Hi Janet, Thanks for your reply (dont worry about delay) i have not really had back problems before. I forgot to mention in 1996 I had a football (soccer) injury in my right foot that required surgery, I think it was a tendon and they had to remove the sheath protecting it? so it was a while after that that i started running again. I am mentioning this because as well as the ache in my calf and thigh i sometimes get an ache in my foot at the same time. It wasnt until the recent running injury that i noticed the ache in my foot as well...what a nuisance. So after the run down the hill and ever since, if ive walked more than 20 minutes virtually the whole of my leg aches. I went for a gentle jog with my wife last sunday and it wasnt too bad during but after felt slightly sore. Would an ice pack be beneficial or heat??? Sorry to be a pain but if i book a doctors appt they havent got a clue about sports injuries and the last time i went she told me it sounded like achilles and it can take up to 1 year to heal and i havent found any sites that state they take that long. Also they would refer me to physio that takes ages to come through and it could be months before I get anywhere. Paul B
Reply - Janet
Hi Paul, I'm still not convinced that your back isn't playing a role in this... there are lots of instances where people have nerve root irritation but no symptoms in their back.  As for the tendon thing -- it's true that Achilles tendinopathy can often take many months to resolve.  The issue isn't inflammation - it's degeneration of the tendon and responds well to eccentric loaded exercise.  Is the pain in the region of the Achilles tendon?  The fact that your whole leg aches - that just makes me wonder about nerve-root irritation (back).  The other thing to look into if you're not eager to check out your physician or PT -- are you wearing shoes that are appropriate for your foot type and gait pattern?  If you want to stick with conservative, self-care here are some things you can try:
1.  Shoes - go to a technical running shoe store and see if they'll watch you run and walk in several pairs of shoes to help you determine what kind of support you need.
2.  Stretching - do this frequently but not aggressively.
3.  Strength - work on core strength -- abs, low back, lateral hips, etc.
4.  Training - make your progression into running very gradually -- be more conservative than you think you need to be.
5.  Heat/ice - both are fine for symptom control, I prefer ice rather than heat but both will work to enhance circulation. 
Hope this helps - Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

Coach, six months ago I began training for my very first Full Marathon. I completed my first marathon on January 11th, at which time during the 21mile mark I began to feel pain on the right side of my pelvic/groin area. The pain persisted for a while after my marathon ended, I attributed the pain to 1 the marathon and 2 to my menstrual cycle that began the day prior to my marathon. After that whenever I went up in miles (anymore than 5 to 6 miles) the pain would resurface. Now this past weekend I ran a Half Marathon and the pain resurfaced at around mile 6. I figured it was because I was holding in the need to urinate, so at around mile 8 I stopped to urinate, hoping the discomfort would subside. I ran and finished the half ignoring the pain which never subsided. At around mid day the pain began to worsen, to the point where I went to the ER. I was admitted into the hospital, they checked ovaries and appendix and all seem to be fine. I was admitted under gynecological at which point Dr's stated I was well and they had no answers to me for my pain. The pain has not subsided and sporadically intensifies. Dr's solution was to discharge me and have me see a General practitioner who may better diagnose me. The pain persists and No answer to my pain and discomfort. The pain when it intensifies, barely allows me to put pressure when walking on my right leg. I have no answers and still need to train for additional marathons I have throughout the year. Please help me better diagnose this issue?
Reply - Janet
Sandra, the description you gave made me think "stress fracture".... I think you'd be wise to get to an orthopedist as quickly as you can get it scheduled. A stress fracture (either pelvic or femoral) will likely not show up on x-ray, but instead will require either an MRI or bone scan to show it.  It is very important that you NOT run another step until you've had a stress fracture ruled out, because if you do have a stress fracture and continue to run on it... you run the risk of it becoming a full displaced fracture! Don't mess around with this one - go see your orthopedist.  Another lesson to take from this -- it's usually not a good idea to race injured.  You were clearly injured when you finished your marathon just a couple of weeks ago (as indicated by continued pain with runs as short as 5-6 miles) yet you went ahead and raced a half marathon. Not a good choice. Hopefully you can recover from whatever this injury is, and be a bit smarter in your training for future events. Let me know if I can help - Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

I hurt my ankle about 10 weeks ago. I did not get it checked, but assumed that I sprained it. I still have pain in it and occasional swelling, making it nerly impossible to run. It feels stable, it just hurts. Should I getit checked?
Reply - Janet
Depending on the nature of your injury it could have been more than what you suspected.  At 10 weeks, most "simple" ankle sprains (mild, involving only one ligament) are pretty much feeling normal.  If you're still having symptoms that interfere with your ability to run, it might be worth it to have your orthopedist take a look -- perhaps a bone chip? Perhaps your sprain was more significant (several ligaments severely torn) and would benefit from some focused rehabilitation exercises guided by a Physical Therapist?  If it were my ankle and it had kept me from running for 10 weeks, I'd sure check in with the orthopedist!  Good luck -- hopefully it's just slow to heal and nothing significant. Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor

Hi, Just over a year ago i was running home from work, 1 and 1/2 miles mainly downhill, as i got nearer home i felt an ache in the back of my thigh. I had been running for 2 or 3 months prior to that (7 to 10 miles a session) without a problem. Since that time i have not done any exercise at all, gained 15lbs and if I walk anywhere after about 20 mins i get an aching in my calf and thigh. I have also noticed going up and down stairs occassionally hurts my knees. I am 49 but feel 79!! 4 years ago i had an operation on my right leg for compartment syndrome but dont think this is that returning to haunt me?? What the HECK have I done and what should I be doing to a) stop the pain and b) start running again. My wife thinks maybe a run could maybe somehow help but I am not convinced but any suggestions would be welcome. Paul
Reply - Janet
First off - sorry for the delayed reply... I was out of town for a few days! The pain you describe in your calves (aching that occurs with activity) could be related to the previous compartment syndrome issue or it could be something more troubling like peripheral vascular disease... they kind of present with similar symptoms!  You're not old, but at 49 and male, you are at a slight increased risk for cardiovascular disease so you might want to get this checked out.  If we rule out that (PVD) then the things that caused your previous compartment syndrome may still be playing a role -- things like inadequate flexibility in calves and hamstrings, strength imbalances in hip/thigh region, inadequate support from your footwear or even training errors like trying to get back to running before working your way through a walking program.  Have you ever had back problems? The pain down the back of your leg that you had several months ago could have been related to issues in your back? Bottom line - it might be worthwhile to discuss the calf symptoms with your physician and get the PVD ruled out - then if you're good to go... start with a walking program and don't fret over pace.  Just walk a comfortable cadence and gradually work your way up to about 10  miles a week. At that point, if you're painfree - you can probably safely start to transition to a run/walk program.  There's a link on the Publications page of this website to an article on how to make that transition.  Hope this helps - feel free to e-mail me directly if you like.  Janet Hamilton, MA, RCEP, CSCS, RRCA coaching instructor