Bottom of foot injury - Thoughts before I Doc It

LavaRunner

Chapter Presidents
Jun 4, 2010
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Looking for some thoughts and input on an injury. You might remember last week I headed out on a challenging trail run.it was about 8 miles but varying terrain and a lot of slag chunks, fist sized rocks and gravel. I started the run out barefoot and soon realized I was out of my element and put on the KSOs. The run was challenging and I became very cautious in my running and aware of every nerve in my feet. After 7 miles I felt like I had been put through the test and finally the trail eased into a nice forest dirt trail with little or no rocks.

As the trail eased, so did my focus and as I crossed a very small creek I came up the other side and stepped on a rock that was sticking out of the smooth trail like a mini pyramid. This rock pressed into my foot right between the heads of the second and third metatarsals maybe more towards the second and I felt like I had been stabbed by a knife. The burn and sting was off the charts. I was limping along and soon couldn’t run and it felt like my foot was swelling. When I arrived home I was happy to see that there wasn’t any major swelling and the pain was almost gone.

Well, it has been almost a week and every time I do anything that exerts pressure in this area (See Photo) it feels like a nail being stabbed into the foot. Walking I am fine, Running I am fine, Biking I am fine but step on even the slightest bump or curb or press into the soft flesh and ouch, I am in some immediate pain. I have palpated all the bones, there doesn’t seem to be any bone pain. This seems to be a soft tissue issue from what I can tell. When I walk it almost feels like thee is a pad of tissue balled up under the ball of the foot but I have had this sensation since I started running barefoot and even before that.

Any thoughts before I call this one a loss and head for the doc?


FootPain.JPG
 
Saying that you have had this

Saying that you have had this balled up feeling on the ball of your foot even prior to running sounds like a sign of Morton's Neuroma. MN is nerve damage. It is possible that when you stepped on that rock, you damaged the nerve even more. Now it's angry, and it's telling you so. It seems to me like you should stop running and walk on it very little until it gets back to "your normal." I would have it checked out by a doctor to confirm a neuroma diagnosis though. Make sure they do an ultrasound or an MRI. Ultrasounds are easy to do, so make sure your doc is willing to do one. As I told Nyal, MRIs are expensive, so if you get one, make sure your insurance covers it first.

If they confirm a neuroma, please let me know, and I will send you my story, so you will know what to expect should you decide to go with treatments for it.
 
This reminds me of a couple

This reminds me of a couple occasions I've nailed rocks in about the same place and ended up with a nasty bruise. The bruise can take weeks or even months to completely heal. In my case, I was fine running on flat, hard surfaces, but trails were another story. Also, I was extra mindful about rocks, not wanting to aggravate an already tender area.


I think the key is to listen to what your body is telling you.
 
I responded to your post in

I responded to your post in RW. Here is what i wroter.



Lava, you have a classic case of bursitis in that area, a very deep tissue wound or bruise. I went through the same thing, it hurt so bad at one point that i thought it was a bone injury, I even went to the doctors. You have no pain when touching the bone which is a great sign. I am 100% it's a bursitis injury.

This type of injury is very annoying and very stubborn when it comes to the healing process. You need to take time off from running so it can heal, take some advil at night to get some blood flow in there. Ride your bike to maintain your exercise.
 
There is a Bursa in the foot

There is a Bursa in the foot at that location?

It makes sense if there is
 
If it is a bursitis issue,

If it is a bursitis issue, would deep tissue massage help?
 
I had something similar,

I had something similar, though maybe not so severe and my PT's recommendation was a trigger-point exercise: stand with a tennis ball or baseball under that foot, find the spot that hurts, and put enough weight on the foot to feel a "good hurt".

(I've been fine running in VFFs on pavement, but trails have been aggravating it still...it's been hard to be patient and I've set myself back a couple times in the process.)
 
Well it has been a week. So I

Well it has been a week. So I went out for a short run and turned it into a 10K. There was one little difference, I wore some of my heavy old boats to pad the bottom of my foot and was able to run in good form and not risk insult to the are that is healing.

Running in shoes seemed really strange. Form is wayyyyyy better now and I found it easy to maintain a mid/fore foot landing. Walking was the odd part, it was like walking on marshmallows

In any form, after a week, it felt great to put on some miles and the foot remains in decent shape and still healing.
 
So perhaps you have found

So perhaps you have found something to help you, to get you through? Are you giving up barefoot running then?
 
Quote:Are you giving up

Are you giving up barefoot running then?
Hail no! [said in my best southern drawl] I felt so out of touch. I just think for everything there is a time and place and I am almost 100% positive that the rock I stepped on while daydreaming bruised a nerve or the tissue around it. I was not going to chance stepping on something and insulting the already sore tissue. For now, shoes are fine. Maybe a week and I will run bare again. I went for a nice few mile walk barefoot and I am good unless I step on something and then it hurts a little. Nothing like it did earlier this week though.
 
Maybe you are on the road to

Maybe you are on the road to recovery then. I hope.
 
Whatever it was, After a week

Whatever it was, After a week and 1/2 I am over it.

Time to put on my running shoes.......

Oh, wait, I don't wear shoes..... Silly me!
 
For shame!

For shame!