Fibula head pain - any experience?

dieselengine

In April, I did a couple of reasonably hard training sessions pushing hard gears. I had pain in the outside of my left leg, but thought nothing of it - hard sessions make your legs hurt.

However, the pain continued. It is centred on the head of the left fibula, which is tender to touch. After a ride it causes pain when climbing the stairs, or pushing the clutch in. It reduces after a day. I have had a biek fit with Adrian Timmis, plus footbeds so all is well there.

Every ride at about the hour point, I feel pain in the hamstring (I think) behind the knee, which spreads to the outside of the left leg around the fib head area. It gets so bad that bending the leg is agony and I have to ride home using the right leg only.

I am not convinced it is ITB, as it seems to be distant to where the ITB finishes.

I have had osteopathy treatment from a cycling osteopath. I have had breaks of up to 3 weeks from the bike, but it is still present, and I can't ride for more than an hour before getting severe pain. I will carry on with the osteo, but there seems to be no improvement.

Anyone had anything similar? If so your experiences/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Cheers

softlad

I dislocated mine once, which caused similar pain - banged my leg on the side of the bed which was enough to shift it. Because I left if for a few weeks and just put up with the pain, it took a fair bit of physio and manipulation to get it back in properly....

woodychina

I had similar pain for a long time, acupuncture worked well, the osteopath should be able to do it. He thought it was from a previous injury and that the acupuncture induces healing in a concentrated area. Seemed to work, you should also look at how your legs rest in bed, this made a difference to me also.

yakk

Sounds like a nerve problem, if it seems to be coming from he hamsting and going to the Fib head - site of the common peroneal nerve, which wraps around the latter and splits just below it.
Could be e.g your back, could be your piriformis muscle (most common culprits). Something is causing tension/irritation to the nerve.
Pity the osteopath hasn't been able to address it; physio may (I've treated a few with good success), and as Woodychina says, acupuncture may work for you.
Hope this helps and good luck with it.
Yak

dieselengine

Thanks for all the contributions - much appreciated.

wastrel

softlad wrote:

I dislocated mine once, which caused similar pain - banged my leg on the side of the bed which was enough to shift it. Because I left if for a few weeks and just put up with the pain, it took a fair bit of physio and manipulation to get it back in properly....

I do hope that's not the bony lump that's been sticking out if the side of my knee - and hurting like 'ell occasionally - since i broke my kneecap a few years ago. :shock:

dieselengine

Ok, I have now seen a sports physio and have had 3 sessions.

The view is that the joint at the head of the fibula on the left leg is stiff/tight. Massaging of the tight/knotted calf muscles, and painful manipulation of the joint at the head of the fib is the solution at this point.

One possible causes is age (I am 42, an office worker who has not abused his body over the years. I am resisting this explanation, because if they are right on this, it has potential implications for my ability to ride in the future, which I don't want to contemplate. Also it is an odd place to have such problems, and I have never heard of a cyclist having these probs due to age before).

The second possible explanation is tight/unstretched calf muscles over a prolonged period have locked the joint in place, restricting it's movement, such that it has lost the range of movement, and this needs to be restored. I am much happier with this suggestion, and I have to admit to the lack of stretching hinted at! Not quite sure why a limited ROM would cause the pain I have suffered though.

Treatment has been deep massage of the calf and surrounding area, and as said, manipulation of the joint. I am also doing proper stretches, rolling on a foam physio roller, and heel raises to build up the muscle. I do hope this works, as I don't want to have give this passion up.

Cheers