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Haglund's help!
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Hi, I’m looking for some advice on dealing with Haglund’s lumps and the associated insertional Achilles, retrocalcaneal bursitis pain. I’ve had these issues for a few years now, seen 2 podiatrists, who both said just to stretch the calf muscles, and all will be good! Well I’ve been doing that, and nothing has really improved.

In the current COVID pandemic, getting to see a doctor, or get a scan, will be many months away. So for the time being, I’d been keen to hear how others with similar issues dealt with them, and hopefully continued to run.

I’ve read lots on the web, and lots of conflicting info, specifically:

Stretching, some say yes, some say no.

Stretching the Achilles tendon, good or bad?

Heel drops, again some say it’s good, others not?

Icing or heat?

Heel wedges/higher drop shoes or more minimal to stretch the calf?

Orthotics or not?

Castor oil or ACV to break up the lump, does this really work?!

I’ve even read of people bashing the heel against hard objects to break up the lumps!

Been keen to hear opinions on the above, anecdotes etc. on what’s worked, what hasn’t?
Many thanks
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Re: Haglund's help! [Proby] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Proby,

I developed it at the end of 2019 on one of my feet. My visit to a doctor was delayed by Covid but I did see a specialist in May 2020. He explained the surgery and recommended we start physical therapy to try and avoid it. I was obviously on board given the nature and recovery of said surgery. I have been doing my heel drops religiously since then and have seen great results. My lump has shrunk a lot (but hasn't totally disappeared) and I started running again this December. I am still hoping for further improvements but time will tell.

Good luck to you!
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Re: Haglund's help! [Proby] [ In reply to ]
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I’ve got Haglund’s deformities that occasionally bother me at the Achilles insertion. I rub the area with my fingers and this seems to loosen it up. Foam roll the calves pretty aggressively. I will do heel drops but not all the way down. I go just past the horizontal, and then back up. I definitely do not stretch the Achilles. Learned my lesson about stretching tendons when dealing with my hamstring.
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Re: Haglund's help! [EyeRunMD] [ In reply to ]
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I meant to clarify that I do my heel drops on a flat floor.
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Re: Haglund's help! [Trirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I was doing them on a flat surface but didn’t feel like it was helping. Also felt like going down all the way, on stairs, was too much. So, I chose to drop down in between the two, and it felt like the sweet spot for me
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Re: Haglund's help! [Proby] [ In reply to ]
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The nickname for haglands is pump bump because people that wore heels got it from the way the shoe holds the heel while toe points down. In triathlon it can be from biking with seat too high and wearing shoes that tightly cup the calcaneus even with padding. For example the sphyre shoe is great, but if you bike with toes down the fitted heel can irritate. If biking seems like a factor the can check shoes or seat/cleat position. If it's bilateral/unilateral , inside/outside or inside and outside then that also gives information about biomechanics of possible causes. Your podiatrist or physiotherapist can advise

For treatment you have 2 factors, chronic deposits and acute bursitis. Bursitis can stay acute (red, itchy, swollen) for a long time if the irritation isn't removed. Ice, antiinflammatories , cortisone are all temporary if the cause stays.the deposits are also supposed to demineralize when the irritation is removed. That doesn't necessarily mean rest
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Re: Haglund's help! [Trirunner] [ In reply to ]
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Trirunner wrote:
Hi Proby,

I developed it at the end of 2019 on one of my feet. My visit to a doctor was delayed by Covid but I did see a specialist in May 2020. He explained the surgery and recommended we start physical therapy to try and avoid it. I was obviously on board given the nature and recovery of said surgery. I have been doing my heel drops religiously since then and have seen great results. My lump has shrunk a lot (but hasn't totally disappeared) and I started running again this December. I am still hoping for further improvements but time will tell.

Good luck to you!

Hi Trirunner, thanks for your reply. That's really encouraging to hear your progress on decreasing the size of the lump.
You say the specialist said to start physical therapy, apart from the heel drops, was there anything else they had you doing?
Also, were the heel drops weighted? I've heard that helps.
Cheers
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Re: Haglund's help! [EyeRunMD] [ In reply to ]
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EyeRunMD wrote:
I’ve got Haglund’s deformities that occasionally bother me at the Achilles insertion. I rub the area with my fingers and this seems to loosen it up. Foam roll the calves pretty aggressively. I will do heel drops but not all the way down. I go just past the horizontal, and then back up. I definitely do not stretch the Achilles. Learned my lesson about stretching tendons when dealing with my hamstring.

Hi, thanks for reply.
I will do as you suggest regarding the rubbing area with fingers, and I really need to get on board with my foam rolling, thanks for mentioning that.
I've a stick roller within touching distance of my PC, but I keep forgetting to use it!
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Re: Haglund's help! [lacticturkey] [ In reply to ]
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lacticturkey wrote:
The nickname for haglands is pump bump because people that wore heels got it from the way the shoe holds the heel while toe points down. In triathlon it can be from biking with seat too high and wearing shoes that tightly cup the calcaneus even with padding. For example the sphyre shoe is great, but if you bike with toes down the fitted heel can irritate. If biking seems like a factor the can check shoes or seat/cleat position. If it's bilateral/unilateral , inside/outside or inside and outside then that also gives information about biomechanics of possible causes. Your podiatrist or physiotherapist can advise

For treatment you have 2 factors, chronic deposits and acute bursitis. Bursitis can stay acute (red, itchy, swollen) for a long time if the irritation isn't removed. Ice, antiinflammatories , cortisone are all temporary if the cause stays.the deposits are also supposed to demineralize when the irritation is removed. That doesn't necessarily mean rest

Hi, that's interesting regarding saddle height maybe influencing pain etc. makes sense thinking about it. My saddle is fairly on the low side right now, I only occasionally get any issues while riding, like after some low cadence work etc.
I did have to buy some bigger shoes, I have some Bont shoes that were moulded to my feet a few years back, definitely can't use those now!
Also, be keen to hear more on the idea of the lump demineralizing when the irritation is removed, I thought the lumps would remain.
Cheers
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Re: Haglund's help! [Proby] [ In reply to ]
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Proby, did you ever get any relief for your Achilles/Haglund's?

My Achilles can go months, or even years, without giving me a problem, and then BOOM, starts getting irritated again......even if I'm not running. It's a frustrating issue so I hope you have had some improvement.
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