.
First week of my Camino Portuguese went pretty good, I walked fast, and probably that was my mistake - after that I feel a disturbance in the upper side of the foot (ankle or tarsus - don’t know the correct word)
After halfday of rest it disappeared, but then appeared again. Now I decreased my pace and daily distance (twice), use Voltaren (it helps slightly) but still feel the sprain and sometimes pain - when do a wrong step on uneven ground.
So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? Because I see and hear a lot of things abiut pilgrims pains, so I suppose my case is not a rare thing...

I walkes the Camino and had problems with my feet after about a week. Don't ignore the pain. Seek help the people along the way are very knowledgeable about foot and leg problems. I went to a pharmacy in Leon and they sent me to a massage therapist. He was wonderful he could bandage my feet and he knew what I needed to do to get better to proceed. Voltaren is good and he told me to buy arnica a natural painkiller. Buen Camino oops I meant Bom Caminho.
Enjoy your Caminho and take every day as it comes and if you need a taxi or bus accepting that kind of help is part of your personal Caminho. For many of us accepting that help or taking that bus can be harder than walking through the pain. But you don't want your leg to be damaged for good.

 

[susanawee]

I started out my last Camino in April of this year with Bunion area pain but, as I went, further pain issues arose. I kept on walking because my foot was well supported in my boots and the pain resolved to a great degree. Sadly though, I have been home since May and things have just continued to get worse. Following scans and two MRI's, it has been established that I have ruptured ligaments along the top of my foot and damage across the front of the ankle joint, together with the Bunion pain. I've had two lots of corticosteroid injections and now will have surgery in November to fix some of the damage.....Please have your foot assessed by a medical professional....Cheers Susanawee.

 

[Stivandrer]

I would also recommend taping, AFTER you have seen the doctor., which apparently you have...
When you were taped, what did he use; Sportstape or K-tape.

Sportstape is non stretching and hard to get off your skin, whereas K-take can be self-applied and sticks for 3-5 days and then peels off easily, and it is stretching fine.

Go You Tube and find out how.. write K-tape ankle problems
My favourite for a twisted ankle is this:

or

others might apply..

Good thing about Ktape is that is affordable, (comes in cheap makes or original ) no elastic bandage to wash, comes off clean, swelling is reduced..

you might apply twice for greater pressure or indeed put sportstape on top if you wish, this way it all comes better off in due time when applied on top of Ktape....

 

[Marianjhart]

Hello,fellow pilgrims!
I’ve already read about “when in doubt - ask the doctor”, but I still want to ask the experienced community first - and at that moment the nearest doctor is some kilometers far away, and most likely advice would be to stop camino.
First week of my Camino Portuguese went pretty good, I walked fast, and probably that was my mistake - after that I feel a disturbance in the upper side of the foot (ankle or tarsus - don’t know the correct word)
After halfday of rest it disappeared, but then appeared again. Now I decreased my pace and daily distance (twice), use Voltaren (it helps slightly) but still feel the sprain and sometimes pain - when do a wrong step on uneven ground.
So the question - is it the usual thing when you have such pains after walking a lot? What did you do to recover? Because I see and hear a lot of things abiut pilgrims pains, so I suppose my case is not a rare thing...

Always best to ask a doctor, but this kind of pain can be expected when you are walking on uneven ground and not accustomed to it. A conservative medical approach involves rest, and maybe ice or anti-inflammatory medication. The thing is most people don’t want to stop walking and will try a wait and see approach whereby they continue walking but try not to make it worse. These are very individual cost/benefit choices. Consult a doctor when you can and stop if you believe it is getting worse for sure. Good luck and Buen Camino.

 

[Elizbeth]

Lots of good advice was already given to you. When foot problems arise in that case you want to carry less weight and use trekking poles . You might want to send stuff somewhere where it makes sense to you .
I don’t like to send my whole bag ahead because I feel like it’s an added limitation to my freedom on a given waking day ...

Ladies with osteopenia can get stress fractures easily if they push walking too hard with relatively heavy backpack ...
Just putting this info out to help such pilgrims .

 

[Former member 49149]

I started out my last Camino in April of this year with Bunion area pain but, as I went, further pain issues arose. I kept on walking because my foot was well supported in my boots and the pain resolved to a great degree. Sadly though, I have been home since May and things have just continued to get worse. Following scans and two MRI's, it has been established that I have ruptured ligaments along the top of my foot and damage across the front of the ankle joint, together with the Bunion pain. I've had two lots of corticosteroid injections and now will have surgery in November to fix some of the damage.....Please have your foot assessed by a medical professional....Cheers Susanawee.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Dragging oneself through the pain seems like not a brilliant idea. On my first Camino, the Francis, I met two men who ended up in the hospital with intravenous antibiotics because they would not stop doing their 40 km days with blisters. Finally the blisters and bleeding were so infected, and these two were not traveling together. They were two separate very unwise people, and they each ended up in the hospital for a day. Then they ended up taking taxi cabs for four days to a week each because the doctor insisted they were not to be on their feet walking the Camino.

The lesson is always that when something starts to hurt and just doesn’t feel right, and doesn’t go away in a day, don’t keep walking on it without getting some medical advice!

That is all true, but I've walked on a MASSIVE blister back in 1994 (I was alone in the middle of France with no other choice) and my under skin just leathered and toughened up (somewhat painfully in the evenings, but with increasingly less pain day to day).

Besides --

A Camino without pain and in taxis simply isn't the Camino.

REST -- not rush ahead by any means available to keep up with some fake "schedule", it's not rocket science ...

I do realise that not everyone knows how to healthily drain an abscess, which sounds like what your friends had.

 

[Trampam]

Once again I’d like to thank you all for support and advice!
After a week at home all the pains finally disappeared, as I expected (and hoped)
I can walk fast again - but now I feel wise enough not to walk too fast fot the whole day)
And the general advice I want to provide for prevention of the problems with feet: don’t be in rush, don’t walk more than planned for today even if you feel like you have energy in the afternoon, and don’t plan too much for one day. Don’t be stupid like me)
Buen Camino!

 

[domigee]

Glad you are pain- free and at home Thanks for letting us know.