Case Study: Helen Spivak

Occupation: Complementary therapist

The Challenge
Twelve years after taking part in her first and only half marathon, Helen signed up for the Great Eastern Run to raise awareness and funds for PSPA, a charity close to her heart after her mum died from the rare neurological disorder progressive supranuclear palsy. Just weeks into training she ‘rolled’ her ankle causing a soft tissue injury resulting in painful swelling.

The Solution
Already familiar with the benefits of soaking her feet in warm water with Bexters Soda Crystals to relieve tired, swollen feet after standing all day, she was nonetheless amazed at how quickly the swelling went down after soaking her injured ankle for 30 minutes. To further aid recovery, running was banned for several days!

The Outcome
Repeating the treatment over several days, the painful swelling subsided and she felt able to resume her daily runs, with a foot soak every day to reduce swelling and keep feet refreshed and healthy. At time of writing, she is covering four miles a day and credits Bexters with keeping her on track.

Helen says: “I originally turned down a friend’s suggestion to take part in the Run given I am 12 years older than last time and not a natural runner. Then I spotted the date of the Run (October 12th) was mum’s birthday which I took to be a positive sign! I am prone to swollen feet and ankles, especially during hot weather and soak my feet every day in summer so I was confident the crystals would do the trick with a sprained, swollen ankle.”