Foot pain?!?!

[Kalikilum]

My foot hurts, It has for a while now. I've been to an orthopedic sports guy, wore a bott for 7-8weeks, had an MRI, MRI was clean a bit a swelling near the pain but no indication of why. The pain is at the front of my heel dead center, it is a very small point where it hurts. I have also been to a chiropractor who said my arch is falling, he has been doing electro therapy to loosed the tendons in my foot, some of the pain has subsided but it is stil there. He says I may need arch supports. I disagree with the theory of arch supports in general because I feel tht once you start you always have to wear them, and I prefer to be barefoot, in my five fingers or my new balence minimus shoes ( I don't think that regular shoes are healthy for our feet)

Ok the back story to the original injury, I have been running for a couple years now, pushing a stroller so my running stride was already short aka landing mid sole in my gymshoes. About a year ago I got my first vff, transistioned slowly over a few months. After I transistioned I started running longer I was up to 6 miles about once a week( the furtherest I had ever run prior to my vff was about 4). Then I jumped from 6 to a 10 mile with some girlfriends, it felt great, my calfs werent even super sore the next day. Then the following weekend I did 10 again. I was fine right after, that afternoon wore a pair of Sandles at the store and about half way though Costco, I felt like my foot was Charlie horsing, pretty painful. About a week later I finally went in to the sport orthopedist because I was in so much pain in my foot I struggled walking.

Any ideas as to what could still be the problem? Or ideas how it make it feel better. The couple times I have tried a short run(1 mile) it felt great while running( in my vffs) but it hurt after. I want to run again!!

[monkeyshoes]

It looks like you have some injured foot, perhaps a second opinion would serve but I would consult another doctor (just in case), mean time, take it easy.

[jmijares]

monkeyshoes is right, take it easy.  Better to take a week off, and then try running short distances again.  Short distances as in one lap around a track or around the block at the most, otherwise you'll just end up injuring yourself even worse. 

After my first injury in VFFs, I had to take two weeks off due to the pain, and then I started transitioning slowly.  I did only one short run in VFFs during the week for the first two months (the rest of the week in normal running shoes) and then added a day of VFFs running with each successive month.  It took seven months to fully transition to full time VFF running, but the pain hasn't returned, even after doing four half marathons in the space of six months...

Make this your mantra:
low and slow...  low and slow...  low mileage, slow transition...                  low and slow...  low and slow...  low mileage, slow transition...   

[Kalikilum]

So, are you suggesting that I run in regular shoes, which I haven't done in over 8 months? I transitioned to vffs over a 4 month period, starting Xmas of 2010.  Or are you suggesting that I start running again but only very short distances, and increasing slowly? 

I am having a tough time figuring out how long to rest, since I have been 'resting' it for 3-4 months now. I say 'resting' becuase I have a 1 and a 2 year old that I stay home with so I don't exactly sit a lot.

thanks for you help!

[jmijares]

So, are you suggesting that I run in regular shoes, which I haven't done in over 8 months? I transitioned to vffs over a 4 month period, starting Xmas of 2010.  Or are you suggesting that I start running again but only very short distances, and increasing slowly? 

I am having a tough time figuring out how long to rest, since I have been 'resting' it for 3-4 months now. I say 'resting' becuase I have a 1 and a 2 year old that I stay home with so I don't exactly sit a lot.

It's that sudden increase in mileage that probably did you in.  Keep the distances short once you're able to run again.

My running pain wasn't in the same place where you got yours, but mine occurred because I did too much too soon.  I was training for a half marathon my weekend mileage just rapidly increased.  I was adding one extra mile every weekend.  I topped out at a 13.9 mile run one Saturday.  And then suddenly less than two weeks later, this awful pain hit me in the top of my left foot and I hobbled home.  The arch in my left foot also collapsed for about four days.  I was so disappointed because it happened just over a week before my half marathon.

When I got back to running, I wore a pair of cheap $20 Turntec running shoes that had lousy cushioning.  The following month was when I added one day of VFF running.

Just my opinion from experience: I don't think your feet are ready to go back to VFFs right now.  You may have to start with regular running shoes again until you build up your running distance again.  Don't despair though.  Most of the veterans here on BirthdayShoes have been injured.  Just take things easy, try not to run the process, and your patience will eventually be rewarded.   

[Kalikilum]

Interesting. So I should prrobably be wearing regular shoes not minimalist ones on a daily basis then? I don't have any gym shoes now, so I guess I will go get some. Thanks for the advice, I super appriciate it.

[jmijares]

Or a pair of sneakers are fine too.  Just use something with a thicker sole until such time that your foot heals.  And like I mentioned earlier, be patient with yourself during the healing process and then with the transition back to minimalist shoes.  It might take a while, but it will be worth it.

[acc]

An alternative is something flexible but thickly cushioned ala Nike Free 3.0 or Vivobarefoot with thick insoles. If you're in your own home, 1/4" thick flip-flops with a velcro strap to emulate huaraches (because Vivobarefoot Achilles is stupidly expensive) would work.

What I noticed is even when wearing VFFs / going barefoot 24/7 if I push my feet too hard they will be sore for a day or so. (i.e. landing hard due to carrying things up and down serrated metal stairs)

[jmijares]

An alternative is something flexible but thickly cushioned ala Nike Free 3.0 or Vivobarefoot with thick insoles.

VivoBarefoot shoes are nice.  I have the RA for office-wear and the Evo II has taken the place of my beloved Bikila LS as my favorite running shoe, but VivoBarefoot is really expensive unless you can find them on sale at a place like The Clymb or LeftLane Sports.

You might also be able to use a pair of aquashoes...  It really depends on what your budget is.

[Kyrah]

This is a problem that I've been having lately too.  I don't run but I have had several back injuries and found that when I transitioned to minimalist shoes, my back pain diminished significantly to the point of almost disappearing completely.  Just to be clear, I don't do anything but walk in them/daily things.

My problem now is that my left foot really hurts.  I don't know what I did and the only thing I can think of is when I went to the mall a week and a bit ago and that particular mall has terrible floors(regardless of the shoes I wear, they are very sore after I leave----I don't go there often).  Could just walking around a bad surface in minimalist shoes have hurt me?  Yesterday I was joking around with my husband and started to sprint a little because he was chasing me and I couldn't even do that without being in pain!

I booked an appointment with my  family doctor for Friday but I wanted to hear your opinions as well.

[jmijares]

My problem now is that my left foot really hurts.  I don't know what I did and the only thing I can think of is when I went to the mall a week and a bit ago and that particular mall has terrible floors(regardless of the shoes I wear, they are very sore after I leave----I don't go there often).  Could just walking around a bad surface in minimalist shoes have hurt me?  Yesterday I was joking around with my husband and started to sprint a little because he was chasing me and I couldn't even do that without being in pain!

Where's the pain on your foot?  Closer to the heel?  Or closer to the front of the foot?

[Kyrah]

Near the middle front of my foot (sort of in the middle meaty part of my foot between where the heel pad ends and the foot pad begins.)  http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2221_foot_reflexology/foot_reflexology_001.gif  <----where the bean looking thing is in this picture

[jmijares]

Near the middle front of my foot (sort of in the middle meaty part of my foot between where the heel pad ends and the foot pad begins.)  http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2221_foot_reflexology/foot_reflexology_001.gif  <----where the bean looking thing is in this picture

Is the pain on the top of the foot or the bottom of the foot?

[Kyrah]

Neither, it's in the middle, as if the bone is bruised and the surrounding parts

[jmijares]

Neither, it's in the middle, as if the bone is bruised and the surrounding parts

Let us know what your doctor says.  It could be that it's an overuse injury.