A few weeks ago I started developing tightness and run stopping pain near my fibular head. This happens about 40min into running but longer on softer surfaces. I have been taking it easy doing some light stretching and rolling. Two days ago I had a massage that was pretty tame and today I wake up to a visible bruise just distal and a finger distance posterior to the fib head. It’s slightly tender to touch but less so than it was say before the massage.
I do not bruise easily, almost never. So seeing a bruise on the surface of my skin is very unusual.
The only time I feel any pain here other than as described above is when swimming laps, when I push of the wall I get a quick blip of pain.
What do the med professionals think this may be? I have sucky health insurance until open enrollment so for now it’s self care.
It’s on soft tissue not on the fibular head, distal to the head
Maybe the massage brought it on? You don’t mention pain with regular walking, so that would be the most logical thought given the information you have given. Muscle tear? Tendon strain? There are a lot of possibilities. See if there is a walk in clinic that might have a decent provider you can see to make sure it isn’t anything if it doesn’t resolve on its own in a couple of days.
Pain at the lateral knee is generally iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) until proven otherwise in an otherwise healthy triathlete. A lateral collateral lig injury can also manifest as pain here.
I’m almost certain it’s not IT, i ran 5mi tonight and it creeped up a few mi in pain right on the fibula head not epi whatever the it passes over, I’m think bicep femoris issue…
The more you talk about it the more it sounds like IT band… That crept up a few miles in is pretty classic. Insertional ITB can refer some pain laterally to the Fib head as there is some common fascia, the pain does not have to be proximal at the femur.
You do have your anatomy right with the Biceps Femoris… It does attach there … just think you would be telling us about some swelling if it was the case. lets do a test. If you have someone there with you get on your stomach bend your knee to 90 degrees and tell your who ever is with you to hold your leg in that spot while you try to pull your heel to your butt. If your alone go sit on some stairs or a chair or something and try to flex that knee against some resistance. Pain increase?
