Help With A Pain

[Haselsmasher]

Can any of the experts help me figure this out?



Quick background: I've been out of orthotics and trying to run minimalist for a while - but without success. About three weeks ago I went full barefoot - and I've been mostly walking. I've just started doing a tiny bit of running - as in 2 min or so. I can feel the very early stages of a pain I've had before.



The pain occurs on days that I run. It does not hurt AT ALL when I'm running. It really doesn't even hurt later in the day. It's when I get late afternoon and evening is when I tend to feel it. I notice it when walking - when my heel hits the ground. This evening as I type this it's probably a .5 on a 10 pt scale. I've been hoping the foot strengthening (by walking) would have helped - and it has. It seems improved. But the fact I've got it now has got me wondering.



When it was quite bad my podiatrist thought it was a sural nerve inflammation. I can't say this feels real "nervy" - it's not tingling or numb or anything. It just is noticeable when it is banged from walking. Landing whole foot doesn't aggravate it. Slight heel strike does.



In the pic I'm pointing to where the pain is. (It's hard to pinpoint - it's kind of diffuse. So don't mistake my finger for accuracy.) I'm wondering what else could it even be besides a nerve? Is there anything there under the skin besides the fat pad and the calcaneous?



Any thoughts based on the above info?



Thanks.



Jim

http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb460/Haselsmasher/IMG_0480.jpg

 

[Neil_D]

Hi Jim,I came out of

Hi Jim,

I came out of orthotics around 2.5 years ago and took up barefoot running and you will get all sort of small niggling pains when you are getting out of highly supportive footwear.

I can't remember the exact sequence I experienced but it was somewhere along the lines of pain under the arch for a couple of weeks, pains around the ankle around a month later, some achilles and calf soreness.

By your description it is very mild pain so it may be nothing. Making a transition will not be pain free.

Even now, after a month of running in Vibrams while in the UK, I go back to barefoot in Australia and my calves are sore again. Ok I may have been going a little fast (due to the experience in the Vibrams) but you would think that the calves would have retained their strength over the course of a month.

Just keep monitoring it and don't rush the change over.



Cheers



Neil

 

[Dr. Gangemi_SockDoc]

Based off where you're

Based off where you're pointing to, I think you're feeling pain from one of the fibers of your Achilles tendon. I've actually had pain in the same spot many years ago and working on my Achilles corrected it. The SockDoc video for AT is here - although you really don't have "Achilles Tendonitis" it doesn't matter - just a name - your symptoms are similar enough. See if the advice in the video helps you out some. http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/achilles-tendonitis-video/

 

[Haselsmasher]

Thanks so much. I didn't

Thanks so much. I didn't think of it as an Achilles issue. Are you saying the Achilles actually kind of wraps around the calcaneous? I'd found reference to something like that a while ago but until now didn't have a confirmation. That is interesting.

I watched your vid. I've had significant calf issues. I'll keep poking around and making sure diet and stress are at appropriate levels.

Thanks.

Jim

 

[Dr. Gangemi_SockDoc]

Yes, the connective tissue

Yes, the connective tissue (fascia) wraps down around the heel bone from the Achilles and makes up part of the thick connective tissue which goes on to make the plantar fascia at the bottom of the foot. Think of fasica as a thick, spiderweb-like connective tissue that connects everything in your body together (muscles, organs) in some way or another. So either you strained some of that connective tissue, or you've put more stress on it because the big calf muscles aren't doing their job.

 

[Haselsmasher]

Thanks so much. I've poked

Thanks so much. I've poked around my calves. On my chronically bad side I found hot spots just below the crease where the knee bends. I assume that is Soleus and/or Post Tib. It seems to have helped.

Jim

 

[Dr. Gangemi_SockDoc]

Nice...gastroc (not soleus)

Nice...gastroc (not soleus) or post tib. But either way, you've got it. Your body doesn't care if you're calling it the wrong muscle!