Forefoot pain after barefoot walking ?

MikkelFox

Barefooters
Apr 2, 2011
7
2
0
Hello everybody!

I would really like your help on this one.

I have attracted some pain in my right forefoot around the 2nd metatarsalgia (the one closest to my big toe). The pain came after walking pretty long distances barefoot on pavement. I have noticed the area under my foot is more hard than normally, I could seem like the bone is closer to the ground than the other ones. (or the skin is thinner) I have went to see my doctor and surprisingly she said: “you shoes are ridiculous! They have no padding whatsoever, you need padding!” (pointing at my homemade huaraches, that i had put on for the ocasion, thinking that she would not even talk to me if i walked in barefooted)

Hmm.

So since then I have been wearing my vivobarefoot ultras just to give some sort of padding for the hurting area, which helps, sort of. The funny thing is that I can run for as long as I want without even feeling any pain, but as soon as I take a step, ouch. So I am thinking maybe there is something wrong with my walking gait. I noticed that instead of landing on the heal like most people and then rolling along the side of the foot until the whole forefoot has made contact, I land more softly on the heel and quickly make contact with the middle of the forefoot. I am thinking this could cause some stress on the metatarsalgia.

Another note, I have moved from the countryside to the city not so long ago, meaning walking a lot more on hard surfaces with little variation.

I really would like some support from some fellow barefooters how to deal with this, as the normals docters dosn`t have anything else to say than: padding, padding and padding!

Thanks,

mikkel.
 
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Well sure your walking gait

Well sure your walking gait will vary from a running gait.

Back in the day when my feet were new to doing the BF thing. I injured myself in the early stages cause I was anxious, and being stupid.

What I did was held onto my old conventional shoes(simple sneakers). Lots of cushion which is a good thing to allow the foot to heal when it is injured. Just like a cast. I would suggest wearing not ultras, but conventional shoes with padding to allow your feet time to heal. Then transition slowly otherwise you will just injure yourself again.
 
Funny thing is I have run

Funny thing is I have run into a similar problem after spending a week barefoot (I was on vacation). Sore spot on top in the area behind the second toe. Doesn't bother me while running, but it flares up while walking barefoot or after a run. If I wear my trail gloves (which I do at work) it's not really a problem but once I try to walk barefoot suddenly my foot starts acting up.

Unfortunately I don't have a solution yet. Still working on it. ;)
 
shock.absorber wrote:to my

shock.absorber said:
to my old conventional shoes(simple sneakers). Lots of cushion which is a good thing to allow the foot to heal when it is injured. Just like a cast. I would suggest wearing not ultras, but conventional shoes with padding to allow your feet time to heal. Then transition slowly otherwise you will just injure yourself again.



i think i will try this. maybe just some minimalist shoe with a thicker insole? i mean i guess i dont need arch support when the problem is not really about that part of the foot at all? i would rather not create one more "problem" by being over supportive or wearing bad narrow footwear.
 
First, do you have a fallen

First, do you have a fallen metatarsal? Have you looked up metatarsalgia? Please do. It could be that the metty head of one toe is lower than the adjacent toes.

Also, do you have Morton's Toe? Go to the stickied thread at the top of this forum Fellowship of the Morton's Toe and read up on what that is or search the internet.

For those times that you have to wear footwear, what about getting a soft metatarsal pad to add to your shoes?

And lastly, please feel free to post in the Ask the Docs forum any of your questions. Our doctors, all three of them, run barefoot. They are going to tell you exactly what you need to know. They aren't getting paid by you, so there's no need to worry that their advice is only in their best interest and not yours.

Good luck!
 
Barefoot TJ, first of all

Barefoot TJ, first of all thanks alot for your reply!

it could seem to me that i have fallen metatarsalgia, atleast from what i have been reading about on the internet and comparing to my foot. the bone of the 2nd toe seems to be lowered (closer to ground) than the rest, and if i look on the top of my foot the 2nd knuckle is lesser visible (lower) the the rest of the knuckles. also i am able to manipulate it by pressing it from the below my foot up and down. (more than the rest which seems to be more fastened. also my mother has fallen metatarsalgia, and i have read that it can be hereditary.

about the mortons toe i read up on the posts, and yes i may think i have that (aswell, argh) my 2nd toe is slightly longer than my big toe (1-3 mm). i tried to follow your guide to figuring out if i have it, but i find my knuckles pretty much in line.

yes i thought about getting some pad, but i rather wait until i know if i really have it. i could ofcourse just try.

So i have just moved the post to doc forum, barefoot doctors i call for your help! :D
 
If your toe knuckles (the

If your toe knuckles (the first knuckle) lines up with the others, then most likely, you can rule out having Morton's Toe. Yeah!

If you have to wear shoes for anything you do, then the pad won't hurt, and they don't cost much at all.
 
Mikkel, the above advice

Mikkel,



the above advice and readings by TJ are good for self assessment. another option is to actually cut a small hole in an insole to kind of float the area if it is painful walking. A metatarsal pad which actually sits right behind the met heads can offer some relief too. experiment a little.

Walking barefoot will strengthen the foot as will blance exercises on one leg.



Mark
 
Sorry, Dr. Mark.  I thought

Sorry, Dr. Mark. I thought this thread was in the Injuries & Medical Conditions forum, not the Ask the Docs forum, and I think one of the mods must have moved it over here. I'm no doctor, that's for sure. ;-)
 
ups, it was me moved it here,

ups, it was me moved it here, thought i might aswell instead of creating a new post, hope i didnt break any rules :)

actually with a little bit of experimenting and changing abit in my walking gait, my foot has not been hurting for the last two days, walking or running.

also i have found out that after barefoot running my foot feels much better, so i will do a little run every morning to get the foot fresh and happy for the rest of the day.

thanks about the tips for insoles and drills, i will write back on a update or if things get worser again.

Hurray!
 
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