Ankle/Foot Injury:

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Hey, everyone. I just had a question.

 

Over the past couple of days, I've had some moderate/severe pain in my ankle. I'll give an outline format, make it easier to follow:

 

1. Cause? I have absolutely no idea where I got it from, I woke up with it 2 days ago. I may have turned it in bed railing.

2. Location? Upper-left side of my right foot (along the big toe side, i.e.), right along where my leg curves into my foot.

3. Symptoms? None when I keep my foot stationary, but sharp/stabbing pain when I stretch my foot or when I walk.

4. Other sensations? Occasionally I can feel a sensation from the pain as far up as my knee and down into my toes.

5. Swelling? Yes, moderate swelling, on the curve of my foot where the pain is.

 

Generally, I'd Web-MD this, but I figured I'd ask here, especially as some people have had quite a bit of experience with these sorts of things. I've had tendonitis in there before, but this feels a bit different, as this is on the upper side of my foot rather than near my Achilles'. Tendonitis still, or perhaps something more/less sinister?

Edited November 26, 2008 by UVAObserver

[rabidbeaver 90]

Hey, everyone. I just had a question.

 

Over the past couple of days, I've had some moderate/severe pain in my ankle. I'll give an outline format, make it easier to follow:

 

1. Cause? I have absolutely no idea where I got it from, I woke up with it 2 days ago. I may have turned it in bed railing.

2. Location? Upper-left side of my right foot (along the big toe side, i.e.), right along where my leg curves into my foot.

3. Symptoms? None when I keep my foot stationary, but sharp/stabbing pain when I stretch my foot or when I walk.

4. Other sensations? Occasionally I can feel a sensation from the pain as far up as my knee and down into my toes.

5. Swelling? Yes, moderate swelling, on the curve of my foot where the pain is.

 

Generally, I'd Web-MD this, but I figured I'd ask here, especially as some people have had quite a bit of experience with these sorts of things. I've had tendonitis in there before, but this feels a bit different, as this is on the upper side of my foot rather than near my Achilles'. Tendonitis still, or perhaps something more/less sinister?

 

 

 

 

Some of the symptoms in the foot sounds a little bit like gout.

[bluefieldRocks 14]

I've only been in my athletic training program at Pot State for little over 3 months now, so i may be incorrect. But it sounds to me from what i've heard that you could be straining your soft tissues in your foot. Also, you say you're getting sharp pains correct? that could have something to do with a nerve in the foot.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Some of the symptoms in the foot sounds a little bit like gout.

 

I know gout may be associated with a diet high in proteins, fats, and alcohol. I'm a tea-tottler, so #3 is out. I've really tried to cut back on proteins and fats, especially since May (and I've lost a considerable amount of weight doing so). I also know being overweight has a correlation to gout, and I am overweight (hence the change in diet and weight loss).

 

On the other hand, gout's caused by a buildup of uric acid. And my immediate family has had trouble with uric acid regulation (uncle has had gout, other relatives have had uric acid kidney stones). So this may be something to examine further.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I've only been in my athletic training program at Pot State for little over 3 months now, so i may be incorrect. But it sounds to me from what i've heard that you could be straining your soft tissues in your foot. Also, you say you're getting sharp pains correct? that could have something to do with a nerve in the foot.

 

I may be straining the tissues, that's definitely an option. My only concern is that I don't know how I did it. I bowl fairly regularly, but I lead a more sedentary lifestyle than most (law school doesn't help this at all). I do know the last time my foot flared up like this, I was back home as I am now. And my bed has railings that are just the perfect size for my feet to get caught in.

 

I have been getting sharp moderate/strong pains in my foot, yes. Not when I keep my foot stationary, though. Only when I turn/bend my foot (as in walking, etc.) does the sharp pain arrive. And it hurts considerably more to turn my foot to the left than the right, if that's any help at all.

[rabidbeaver 90]

I know gout may be associated with a diet high in proteins, fats, and alcohol. I'm a tea-tottler, so #3 is out. I've really tried to cut back on proteins and fats, especially since May (and I've lost a considerable amount of weight doing so). I also know being overweight has a correlation to gout, and I am overweight (hence the change in diet and weight loss).

 

On the other hand, gout's caused by a buildup of uric acid. And my immediate family has had trouble with uric acid regulation (uncle has had gout, other relatives have had uric acid kidney stones). So this may be something to examine further.

 

 

I have gout and from the research that I have done it says that it doesn't usally occur until the mid to late thirtys. I just had an attack this past June but unlike most people who get it in their big toe I get it in my ankles and heels. I went to a web site called I Cured My Gout.org...It has some good information such as home remedies and such on how to deal with it, check it out.

http://www.icuredmygout.org

[bluefieldRocks 14]

rabidbeaver is probably more knowledgable on this subject of injuries than I am at this point in time. I think BluefieldPT is actually a ATTR anyways so you could shoot him a PM. But reguardless, you should have that problem checked out before it could possibly get worse..

 

Best of luck sir.

[GMan 3,569]

I bowl fairly regularly

 

You bowl??? Interesting...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

 

You bowl??? Interesting...

 

Yes, I sure do.

Average in the low-mid 170s up in leagues in PA.

[GMan 3,569]

Yes, I sure do.

Average in the low-mid 170s up in leagues in PA.

 

I've bowled most of my life. My mom bowled while she was pregnant with me and I was more or less raised at the bowling alley as she bowled two nights a week while I was growing up. I bowled the junior leagues through high school and bowled in a league at VT for two years. More or less quit the game in about 1991 then some friends (bhs7695 being one of them) convinced me to go bowling on Thanksgiving night in 2003 and I joined a league in January, 2004 and have been a league regular since then bowling in several different leagues each season.

 

I'm finally back to bowling two leagues this season after suffering through elbow tendonitis last year. I've got a 185 average in one league and 190 in the other and if I'd quit missing those dagblasted corner-pin spares, especially the 10-pin, I'd could average a duece...everytime you miss a single pin spare it'll cost you 11 pins and I miss at least one/game...

 

Had a decent night the other night...after starting with a 4-open 164, I fired 246-224 to finish with a 634.

 

In the early league that night, a guy on the team we bowled against started 257-300...his first 300 in 25 years of bowling even though he's a pretty good bowler. He finished with a 192 for a 749. We still took six points including winning the second game when he shot 300 (1148-1128).

 

Did you ever bowl at Mountaineer Lanes in Bluefield, WV???

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I've bowled most of my life. My mom bowled while she was pregnant with me and I was more or less raised at the bowling alley as she bowled two nights a week while I was growing up. I bowled the junior leagues through high school and bowled in a league at VT for two years. More or less quit the game in about 1991 then some friends convinced me to go bowling on Thanksgiving night in 2003 and I joined a league in January, 2004 and have been a league regular since then bowling in several different leagues each season.

 

I'm finally back to bowling two leagues after suffering through elbow tendonitis last year. I've got a 185 average in one league and 190 in the other and if I'd quit missing those dagblasted corner-pin spares, especially the 10-pin, I'd could average a duece...everytime you miss a single pin spare it'll cost you 11 pins and I miss at least one/game...

 

Had a decent night the other night...after starting with a 4-open 164, I fired 246-224 to finish with a 634. If I had struck out in the 10th in those two games, I'd have finished 268-235.

 

In the early league that night, a guy on the other team started 257-300...his first 300 in 25 years of bowling even though he's a pretty good bowler. He finished with a 192 for a 749. We still took six points including winning the second game when he shot 300 (1148-1128).

 

Did you ever bowl at Mountaineer Lanes in Bluefield, WV???

 

That's awesome! Sure didn't know you bowled, but that's a good thing to have in common! I don't come from as much of a bowling tradition. My mother did leagues way back in the '70s, and tried again about 2001, but her back's in terrible shape, and she really can't lift the ball to throw it. I had to beg to get to go, pretty much.

 

I sure did bowl at Mountaineer. I bowled in youth leagues for 4 years, from Fall '99 until Spring '03. All through high school, pretty much. I was atrocious when I started (110s), but I took advantage of that "3 free games every day" card they give throughout the summer, and got better by about 10 pins each season and 10 pins in the summer. By the time I graduated, I averaged just under 160. I bowled on a men's summer league at Mountaineer in Summer '04, after my first year of undergrad. Taking advantage of the $10 card again, I got my average up to 171. And I was the worst on my team by 20 pins.

 

Going to UVA ended my bowling for quite some time. There used to be 3 bowling alleys in Charlottesville, 1 even on campus. When Kegler's came into Charlottesville, they expanded to 48 lanes, renovated the facilities, and pretty much drove the other two mom-and-pop lanes out of business. Being the only game in town, they promptly jacked their prices exorbitantly high, $5.50/game on off-hours. Needless to say, being a college student, I couldn't afford that, and I pretty much stopped. I'd still bowl in the summer, but it wasn't enough to keep the average up and all.

 

I got back into it in the last year up in Pennsylvania. I took a good friend of mine to Midway Lanes in Carlisle one day, just on a whim. That place reminds me so much of Green Valley, it's uncanny. Anyway, I forgot how much I enjoyed it, and I bowled a 206 without having picked up a ball in 3 months. Not only that, it's VERY affordable up there: $2.75/game on off-hours, $3.25/game on the weekends. Since last winter, I'd been going 1-2 times per week, just trying to see how I'd do. I'd average in the upper-160s, nothing too spectacular. I had planned to get a team of law school buddies together for the fall leagues, but it fell through for two reasons. One, their signups were in very early August, and we don't get back into town until mid-August. Two, law students are very uptight, and ridiculously so, about their schedules, and I couldn't get the schedules to work out.

 

One day when I was bowling this fall, one of the workers came up to me and asked if I'd be willing to take an open spot in a Sunday night mixed league. I was more than happy to get back into it, and I agreed. I enjoy the league quite a bit, my team's just not terribly good, though. The other 3 are considerably inconsistent. The follow-up-a-170-with-a-90 kind of inconsistent.

 

As far as my bowling now, I'm painfully consistent. In 8 weeks in the league in PA, I've not bowled under a 500 series. I've also not bowled over a 556 series (which happened two Sundays ago, with a 176-170-210). I have a few problems that I've tried to work out, but it's kept my average down. First, I tend to throw more splits than the average bowler, and I'm at a loss for why. I like to throw out around the fifth board, and have the ball break in about 35 feet down the lane. If I miss that mark inside, it's split city. Second, I'll chop 1-2 multi-pin spares per series, especially 4-7s and 6-10s. Third, I don't strike as consistently as I should: I average around 4 strikes per game, and I seldom get them in streaks. Leave 1-2 opens with that every game, and you'll get about what I average now: 172. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to bowl this weekend if the pain in my foot subsides.

 

As far as my best goes, I was fairly close to a 300 this summer, in hindsight. I bowled a 268 in May at Mountaineer, right when I came in for the summer. 11 strikes and an open second frame. Just a bit heavy in that 2nd frame, left the 7, and overshot the spare. In an average game, though, you're a fair bit better than I.

 

The crazy thing is, I'm fairly consistent with the corner spares, and especially the 10; and that's what you say you have the most problem with. One trick I've found that works for me is to use a less reactive strike ball while shooting at them. I stand on about the 30th board for a 6-pin and the 35th board for a 10-pin, and aim at the third arrow. In my release, instead of having a wrist rotation, I try to keep my hand a bit flatter as I throw it. If executed properly, what you'll see is a nice little arc outside to about 40 feet down the lane, and then the ball will ride a razor's edge and hit what's directly in front of it.

[GMan 3,569]

During my elbow problem, I dropped down a pound in ball weight and "reworked" my arsenal to include a plastic ball for spares...anytime I have to shoot at a spare on the right side of the lane, I use the plastic ball. The main reason being the stress it puts on my elbow trying to throw a stronger ball and "straightening" it out to pick up spares on the right side of the lane.

 

For the 2007-08 season, my game was in shambles because of my elbow. My average dropped by about 20 or so pins and it was all I could do to finish three games because of the pain. I lost any speed I had, my release had changed trying to compensate for the pain, and my backswing had all but disappeared. The effect on my shots was dramatic. I couldn't keep the ball right of the headpin...less speed and more axis rotation. I had always played the second arrow and now that shot was gone. If I wanted to keep the ball right of the headpin, I had to move inside...a place I was not accustomed to playing and really had no idea where to stand and aim. And to compound things, I couldn't practice due to the pain. So there I was, bowling from angles I'd never played before and not being able to work on it. All that equaled one screwed up game! LOL

 

Anyway, I took the entire summer of '07 off...didn't pick up a ball from May until August when league started. I bowled the first quarter and a couple of weeks of the second quarter (mid-November) and told my team I was going to have to take some time off because of my elbow. So I started back in January, dropped down in ball weight, and forced myself to learn to play from an inside angle. Needless to say, the scores/average suffered...my average was down into the mid 160s. But just as quickly as the pain in my elbow started in April, 2007, it began going away in late March, 2008. As the pain went away, things started coming back to me. Not only was I able to play my old bread and butter, down and in shot, but I had learned to play inside as well. Over the last six weeks of league, I averaged over 200 for those weeks and my average climbed back up to the mid to upper 170s by end of the season.

 

Fortunately, so far this season, I've been pain free. I still don't practice as much as I used to for fear of my elbow flaring up again...one reason I miss so many spares. I figure bowling two leagues is enough for now.

 

BTW, if your mom bowled at Mountaineer back in the 70s, I'd be willing to bet I know who she is...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

During my elbow problem, I dropped down a pound in ball weight and "reworked" my arsenal to include a plastic ball for spares...anytime I have to shoot at a spare on the right side of the lane, I use the plastic ball. The main reason being the stress it puts on my elbow trying to throw a stronger ball and "straightening" it out to pick up spares on the right side of the lane.

 

For the 2007-08 season, my game was in shambles because of my elbow. My average dropped by about 20 or so pins and it was all I could do to finish three games because of the pain. I lost any speed I had, my release had changed trying to compensate for the pain, and my backswing had all but disappeared. The effect on my shots was dramatic. I couldn't keep the ball right of the headpin...less speed and more axis rotation. I had always played the second arrow and now that shot was gone. If I wanted to keep the ball right of the headpin, I had to move inside...a place I was not accustomed to playing and really had no idea where to stand and aim. And to compound things, I couldn't practice due to the pain. So there I was, bowling from angles I'd never played before and not being able to work on it. All that equaled one screwed up game! LOL

 

Anyway, I took the entire summer of '07 off...didn't pick up a ball from May until August when league started. I bowled the first quarter and a couple of weeks of the second quarter (mid-November) and told my team I was going to have to take some time off because of my elbow. So I started back in January, dropped down in ball weight, and forced myself to learn to play from an inside angle. Needless to say, the scores/average suffered...my average was down into the mid 160s. But just as quickly as the pain in my elbow started in April, 2007, it began going away in late March, 2008. As the pain went away, things started coming back to me. Not only was I able to play my old bread and butter, down and in shot, but I had learned to play inside as well. Over the last six weeks of league, I averaged over 200 for those weeks and my average climbed back up to the mid to upper 170s by end of the season.

 

Fortunately, so far this season, I've been pain free. I still don't practice as much as I used to for fear of my elbow flaring up again...one reason I miss so many spares. I figure bowling two leagues is enough for now.

 

BTW, if your mom bowled at Mountaineer back in the 70s, I'd be willing to bet I know who she is...

 

Ah, that shot on the 10 wouldn't be best, then. It does put a bit of pressure on the elbow and wrist to do it. With the elbow problems you've had, you're far better off using a plastic ball and going more straight at it.

 

I'm glad to hear that you're pain-free; it's an absolute drag to be kept from something you like doing because of an aching joint. I've felt that on a limited basis with my ankle. But you elbow problem to me seems like it was a nerve problem, perhaps a pinched nerve that bowling kept aggravating. I had one in my neck my 8th grade year when I played football, and I just kept getting stingers and kept getting stingers. After the season ended, it went away, and I haven't had one since. As long as it's gone, that's a great thing. And if nothing else, you've diversified your game, and that's priceless on tougher lane conditions. With some more consistency on spares, there's no doubt you'll get to 200.

 

It's crazy how a minor/moderate injury can really hurt a bowler's average. Heck, even the trivial ones can. I had an ingrown fingernail about a month ago (swelling, and even some bleeding), and for two weeks I couldn't get the proper rotation or speed on my strike balls (16 and 15 pounds, BTW). My speed was down about 3 MPH, and everything I threw, regardless of foot position and mark, was consistently right of target. Didn't touch a ball, and came back and threw that 556 series the week after.

 

Hopefully I can improve my average as the season moves forward. I'm getting a ball with a little more surface for Christmas, and I'm going to see if Junior can drill it to get a little more action a little quicker coming off my hand. Especially for slicker lanes; they oil the lanes so heavily in PA that even after drying my strike/spare balls off every frame that I've more than once had a ball slip out of my hand on the delivery.

 

I don't know if you'd be correct in your guess about my mother. She bowled a little bit, but never enough to stay active in the leagues. Basically, she bowled because her friends did it. However, here's a clue to see if you right. Vague, but it might help. My mother was the first of five. I remember telling you a few years ago about my uncle that you played football with in the '80s. He was the middle child on that same side!

[Deleted Account 5,203]

And I went to the doctor today to check on my ankle, and rabidbeaver was dead on the money: it was gout. And it was attributable primarily to genetics. Thanks, mom! ;) But in all seriousness, I appreciate the input there. I got a perscription for an anti-inflammatory and a cortisone pack, and my ankle's already back to about 80% (I couldn't walk on it this afternoon).

 

Rest and relaxation, and hopefully it'll be better by Saturday. ;)

[rabidbeaver 90]

And I went to the doctor today to check on my ankle, and rabidbeaver was dead on the money: it was gout. And it was attributable primarily to genetics. Thanks, mom! ;) But in all seriousness, I appreciate the input there. I got a perscription for an anti-inflammatory and a cortisone pack, and my ankle's already back to about 80% (I couldn't walk on it this afternoon).

 

Rest and relaxation, and hopefully it'll be better by Saturday. ;)

 

 

Lucky guess! I hope that you can head this off before it gets worse. My doctor has told me that most people just think of gout as some sort foot pain that people get from diet but in reality it can lead to more serious health issue such as kidney failure, liver problems and severe arthritis. I hope you were able to read the link that I posted above to provide you with information to fight this because this a serious matter and not to be taken lightly.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Lucky guess! I hope that you can head this off before it gets worse. My doctor has told me that most people just think of gout as some sort foot pain that people get from diet but in reality it can lead to more serious health issue such as kidney failure, liver problems and severe arthritis. I hope you were able to read the link that I posted above to provide you with information to fight this because this a serious matter and not to be taken lightly.

 

Indeed I did, and I'm going to make some adjustments based off that. It's certainly a wake-up call.

 

With the diet, of course I'll adjust: I need to stop drinking as many carbonated drinks (and I do quite a bit, my dad's employed in PepsiCo). Likewise, I need to continue the switch from red meats to chicken. In addition, staying away from acidic foods is always good. But it's not only the diet: I need to do better with keeping warm and alkalizing my body.

 

I've seen the results of uric acid buildup in my own family, with kidney stones especially. Thankfully, I've never had that, but I've seen the excruciating pain associated with it. Even surgeries to remove them.

[GMan 3,569]

I'm getting a ball with a little more surface for Christmas, and I'm going to see if Junior can drill it to get a little more action a little quicker coming off my hand. Especially for slicker lanes; they oil the lanes so heavily in PA that even after drying my strike/spare balls off every frame that I've more than once had a ball slip out of my hand on the delivery.

 

What are you going to get??? What are you rolling with now???

 

I've tried a lot of them...Brunswick, Hammer, Morich, Track, Storm, Columbia...all since I started back in 2003. I'm currently using a Columbia Rival, a Columbia Wrath High Flush, and a Columbia White Dot for spares. I love the Rival...probably the best ball I've ever used. I can use it on a variety of lane conditions and play from different angles. The Wrath High Flush is a good ball though it doesn't like oil too much but when the conditions are right, that ball is money. It has been discontinued but the new Columbia Loud Noize is basically the same ball just with a pearl veneer.

 

As far as surface goes, let's just say I dabble with that quite a bit. I bought a ball spinner a few years back and have tried different surfaces on just about every piece of equipment I've used. It is amazing what a little change in surface can do for the reation of a ball. A ball that you think is a dud with one surface might be the "go to" ball with a little change. With changing surfaces, I quickly learned to recognize when a ball is too strong and is "burning up" or when a ball is too weak and not reading the lanes soon enough. Most bowlers don't understand how important matching the surface to the condition really is. It sounds like you understand that though.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

What are you going to get??? What are you rolling with now???

 

I've tried a lot of them...Brunswick, Hammer, Morich, Track, Storm, Columbia...all since I started back in 2003. I'm currently using a Columbia Rival, a Columbia Wrath High Flush, and a Columbia White Dot for spares. I love the Rival...probably the best ball I've ever used. I can use it on a variety of lane conditions and play from different angles. The Wrath High Flush is a good ball though it doesn't like oil too much but when the conditions are right, that ball is money. It has been discontinued but the new Columbia Loud Noize is basically the same ball just with a pearl veneer.

 

As far as surface goes, let's just say I dabble with that quite a bit. I bought a ball spinner a few years back and have tried different surfaces on just about every piece of equipment I've used. It is amazing what a little change in surface can do for the reation of a ball. A ball that you think is a dud with one surface might be the "go to" ball with a little change. With changing surfaces, I quickly learned to recognize when a ball is too strong and is "burning up" or when a ball is too weak and not reading the lanes soon enough. Most bowlers don't understand how important matching the surface to the condition really is. It sounds like you understand that though.

 

Like yourself, I've tried a wide variety of balls since I really got into bowling in '99. I've bowled woth 2 Columbias, a Hammer, 2 Brunswicks, and my favorite strike ball's currently a Storm. I'll use my second Columbia on straighter spares, too. The Hammer and my second Brunswick are out of commission: I bowled them until they cracked all the way through. I may check into the Rival, because I'd like to have a versatile ball, and it seems like that one would work well when the lanes break down a bit, too. I can't tell you how many series I've bowled that look something like this: 190, 155, 180.

 

I don't have a ball spinner right now, but it's something I'd be wise to invest in, especially with my new ball in the next month. With my release style and favorite angle, I don't think I'd have much of a problem with the ball burning it up, at least right now, unless I took a considerable amount of speed off it. And with the oil patterns they use in PA, the more surface it has, the better off I'll be for the time being.

 

Hopefully I'll run into you there over the Christmas season. That is, if my fiancee wants to go. ;)