How I found out about Haglund deformity. When you run more than 10 years, you make a lot of mistakes. I have done dozens myself, and the biggest, I guess, was to neglect the pain from my right Achile tendon for more than one year. The pain is not huge, apart from some certain moments, and somehow learned to live with it. I was assuming it was triggered by a pair of shoes, and to prove even more stupidity, I have continued wearing that pair for more time. Until I stop doing it. But the pain had no intention in going away, and so I have wondered of potential repercussions, during time, as I am not the youngest lad anymore, but rather slipping slowly to a new decade. My expectation was to have a chronical inflammation, a type of wound which developed from a huge number of kilometers, with no proper additional management of the huge effort. Before the radiography, the doctor thought the same: it should be a calcification because of the compounded years of effort.

Surprised about the diagnosis: Haglund deformity

The second “option” was for me to have, from birth, the Haglund deformity. However, I was told that this likelihood is much smaller, so then I didn’t even considered it. Now, I was waiting for the X raise to come out and see how can I mitigate future pain & especially any kind of long term risk, because I was always afraid to not damage my Achile tendon. The big surprise was when I have learned that, indeed, I have the Haglund deformity, and not only at the right foot, but at both! “Why I didn’t feel any pain until now, then?” The answer was obvious: years passing, effort increasing, more and more kilometers. A fun fact was that I suddenly started feeling a small discomfort on the left foot as well. How fun this works and how big reactions can appear in one’s mind! Having a diagnosis, of course, I sought advice of what to do next, after assessing the risks.

Started the intensive recovery at Kinetic, with shock wave on top

According to the doctor, there is no real risk of a tendon snap, but to loosen the pain and improve the mobility of the heel, while reducing the inflammation, I should follow a recovery protocol. I’ve took the advice, and decided to follow a full treatment cycle, and see where I’ll drop at the end: 12 kinesiotherapy and 12 of physiotherapy. I’ve booked these at Kinetic, a specialized clinic, and stretch them as long as two months, with nine somehow linked, then a two weeks honeymoon, so the last three after well deserved rest. How do you think it worked out? At the beginning, I’ve started with easy exercises, and with some shock wave therapy. A very painful kind of therapy, but also with a lot of effectiveness if your tissues are inflamed. Things are progressing steady, but since I’ve kept running almost as usual during the treatment, something didn’t seem to work properly.

The huge and scary pain after a 41:31 10K

The trigger was pulled, though, after 27th of April 2025. I was almost mid-thru the sessions, at the end of the seventh combined cycle, but also after Dita 10K. A very good race in terms of final time, 41:31, but which provoked a huge pain the next day, when I was going to go for my eight session. I could barely walk to the clinic, which is 500 meters away from my home. The pain is higher than ever, the inflammation looks like rebounded higher than ever. I am scared, and understand that I really need to change my approach, if I want to modify anything significantly. I know the shock wave works, but I think I don’t need to seek only that. I am approaching something really bad. What, then? I have talked with the physio, and he just advised to run smaller distances – which I already did – but even smaller. I followed the advice, and decreased significantly my volumes at the end of April, one week before flying to Seychelles.

Rediscovering if I can run pain free

I ran only 13 kilometers in that week, and then 11 combined in two weeks. After four or five days in La Digue, I’ve noticed a significant improvement. In around one week, I’ve noticed the pain disappeared entirely. I have never experience this feeling in around two years. It is relieving! But will that change once I will start picking up again running? I was a bit reluctant, afraid,  especially while I was thinking of what happened in the past. While doing my last recovery sessions, I had scheduled Transylvania 100 the 22K race. After three weeks of only 24 kilometers ran, which is close to nothing, I am a bit nervous before the race. However, I feel good, and the worst part after it is a three day long muscle pain. Something I have never encountered as I can remember, especially for this type of runs. The healing seem to function.

Even with the Haglund deformity, my tendon goes strong

I am doing the final evaluation, understand that I need to do a proper recovery at least once, if not twice a year, which I think it is more than reasonable. I am not feeling even the mild / moderate pain from the first morning steps, with which I got used for so many months, or even years. The tendon feels strong. “Do you smoke?”, the doctor asked me, by the way, and in this way I have learned that smokers have poorer blood circulation, then they are more at risk for getting this kind of Achille tendon rupture. Sprints can play a huge part as well, so then I will try to be very careful. Now, before races, I am doing an extended warm up. I prefer to keep it safe, in the hope that I can avoid pain forever, or as long as possible. Everything seems to work very well right now, the recovery is complete and successful.

Don’t wait like I did, but do what I’ve done!

I should thank then Kinetic, and I am doing this right now. I may have gone later than I should to put a diagnosis and to start the recovery, but for sure I went more earlier than many. It isn’t a cheap price, especially if you want to benefit of one’s proximity to your home – as said, 500 meters – but health bound and perspectives bound for your future “career” this is essential. I am not proud for waiting maybe two years until going to investigate and to treat, more as prevention, indeed, but I am very happy I took the decision before it got worse, or even too late. Having done this I can, for sure, advise all of you: don’t treat any kind of chronic pain with indifference. Don’t wait for it to go away, because it might leave unimaginable marks on your health, and even on your fitness. As we get older, the body becomes more fragile, and our sports activity may be at risk.

What is the Haglund deformity?

But what is the Haglund deformity? Haglund’s deformity, also known as a “pump bump,” is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel bone where the Achilles tendon attaches. This bony prominence can cause pain and irritation, especially when wearing shoes with a rigid back or when the heel is compressed. It often occurs due to a combination of factors, including the shape of the heel bone, the way the foot functions, and the type of shoes worn. According to Google’s AI. 

Photo source: nfoot.com