Runners - pain in the toe?

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nothingwithoutHim
nothingwithoutHim Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I know this is like, weird...:blushing: but have any of you experienced a severe aching pain in your big toe after a running for a while? Well, ok, it's like, at the base of the toe - pressure to it makes it worse. It seems to be aggravated by anything from just walking around to running miles, and I've had this pain for at least 7 months now. I even switched from (way too) tight shoes to ones that fit more comfortably, but nothing alleviates it. :sad: I've looked up running toe injuries, but all I've read about is the dreaded black toenails, which are decidedly NOT what I have. Will it ever go away? Is it something I should think about seeing a doctor for? Someone please tell me I'm not the only one with this issue! :ohwell:

Replies

  • Alexis256
    Alexis256 Posts: 9 Member
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    Is it at the toe joint? It may be bunions. You could see a doctor to get orthotics. I have bunions and will have searing pain at all different times...sometimes while running, sometimes just while lying in bed.
  • nothingwithoutHim
    nothingwithoutHim Posts: 140 Member
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    Bump? Anyone else?

    My family has a history of bunion problems...I will look into that...
  • czmmom
    czmmom Posts: 236 Member
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    Have you had your feet checked out at a running store and been fitted? My toe joints hurt once I hit 4.5 miles or so and it was because my shoes were too small. Typically you should get running shoes that are half a size bigger than you normally wear and I need a whole size bigger. My pain was similar to yours. I haven't had an issue since I was fitted at a running store.
  • gadenni34
    gadenni34 Posts: 294 Member
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    could it be a stress fracture? have you looked into those symptoms?

    Sorry you are in pain!
  • v_mdravensfan
    v_mdravensfan Posts: 12 Member
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    OsteoArthritis will cause this exact pain. It builds up at the base of the toe, and shows up on an xray as a big white blob right where the toe joins the foot and slightly below. I know because I have it in my right foot. Relief is typical pain relievers for me, and shoes that don't rub that area. According to my orthopedist it is operable if the pain becomes chronic and not a complicated procedure.

    Here is a decent link - http://www.foottalk.com/d_osteoarthritis.html

    Hope this helps and sorry you hurt...
  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,974 Member
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    I was born with an extra bone in each foot (it's supposed to happen once every 6,000 or so) that caused me problems with running. I recently switched to barefoot running wearing VIbram FiveFingers and all of my foot problems seemed to clear up but I still sometimes have what I call a spasm of the right big toe which is from the extra bone along that side of the foot. It seems to come and go on its own if I wear the FiveFingers but will stay around for a lot longer wearing regular shoes.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    Have you rested it or are you continuing to run 7 months on an injury? Try taking a week or 2 off running and icing it several times a day. If it doesn't resolve itself after that, consult your Dr.
  • slrrese
    slrrese Posts: 180 Member
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    OsteoArthritis will cause this exact pain. It builds up at the base of the toe, and shows up on an xray as a big white blob right where the toe joins the foot and slightly below. I know because I have it in my right foot. Relief is typical pain relievers for me, and shoes that don't rub that area. According to my orthopedist it is operable if the pain becomes chronic and not a complicated procedure.

    Here is a decent link - http://www.foottalk.com/d_osteoarthritis.html

    Hope this helps and sorry you hurt...

    This! Sorry! My husband has had this for years and is thinking about getting the surgery. It is very painful for him.
  • tippietoes
    tippietoes Posts: 46
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    I used to have the same thing. Visited a podiatrist & in my case, my runners didn't provide enough arch support which meant too much pressure on the front of my foot. Got a pair of inserts to properly support my arches & it was gone within a week. Might be worth looking into :)
  • LS102
    LS102 Posts: 19
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    I'm currently in Physical Therapy for a knee injury. After a while, both of my big toes started to hurt (the base of the toe and the muscles of the balls of my feet).

    I thought I had somehow developed a whole new problem, but my Physical Therapist told me that it may be caused from tight calf muscles.

    I started stretching my calves more and massaging them when I was super tight. I noticed a difference immediately. I also massaged my aching toes.

    If you have a tennis ball (in my case I use a field hockey ball), you can massage your feet by rolling your foot around on the ball. I've even taken the ball and massaged larger muscle groups - oh, so good!

    Using a foam roller is also awesome to release tight muscles and connective tissues.

    Hope this helps!
  • nothingwithoutHim
    nothingwithoutHim Posts: 140 Member
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    Wow! Thanks for the input, guys! I'm researching all of these right now. :flowerforyou:

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