Am i being a hypochondriac or is there something really wrong with me?!
Question: Am i being a hypochondriac or is there something really wrong with me?
It was really back in October I started noticing my ankles, knees, and heels were bothering me. (as with anything if i think something is wrong with me, i research it and make my own self evaluation, occasionally i will tell my parents,and rarely I will go to the doctor about whatever my ailment was at the time)
Anyways, my ankles were getting sore and kept popping, my knees had knots and were painful when I did any kind of activity and my heels have these lumps on the back that are red and painful. Well you guessed it, I researched and just decided they were growing pains....whatever they would go away.
Well they didn't, so I told my parents and we ended up going to the top rated orthopedic in the state. He told me to fix my ankles to wear some 20 dollar orthotics from Target, He said heels were __insert fancy doctor term here__ but he dismissed it so I didn't worry about that, and then he said I had Osgood Schlatter's Disease in my knees (which a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with anyways).
In conclusion, my ankles haven't gotten better (i hate the orthotics), My knees get stiff and achy when I run, but the pain is tolerable. My heels are the worst though - there are really noticeable "lumps" sticking out the back of my heel, and the skin that wraps around the lump is red.
What could this be on my heels?
Should I get custom orthotics?
Am i a hypochondriac?
Anything else?
Thanks in advance :)
God Bless<3
Answers:
Hello,
First fo all I am sorry that you have this pain which prevents you from doing what you love so much.
I will concentrate on your heel pain, since this is the area that you are uncertain of.
From your description I believe it could be a case of "Haglund's Deformity" or "Pump Bump".
It is not a "serious" condition in terms of the symptoms but it is uncomfortable and it can hurt you even more if left untreated, so the best option of course is to see a Podiatrist about this condition, usually to fully recover from Haglund's there is a need for an operation, but in my book it should always be the last option.
There are some things that are missing from your description that are important to give you a proper diagnosis.
1) Do you have high or low arches in your feet?
2) This is a hereditary condition, do you know if your parent's/grandparents had this before?
Like I said, I would first opt for a conservative treatment.
1) Ice your heels at least 4 times a day for 20 minutes each time
2) Do not wear any type of a closed shoe that puts pressure on your ankles or back of your heels
3) Continue to wear inserts in your shoes but not the cheap ones from "Target" have custom made orthotics which can really help
4) Stretch your legs and feet before getting out of bed in the morning or after sitting down for a prolonged time.
If you can answer the above then I might be able to help you further.
You can write to me directly if you prefer, my email is in my profile.
If all of the above fails then I would consult with a different Podiatrist, then you might be referred to a plastic surgeon if they decide that an operation is needed.
Take care and best of luck!