Latest posts for the topic "tarsal tunnel syndrome"

tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:40:59 GMT

Hi all (newbe)
I have been diagnosed as suffering from Tarsel Tunnel Syndrome. This has meant that I have had to have my ski boots fixed at 90 degs to stop my feet going numb. I can sort of parallel turn and am fairly confident on blues and reds. However I know I ski awkwardly as I cannot get over the front of my skis as much as most. There is a fair bit of give in my boots, but obviously not as much as normal ones. I would love to be able to progress to tougher runs and eventually be able to carve. Lenghty runs give me back ache too. Any advice as to how I can adapt my technique would be appreciated. If your advice is that I will never be able to carve proprly due to my condition then please don't hold back.

Paul C

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:25:30 GMT

Hi PAUL CNG Welcome to J2ski. Your condition sounds painful full credit to you for keeping going with your skiing. As a total amateur it seems to me that your boots need to be set up to mimic a forward lean position, whilst still leaving you upright. Hopefully CEM will be along soon to give an expert's view on the bootfitting stuff. I'll leave the skiing stuff to other J2skier's to contemplate.

What led to you getting your diagnosis?

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:36:38 GMT

Thats bad to hear.. I don't see why having your boots fixed to a certain degree would cause a great deal of an issue after all technically you can just carve by edging your skis and letting them run out. Is it possible to have your boots set at more of a forward lean (might make life easier) or does your condition stop this? Being over the front of your skis IS NOT essential to being able to carve. I don't have an understanding of what your condition allows and does not allow movement wise so can't really give you a definitive answer although I am sure someone else will have a little more experience of this than I do..

tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:59:43 GMT

Thanks to both Bandit and RossF for your replys. My condition basically means that the tendons that run through the heal of my feet get trapped if I lean forward much past 90 degs for any length of time, so my boots have been fixed at 90 degrees (so when I'm on the lifts and standing around - my feet don't go numb). My boots have got raised inserts inside the heals and I set my ski 2cm forwards of the usual position. I had the boots altered by a Co. in Chelsea (Pro Feet). I could not ski before having this done.

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:00:56 GMT

I don't see why you theoretically couldn't carve, does this not place a lot of strain on your knees? Way to go for getting out there!!

tarsal tunnel syndrome

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:04:23 GMT

it shouldn't be a problem to fix a boot with the heel raised s you say, it is possible to lift th heeland then fix the boot so that it remains in a forward position but your foot held t 90degrees inside

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:35:03 GMT

I assume you've explored the treatment options with your GP? The condition you have sounds very much like the condition I have in my right hand - carpal tunnel syndrome. I have found steroid injections to be really effective so far, and once they no longer work there is a surgery option which I'm told is 99% effective permanently. I do sympathise and know how you feel about it affecting a hobby you're passionate about, I had the same problem in the summer trying to control the throttle and brake on a powerful motorbike with a numb hand

tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:22:10 GMT

Superduke_Chris
Cheers for the comment. Biker myelf so appreciate the problem. The skiboots I have had made for me, almost (90%)remove the problem of numb feet so I'm hoping to avoid steroids and eventual surgery. All I really wanted to know was whether or not my skiing 'could' improve past my present linked parallel skid turns to classy sweeping or rapid carvers that look to me like they may generate feelings very close to "getting your knee down".

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:28:48 GMT

RossF
Yes it does give my knees a bit of grief - but if there is no technical reason for my awkward posture/gait getting in the way of the craving I'll be as happy as a *** in ****. Thanks for the support.

tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:33:03 GMT

PAUL CNG wrote:Superduke_Chris
The skiboots I have had made for me, almost (90%)remove the problem of numb feet so I'm hoping to avoid steroids and eventual surgery.

I had no idea that Profeet could manufacture a skiboot from scratch. Until now I'd thought it was only Daleboot or Strolz that could build a boot to manage medical problems on an individual basis.

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:01:17 GMT

bandit
Apologies - Profeet modified a pair of boots for me. Previous to having these made, I had tried every make and many sizes of boots supplied by the Intersport in Zell where I first tried to ski 4 years ago. All these boots (with forward lean angles of approx 15 -20 degrees) made my feet numb within 5 - 15 mins of putting them on. I payed around 3 grand for the ski hol (with my wife and daughter)and spent the majority of the week up and down the ski lifts to try on more boots. The chap in the shop took to hiding in the tech area towards the end of the week (can't blame him).
All's fine with the boots now - I just wan't to get better.

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:06:22 GMT

PAUL CNG, Thanks for clarifying that, no worries, glad your boots are sorted for you. Perhaps a pair of Strolz next time round?

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:25:56 GMT

Paul CNG, also look at cems post as he gives probably the best suggestion in the whole thread!!

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:53:25 GMT

Paul Cng. Good luck to you mate!!
I thought I had problems with my right boot after 2-3 hours!!
I am not even going to even try and discuss the physics and chemistry as to why you or may not be able to affect meaningful and deliberate carving!!

I am a mature good intermediate skier nothing more, but have recieved no formal instruction in over 20 years, in other words since carvers came on the scene. Started again 5 years ago and basically made it up as I went along. Desperate to try and improve I stumbled across the link I mentioned in the thread shown below
Skiing techniques- Carving Tution- It has to be seen

Have a look and see if you can see any reason why your condition wont allow you to adapt it to carving.

It seemed to make things simply explained and as a result I bought the DVD- SOFA SKI SCHOOL from Blue to Black Diamond.

One of the Chapters it discusses is carving as shown on the link. I found the whole DVD very worthwhile and would recommend it to anyone from intermediate to that breed of us who are good intermediates but have inherited some bad habits which make it hard for us to perfect our art as well as we would like on the steeps.

This is only a suggestion there are alot more qualified than me that use this forum.

What ever the outcome, enjoy yourself!!

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:44:48 GMT

People have mentioned raising the heel to allow some application of forward pressure, that will help to some degree but a more central binding position would help a lot too. What about moving the bindings to a more central position where applying forward pressure is less of an issue?

A fully symetrical park ski centrally mounted would be a lot easier for you to ski on - as your centre of gravity is already over the middle of the ski there would be less need to be pressuring the fronts of your boots - with a little heel lift you'd be able to achieve a relaxed knees bent stance and wouldn't have to worry about keeping your weight over the skis point of balance as your centre of gravity would already be over the POB without having to press forward into the boot at all.

A good tech who has tuned race skis could do a proper POB central mounting on a pair of park skis that would help you out a lot - that combined with a modest heel lift and you should be fine. I'd be a matter of finding how far back from central you would need to mount up to accommodate the heel lift you need for a comfortable stance - a heel lift will enable a better stance but will shift your weight forward a bit - you would need to mount slightly behind centre to allow for this - a good tech should be able to figure out exactly how far back would be right if you show him how much heel lift you're working with.

Essentially the central mounting would remove the need to get your weight forward - the heel lift would simply facilitate a comfortable skiing stance. You'd be 100% able to carve perfect arcs with really good style.

Re:tarsal tunnel syndrome

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 19:37:06 GMT

the problem is not getting weight forward, it is the availability of range of motion at the ankle or at least the entrapment of a nerve at the ankle when the ankle is flexed forward, in this kind of case the solutions are to raise the heel a little to increase the available range of motion at the ankle, making the cuff of the boot more vertical will further increase this available range, stiffening the cuff will give resistance when the skier bends the ankle, the resitance allows pressure transmission to the ski before the range of motion that is available is used up

heel lift is an interesting thing, most people assume that it will get weight forward, often times it will induce the opposite effect, if the ramp angle inside the boot, combinded with the binding delta angle is too great for the available range of motion at the ankle, the skier will drop the hip back to comensate....lifting the toe of the boot either by adding a race plate to the boot sole or a lifter under the toe piece of the binding can aften have a much more dramatic effect at getting the weight forward......or at least allowing the skier to pressurise the front of the ski, it opens all the joints in the lower kinetic chain and allows a much more progressive and dynamic flex....on a side note rental bindings tend to have a massive amout of delta angle with exasserbates the problem

people may have already guessed that the key to this is AVAILABLE range of motion and overall set up