Today was a sad day because I taught my last Zumba class for quite some time. I I originally went to get my certification to teach Zumba in October 2016 so that I could substitute for my current instructor while she was out for maternity leave. And so I taught her classes May to August the following year, picking up my own Monday morning class at the beginning of August. I had to have my own class in order to sub for other instructors at the YMCA.
It’s been a good 2 years, but unfortunately Zumba has caused some issues for me physically. What they don’t tell you is the high risk of overuse injuries, and I struggled with two in particular. Plantar fasciitis was the main culprit. I went to the doctor at the end of 2017 or beginning of 2018, and x-rays confirmed a small bone spur on my left heel. I couldn’t stop teaching, so I took it easy and didn’t do so much jumping. There were several, including my doctor, that said my shoes were likely the cause and that I needed better supporting shoes. This always annoyed me because, really, just how much of a difference can one pair of shoes make over another? Let me tell you, I am a firm believer in having the correct pair of shoes, and they really do make all the difference in the world! I went to a local shoe store last November and found out my ankles roll in when I walk (over-pronate). I bought a recommended pair of shoes, and the plantar fasciitis pain went away almost instantly! So let me say, the shoes you wear while doing cardio exercise like Zumba are very important!
Unfortunately, I let the plantar fasciitis issue go for too long. Realistically, it was on and off for over a year, and that lead to my next issue – or so I believe. Last year, I had been dealing with centralized pain in one particular area along my shin bone on my right leg. From everything I read online, it suggested a stress fracture. I wasn’t convinced because I was still able to walk with no pain, and I was still doing Zumba without any major pain. It didn’t really hurt to jump around and do the moves. By September, a hard knot had formed and appeared to be attached to the bone (not in my skin tissue) in the area, and this really concerned me. While it didn’t hurt when I walked or did Zumba, if I accidentally bumped it on something, it was very painful.
It didn’t concern me enough because I waited until earlier this year (March to be exact) before finally going to the doctor to see what was going on. Instead of one hard knot, it looked like there were now three in the works. You can vaguely see two of them in the picture above. It was hard getting a picture so you could really see the knots. Diagnosis? It was indeed a stress fracture. The bumps? Callus that was building up in order to protect the area. You can see the faintest line where the fracture is on the picture to the left, and the bump in the right picture is the callus buildup that should not be there.
My plantar fasciitis was in my left foot, so I probably put a lot more weight and impact on my right leg so I could go easier on my hurting foot. For more than a year. 😕 I went to a sports ortho doctor in April, and he recommended wearing a boot (which I have not done), and he put in an order for a bone stimulator. The bone stimulator got approved, and I started using it in mid-May. I use it every day, putting it over the spot and pushing the button to start it. It automatically runs for 30 minutes and shuts off.
I don’t feel anything while it runs. Hopefully it’s helping. My 3 1/2 week follow-up showed it was still the same. I supposed I’ll take that since I was still doing Zumba twice a week. I have been using the bone stimulator for about 7 weeks now, and I have decided today will be my last Zumba class for a while. I would love to find a place around the new house to teach and continue with Zumba, but my leg needs a break so it can finally heal properly. Once it has healed completely, I will seek out a place to teach classes again.
Last Monday, my very small but very sweet Zumba class at the YMCA surprised me with this card and gift after class.
It was so unexpected and so sweet of them to think of me. I didn’t expect to almost get a little emotional while teaching, but so many showed up today for my last class. I will be sad to go, but I am looking forward to the break. We go tomorrow to sign paperwork to close on both our house we sold and the one we’re buying, and we move Wednesday! I will busy for a while getting things situated in the new place.