Runners- Foot pain?

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horseryder77
horseryder77 Posts: 224 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all-

So I've been having a problem I've never had before... foot pain.
Your first thought may be- Oh, you need new shoes! Yeah, that was mine, too.

This is pair 3. Fortunately, my running shoe store lets me run in them for 30 days- and if they don't work out, I can take them back. They evaluated me both times I went back and I got two different pairs of shoes.

So this is what's happening- A couple weeks ago, I was getting back into running (I ran a lot last year- half marathon at the end of the year. I'm getting back into it, doing about 2 ish miles each time till I can up it again) and I've never had this pain before.
My left ankle hurt, and then it started moving to the arch of my left foot. Only my left foot. And after about 5-10 minutes of running, it starts to become unbearable.

I thought my shoes were shot, so I went and got a new pair of mizunos.
It was even worse. Had to stop after 6 minutes of running. Terrible, awful cramping pain in that left foot.

Went back after running in those shoes three times- got re evaluated- got a pair of asics.
Ran in them twice- same problem, except this time I had to stop completely and lift my foot off the ground cause it hurt so much.

I just gave myself 4 days off because I'm not sure what's wrong. I'm afraid to run today. My foot is still sore, and now it's up to my hip.

Anyone else ever had this problem?? I've had knee and joint pain before, but never foot pain like this.
Also- I'm a mild over pronator, and I'm double jointed so I generally run with a knee brace on my left knee.

If this keeps happening I'll see a doctor- I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced anything along these lines.
Please and thank you! :)

Replies

  • horseryder77
    horseryder77 Posts: 224 Member
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    bump?
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
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    Have you been evaluated by a podiatrist? Plantar Fasciitis (sp?) perhaps?

    I am about to go get some new running shoes myself and I can tell you that I'll be taking the insoles out and replacing them with green super feet. Before I used those insoles, my feet would be tense inside my shoes and I would get bad cramping in my arches. With the insoles (they took a LOT of getting used to), my feet are able to relax inside my shoes and my arch problems have completely disappeared. Your pain sounds more serious than what I experienced though, so you may want to consult a doctor.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Sounds like plantar fasciitis to me. It often feels like sharp, severe, heel pain. But, when it is really bad, it can go through the whole foot -- from the arch thru the heel. Plantar fasciitis generally is worst in the morning, when you take your first steps, and after you have been sitting for a while. Once you warm up a bit, and walk a bit, the pain tends to get better.
    If plantar fasciitis is what you have, you need arch-support inserts in your running shoes and you need to do stretching exercises for the bottom of your feet. The inserts I like are called SuperFeet. Any running store will have them.
    But, I would go visit a professional right away. I have never heard of plantar fasciitis starting as ankle pain, but we are all different.
    Still, see someone. These things can become chronic, and, if it is preventing you from running, that is no good.
  • skatx
    skatx Posts: 2 Member
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    I had similar foot pain after switching up my exercise classes (particularly when I tried Body Attack). It hurt in my heel and I would often limp around in the morning after first getting up and during the day after being seated for awhile.

    Fortunately I know a tui-na / accupressure massage therapist who fixed me up in a half hour session. It's the tendon that stretches from the base of the heel on the outside of the shin. The massage itself was not super-pleasant (accupressure is not like a "relaxation" massage) and it took almost a week for the ensuing inflammation to calm, but now it has not flared up again.

    I would highly suggest a massage of this type (from an accupressurist/ sports massage therapist/ practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine). It only cost me $50 and I couldn't believe I'd let the foot pain go on for three months needlessly. FYI, he also suggested negative-heel athletic shoes to reduce the stretching your tendons have to do in traditional highly padded shoes.
  • wloukurtz
    wloukurtz Posts: 14 Member
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    I recommend getting an ankle brace for extra support. It sounds like there has been a strain on either some tendons or ligaments probably due to the way your foot/ankle lands when running....maybe being inverted or everted. Also rest is going to be your friend in this situation...try some low impact exercises like swimming and biking.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    If you can, go see a doctor. What you have sounds pretty serious if it's not something that's going away after a change of shoes. My bet is also plantar plantar fasciitis but I'm not a doctor, so don't listen to me, talk to a real one instead. There are stretches you can do to help relieve the pain. Here is some more information:

    http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Agree on plantar strain right now. Don't keep going on or it'll become a sprain, and then you'll be out for at least 6 weeks.

    That is one tendon you can't use if sprained, unlike sprained ankle with no side support may mean only flat surfaces for a while.

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