Swelling!

[Helen0779]

Not sure if this should go in health or injury....

After a long ultra/multiday event I get visibly swollen feet and ankles (looks like balloon skin and all the veins and tendon I can normally see disappear!) my calves also feel sore and tender and like they are swollen, although I cant see that they are.

Now I know this is 'just' a normal reaction to ultra running but has anyone got any good ideas on how to make it go away quickly!? Is this the type of swelling an ice bath would help?? (Im NOT going to get in one for nothing!)

H

[Rob Furness]

I don't know much about ultra running so I'm not gemmed up on the cause of the swelling so don't take my advice as medical fact.

I have found in the past that cold baths help hugely with swelling (although I don't really think ice is 100% necessary tbh) and recovery is much quicker. I would give it a go next time and see if it helps you, best thing you could do (imo) is find a beck/stream/river you could sit in immediately after the event as this would have the most noticeable effect and wouldn't feel so hard as you would still be warm after the run. I appreciate this isn't always possible but worth a shot if it is.

I find compression stuff put on straight after long distance events always helps get rid of that horrible restless leg feeling and speeds recovery for me so that might help with swelling as well.

Have you tried leg drains? Lie on your back with your legs propped up on a wall and let them drain for several minutes

Hope some of that helps

[Helen0779]

Yep, I get in whatwever cold body of water I can find post race and when I say 'ice' baths I do mean cold water ones. I also do always use skins compression tights after long runs and compression socks.... those are all standard remedies for legs and joints after a normal long run

Its more the swelling in my feet. It looks like water retention/swelling? I look like I have the feet of a 20 stone person!?

I usually try and sleep with my feet up on pillows for a night or two after as well but maybe a regular 10 min session with my feet 90 degree up against a wall would help, it certainly sounds and feels like something appealing?!?!

:-)

[Mike T]

Presumably this is just an exaggerated form of the expansion our feet normally undergo on an average day. Elevation and comfortable compression should help it to disperse - and I imagine compression during the event should help prevent it occurring in the first place.

[andy k]

don't have any remedies but would it not be wise to get checked out by a doctor, maybe get an assessment of venous / lymphatic circulation ?
I wouldn't say its a normal reaction.
Don't know how old you are but what is an occasional ocurrance now could become more and more regular and eventually represent a real problem as you get older.
If there is a circulatory issue you want to know about it and manage it from as early a stage as possible.

[Mike T]

Looking at some ultra blogs and the MdS forums it would seem leg/ankle and even hand/wrist swelling is very common in ultras/multiday events. Some claim that taking extra salt prevents it. One study showed that as little as 15 minutes of running - compared with 15 minutes of walking - resulted in a measureable increase in foot volume. One theory is that the repeated micro-trauma of thousands of foot landings causes slight fluid leakage across tiny blood vessels, and that the normal lymphatic drainage cannot keep up with it. As for the swollen hands ......?