runners - pain on the opposite side of my arch

sla0814

So I've been running for a while now and all of a sudden, today, I started to get this bad pain on the left outer side of my foot (opposite of my arch)! I haven't increased my miles more than I usually do. The only thing I can chalk it up to right now is that because I run the shoulder, on the left hand side of the road and sometimes that can be uneven, maybe that's hurting me?!?

I don't know...Again, it's only on my left foot...Anyone experience that?? Any suggestions moving forward? It's so weird how I've been feeling awesome on my runs and then all of a sudden I'm in lots of pain today...

vbennett7

I am not a 'runner' but I have had the pain come and go for the last year or so. I thought maybe it was from bad shoes or when I mow the very uneven yard, but I think I have ruled both of those out. Don't know why.

arc918

could be the dreaded PF (plantar fasciitis)

you can try massaging the area using a tennis ball (put your foot on the ball and roll it around)

also you can try freezing a regular 16 ounce plastic water bottle and then rolling the area on that

Naomi91

Happens to me every time i need a new pair of running shoes :] I go through them quick@!

HMKan

I'm also not a runner, but I got this really badly when I did a 3 day walk for cancer. The medics told me that it was tendonitis. I had it along the outside of both my feet (opposite the arch). The pain was almost unbearable for it having such an easy fix. I was told it was from walking for such a long time, but I've noticed I get it even when walking short distances. I found that for the remaining 2 days of the walk, wrapping an ace bandage around it made the problem go away. Obviously, rest will make it go away. But after wrapping my foot I was able to walk 20 miles per day for 2 more days without issue.

Afterward, I looked at CVS and noticed that they have little sleeves that slip over your foot and only cover the affected area (no excess ace bandace to worry about fitting into your shoe). I use these now when I plan to do a lot of walking and haven't had the problem since.

Good luck!

BethTucker

Consistantly running on the shoulder can mess up your biodynamics and can cause the same injuries as having a leg-length discrepancy. I would suggest trying different areas if possible and if not, try running on the other side of the street for a while. I know, I know you will be running in the wrong direction (with, instead of against traffic) but it will help to even out your gait. Also I would suggest going to a specialty running shoe store and having them analyze your gait. They will also fit you for the best shoes for your body and running style. Good luck!

Shawnda1730

I'm a new runner and ran my first 5K on 06/04, and I don't have much to offer on your problem, with your foot, but I thought maybe you could help me. After a good run my shins hurt so bad...they hurt to the touch...nothing else on my body hurts just my shins...today I could not run because I did not want to experience the pain I had yesterday so I stayed on the elliptical. Any advice on how to work with this, I love running and do not want to give this up, but sometimes the pain terrible.

Thanks for any help from you experienced runners!

BethTucker

Shin splints. You probably need a better or different pair of sneakers. As I mentioned it is so worth the money to go to a specialty store and have them pick a pair of shoes for you. Also you may want to keep an eye on that pain, I just read in Runner's World recently that people who thought they had shin splints actually had stress fractures in their tibias.

BethTucker

Oh and congratulations on your 5K!

sla0814

Thanks for all of your insight! I'll have to try different things and see how it goes...

Shawnda1730, I remember when I first started running how shin splints affected more than they do now. In fact, knock on wood, I haven't experienced shin splints in I don't know how long! Some things that you might want to try is stretching more not only before your runs, but after. Here's an article that you might want to check out!

http://www.best-running-tips.com/shin-splints.html

I hope that helps!

Shawnda1730

Thank you sla0814 for letting me get in on your post. Thank you so much for all the feedback, I am willing to try anything to make this pain better. I really don't want to give up running I love it! I will check out the site. @ Beth thank you as well, I got new running shoes for mother's day, but I think you are right I need to get some from a speciality store which I will do.

Thanks again for all the help. I am looking for my next 5K :-)

phyl93

On the shin splint issue I feel like I need to chime in. I just started running again after taking a few months off because of a stress fracture in my shin that came from running incorrectly. If you haven't yet, you should go have a gait study done by a physical therapist. He'll be able to tell you where on your foot you are striking, and he'll be able to show you what you should be doing. Landing on your heel can cause bad shin splints as well as knee injuries, whereas landing on your toe will give you better speed and prevent all these injuries. If you're getting shin splints that hurt when you touch your shin, you might already have a stress fracture. I'd seriously advise getting that checked out, because if you continue to run on it and injure it further it may require surgery to repair.

thenoxus1

As an avid runner currently with my legs taped up and icing...check out Pereoneal Tendonitis. That sounds like what you are experiencing. It's generally just an over use injury that can be fixed with a couple days off and some icing.