Lace Bite

I’m so delighted to have Melissa Wheeler as one of our guest bloggers.  She has been with NHI over 15 years and is one of the first teachers I met when I initially toured the school.  While Emeryville is her home campus, she is the Faculty Training Coordinator for all campuses.  She makes sure all NHI teachers continually meet our high level of training.  Her background is in Sports Massage and Rehabilitative work, having worked in a Physical Therapy clinic for a number of years – and with athletes at Cal Berkeley.

This is the first of Melissa Wheeler’s occasional series about interesting conditions that can benefit from massage.

Lace Bite.  Ouch!  What is THAT?  Runners, walkers, hikers:  Loosen your laces!

Lace Bite is a common condition that develops over the top of the foot where the long extensors of the toes pass under the extensor retinaculum. (see illustration below).  Compression of these tendons can cause a painful condition called tenosynovitis.  In this region it is commonly called “lace bite” because tight shoelaces are often the primary cause.

• Retinaculum:  Thickenings of deep fascia in distal portions of limbs that hold tendons in position.
• Tenosynovitis:  When tendons that pass through a synovial sheath become irritated and inflamed.

How to Treat with Massage?  Deep Transverse friction of the affected tendon along with myofascial release on the retinaculum (and loosening your laces) can resolve the problem!  I had a client who had this condition for months and could not figure out what was wrong.  After one massage specific to this area – the pain went away!  However, don’t work if acutely inflamed.