Ouch - Foot Pain

Could it be a fallen arch? I know those are really painful.

Deb W.

Might be a heel spur.

ARTICLE

I had a similar pain recently and finally bit the bullet and went to the doctor because I was sure I had a stress fracture from running too much too soon.  He said it was tendonitis from overuse.  Have you done more walking than usual recently?  The only treatment he gave me was rest.  Which worked like a charm!  I'm kicking myself now for the $$ it cost.  :(

Hope you feel better quickly! 

Altho it doesn't sound like it fits your description, you might read up on plantar fascitis. DH has had that and it can be really painful, especially first thing in the morning or when exercising. If it is what you have, the best treatment he's found is wearing really good shoes for walking/running and rolling a tennis ball with the arch of your foot in the morning for a few minutes.

http://www.plantar-fasciitis.org/

It might be from overuse. We have been doing a lot more hiking an stuff recently because the weather has been nice. I'll just keep resting it. My dogs wont be happy with me.

I don't think its a heal spur or the arch. The pain is in a strange place, and doesn't fit most of the things I have read.

Thanks guys.

Here's why: I broke my 5th metatarsal without knowing it. It hurt only when I was active and got worse over time until I was doing less and less. When I finally went to the doctor, it was clear on the x-ray: The back of the bone was broken all the way off, and one of my tendons was pulling on the loose piece of bone every time I did anything. The break was so old (over a year was the estimate) that the edges of the break were smooth and rounded. It was about 8 months of boots, surgery, crutches, etc. before I was back up and running (literally) and I am still working my way back to full speed.

The treatment would have been a lot easier if I had gone to the doctor right when my foot started hurting, and I probably would have avoided surgery and all the recovery that goes with it.

So, not to scare you, but better to go to the doctor and find out it's nothing. The other thing I will mention is that it's really easy to break the 5th met. -- my doctor said people do it all the time doing stuff like stepping out of cars or rolling their ankles. Go figure, I still have no clue how mine broke.

My first recommendation would be the podiatrist .. BUT I've also sooooooo been there with the inability to take off work and inability to afford it.

For many years I had what *sounds* like the same thing.  I used to often comment to my best friend "that darned bone in my foot hurts again!" -- it seemed like it was literally that outside 'bone' on my foot that would pain me -- certain shoes made it worse, walking was horrific, and eventually it would go away for months only to recur at the strangest times.  It didn't seem to be from overuse -- in fact, sometimes it would happen after I'd been sitting!  (usually uncomfortably but ...)

In my 40's I was finally diagnosed with sciatica.  THAT only after really excruciating pain in my low back what would pretty well paralyze one side of my buttocks and pain that radiated down from the middle of my butt to the back of my knee, and then that would abruptly turn to the outside of my leg and zoom down the side of my lower leg to .... *that bone in my foot*.

Apparently that pain in the side of the foot was the precursor to the sciatica.  Sciatic pain is the result of a pinched nerve in the low back -- it can be SUPER helped simply by various exercises that take the pressure off the nerve. 

 Even now, *sometimes* that 'pain in that bone in my foot' can be my first sign that sciatica is about to strike.  Literally just sitting in the wrong chair for 30 seconds will do it.  Sometimes it develops anywhere along that prescribed path and will go upwards and downwards. 

If you want to email me I'll describe in words the weird exercises that help ME.  Essentially, you can do a ton of diagnostic work that may or may not include things like MRI's, x-rays, etc. -- which are incredibly good to have IF you can do it. 

I'm not here to tell anyone to not go to the doctor -- it's ALWAYS ALWAYS the preferred way.  But if these simple  and non-invasive exercises help you and elminate the problem, it may give you at least some direction.

I just sent you a pm callie! I would appreciate the exercises.

I know it would be best to go to the dr, but dh and I were just laid off so its not a good time for us. I'm going to just rest it, and do the exercises callie sends and hope for the best.

I hope I don't have the break that pit.pointer.aussie was speaking of. Since that ankle broke it has been weak, and I probably roll it at least once a week. I just hope I haven't broken anything else. getting my ankle fixed nearly bankrupted me.

I have intermetitarsal neuromas.... Long past injury, increased scar tissue around the nerves, considerable pain from apparently no where.  I now were wide shoes (mostly crocs, plus orthotics).  Took about 6 months rehab (total) which included pain meds, ultrasoud therapy, some rest and icing at the end of the day.  Pretty much ok now.

Definitely visit the foot doctor.  It's nearly impossible to self-diagnose foot and leg pain.  Every person is so different and where the pain for various conditions manifests, depends on literally thousands of factors having to do with your medical condition, weight, previous injuries, exercise tolerance, and of course your overall structure.

I have pretty serious plantar faciaitis in both feet, with a bone spur in one foot.  Most of the time the pain is referred to the top of my metatarsals and my little toe because I turn my feet out when I walk and roll my ankles.  I too broke my ankle and the worst foot, the one with the bone spur, is the one I broke.  I waited until I literally couldn't walk more than a few steps before going to the doctor about it, and I had to wear a rocker boot to keep my foot in the correct position, for six long weeks.  Bleah.  but if I'd gone earlier that wouldn't have been necessary.

Plantar faciatis, as with many orthopedic problems as Callie pointed out, can be corrected to a large degree with posture strengthening and correcting exercises.  I do daily exercises to stretch my hamstring, plus I've now added a series of pilates mats and resistance exercises designed to tone my lower back and correct my overall posture.  The pilates was a huge help.  I've been shearing sheep, cleaning house, and planting flower beds the last week and there's no way I could have maintained this level of activity without the overall improvement in my posture and muscle tone.

You can easily test to see whether your hamstrings might be at fault (this could be a number of problems, but it's nice to narrow it down).  Find a long strap or bathrobe tie or belt - at least six or eight feet long.  Lay back on a comfortable surface - you can use your bed or a couch as long as you can stretch all the way out and move your arms above your head some.  Stretch your feet all the way out, legs flat.  Hook the belt around the ball of one foot and lift your foot towards the ceiling, keeping the belt taut and keeping your leg/knee straight.  Inhale as you raise your leg, exhale naturally as you get to the highest point.  When you've put you foot up as high as it will go (or perfectly vertical if you are able to go past vertical with your leg like that, you lucky bird you), pull on the strap gently as you continue to exhale. 

Stop immediately if you feel a very sharp pain somewhere besides your arch.  Stop if your arch gets very uncomfortable. 

When you've reached the end of your breath, pause without inhaling for a moment, then slowly let your foot down as you inhale and exhale again, naturally.  Pause after exhaling again, then repeat, no more than five times altogether.

Change legs and do it on the other side.

If you feel a "loosening" and the pain eases up, see whether continued use of hamstring stretching exercises helps within a day or so.  If not, see a doctor for sure - the inflammation might be too advanced to repair at home.