Okay, so it's been about 4 years since the last post. I had kind of forgotten about this blog but a couple people left comments so I thought I would do an update
I can skateboard again! About a year after my original post, I was able to slowly start skating again but it took a lot of work and still takes work to maintain, BUT it's 100% worth it. My sesamoidits is by no means "fixed" but I have a lot of tips based on what has worked for me. Hopefully they'll help you if you're in the same situation. Sesamoiditis is, by definition, inflammation of your sesamoid bones, so a lot of these tips are ways to reduce inflammation.
I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR ME
1. GO TO THE DOCTOR, make sure your sesamoid bone isn't broken. Mine was not thankfully.
2. Rest can be good at first, but don't lay in bed for weeks like I did and expect it to heal like that.
3. BUY SUPPORTIVE SHOES AND GET CUSTOM INSOLES! They might be expensive depending on your insurance plan but it is completely worth it if you're in the same situation I was. It's worth mentioning that I still use regular skate shoes when skateboarding but anytime walking around I have supportive shoes and insoles in.
4. Wear some thick socks when walking around you're house. It can help to pad the bottoms of your feet to lessen irritation to your sesamoids. If it's still pretty tender, buy a pair of supportive shoes to wear around the house. Experiment with what helps to lessen irritation.
5. TRY LIGHT TO MODERATE CYCLING! I read a post years ago about a guy who mostly healed his sesamoiditis by cycling. I'm not sure why but it actually helps! Make sure you are using an exercise bike or a bike with different gears. It's more about the motion of cycling than expending much force into the pedals. If you are pushing into the pedals too hard, it might irritate your sesamoids.
6. Consider going to physical therapy. It can be pretty helpful to understand all of the mechanics of your foot/leg. You will probably get some stretches and exercises to do at home. THESE MAY BE ESSENTIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS AND CAN BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE LONG RUN. You're basically trying to correct any weakness or tightness in muscles that are in some way connected to the sesamoids. Again, I'm not a professional so I would at least go to one appointment if you can afford it.
If you REALLY can't get to a physical therapist, I'll try and explain here as best I can what they taught me. The muscles in the back of your leg from your waist to your big toe are all connected. You need to gain flexibility in these areas because if they are too tight, they will be tugging on and irritating your sesamoids when you are walking. Same with the muscles in your feet as well. As for strengthening, it's mostly the same exercises you would do to recover from a sprained ankle.
7. REDUCE INFLAMMATION BY BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN YOUR BODY. *VERY IMPORTANT*
Do some research for yourself but basically, lay off the weed, alcohol, junk food, sugar. If you smoke cigarettes, quit now. If you smoke weed, consider switching to vaping or eating edibles or abstaining for a few weeks all together. If you drink alcohol, a glass of wine might be alright but I would really advise not drinking at all. Avoid processed sugar and junk foods as much as you can. Obviously we all like to indulge sometimes but you want to be eating more anti-inflammatory foods than inflammation causing foods. Most fruits and vegetables are anti inflammatory so if you're gonna eat a bag of Cheetos, have an apple as well and wash it down with some unsweetened Green Tea (also anti-inflammatory).
It's worth noting, when choosing anti inflammatory foods, you want them to be UNPROCESSED. A Green Tea in a bottle from the gas station is NOT the same as a cup of Green Tea you brewed yourself at home. You want FRESH fruit and vegetables from the produce section. Not the little cup of pre-cut fruit that has been sitting in the refrigerator for days or the dried fruit bars or anything like that.
CBD oil may be beneficial, either topical or sublingual. Other supplements might help but fruit and vegetables have been most effective in my experience.
8. REDUCE STRESS/ TAKE CARE OF MENTAL HEALTH. There is a mind body connection that I can't begin to explain but I would suggest doing your own research. Stress is not good for the body and you can FEEL it manifesting itself in your entire body. I was severely depressed at the time of my injury and I wasn't able to overcome my physical problems until I addressed my mental health problems. Again, I can't really begin to explain why exactly but it's worth finding a therapist you get along with and working with them to overcome your problems.
A bit on my personal story, it took me kind of "letting go" before I could start skating again. From my childhood up to the time of injury, I had pretty much based my entire self worth with how "good" I was at skateboarding. In a way, this led to me actually getting sesamoidits. Basically I would just skate so much and push my self so hard that my body couldn't keep up. Anyway, I had to let go of the idea that I was only worth something if I was good at skating. And weirdly enough, once I let go of that, a few months later, I was able to skate again. This is just what happened so take from this what you want.
9. TAKE BREAKS DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. Whether you are skateboarding or playing tennis or doing ballet, take breaks and don't push yourself too hard. If your foot gets too sore, call it a day, elevate your feet, put some ice on there.
A note on icing your sesamoids: Rubbing an ice cube on the ball of your foot around the sesamoid can help, but DO NOT WALK AROUND RIGHT AFTER. Let your foot warm back up to it's regular temperature. Otherwise, if you walk around with your foot still cold, it almost makes it worse in my experience.
It's also important to warm up, stretch, eat well, do what ever you need to to be feeling good before you do your physical activity. This will also help prevent further injury.
I still have to do many of these things daily to keep skateboarding but if you are missing out on what you love to do then it's totally worth the work you put in to get back at it. If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can. Hopefully this can help some people!
EDIT: I forgot to add, I did receive a cortisone injection in my right foot a couple years ago. It seemed to help, but since I only received it in one foot, and I have had sesamoiditis in both feet, I don't think it was the thing that "healed" or "fixed" my problems. It may however, be something you want to implement with these other tips.
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