Cramp in the ball of my foot...comes and goes. What's going on?!?

[Barefoot Mary]

Hey everybody,

I've been running barefoot for almost 4 months now with no mishaps. I don't run in minimalist shoes EVER. I've worked myself up to about 2.5 miles, approaching 3. Everything's great. Here's my problem:

Went out today walking barefoot, everything feeling good. Then all of a sudden I got a weird pain on the bottom of my left foot ... just under my front pad deep deep in the root of my foot. Not under my toes. It was further back inside the pad just where the ball of my foot meets my arch.

It felt like a cramp or a twisted ball of muscle. Every time I stepped on it there was pain. I stopped to rub it, which was also pretty painful. This happened to me once a few months back on my oppisite (right) foot. Again, it happened when I was walking around barefoot NOT running.

I think this might be a growing pain (???) but I can't be sure. Was wondering if anyone else has had this sensation...

Here's the kicker. It comes. It hurts. Then, just like a side stitch or a muscle ache, it's gone. It totally ruined my run today. I just turned around and limped home. Now I'm sitting on the carpet pushing on it, wiggling my toes and flexing my foot...and the pain is absolutely gone. My foot feels great. If this episode is anything like my right foot's ache, it will be gone tomorrow and I will be able to run again. But I'm sure as heck not running on anything that hurts!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That's weird, Mary.  I have

That's weird, Mary. I have no idea what that could be. Is it possible you may be pinching a nerve, and then when the nerve relaxes, it goes away?

 

[Barefoot Mary]

My theory is that my arch is

My theory is that my arch is growing, or my bones/tendons/muscles are sinking into the bed of my foot where they naturally belong.

Growing pains? I donno.

I just hope my form is all right... but I've had no problems so far. So weird.

 

[Danjo]

It feels like a muscle knot?

It feels like a muscle knot? Wierd, I don't think theres even a significant of muscle under there. I think I'm going to agree with TJ and say nerve pain, but I don't know what would be causing it. Especially with its come and go nature.

 

[C. Beth Run.]

Don't know exactly what it

Don't know exactly what it is--but with the arch cramps I get, I've mostly gotten rid of them by regularly rolling/massaging my foot over a ball, like a golf ball, tennis ball, whatever I have nearby.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Nerve pain can easily come

Nerve pain can easily come and go, and rather quickly too, like a flash sometimes, sometimes a little longer.

 

[Barefoot Mary]

Thanks for the advice, all!

Thanks for the advice, all! ...it must've been minor nerve pain because since my little episode I've run two 3+ milers and haven't felt anything but happy from the feets. Yay!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Possible growing pains then. 

Possible growing pains then. Glad that's over.