Metatarsal Pain

[Ark]

Hey ya'll,

I ran about 4 miles barefoot the other day and all of a sudden I began having metatarsal pain ( I think). I waited about 4 days and ran again, but the pain came back. I was wondering if I should take a week or two off, or if there is another remedy to my discomfort.

Thanks,

Austin

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Good luck, Ark.  I'd

Good luck, Ark. I'd definitely take several days off, then try again. If it pops up again, then go to a doctor.

 

[Garrett Dunn]

Ark. It took me around two

Ark. It took me around two months to fully recover from my met stress fracture. Hopefully you stopped running early enough, before to much damage. So time as much time as you need. Maybe riding a bike or swimming will help when your down.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

Ark there are a lot of

Ark there are a lot of variables to your situation but the bottom line is we get too excited and don't allow enough time to heal. Four days seems like an eternity but how long does it take a bruise to go away anywhere else on your body? I'm guessing at least four or five days. If you have a stress reaction or fracture it's going to take longer. Even a good bone contusion would take a couple of weeks before all the pain went away so the odds are you need more time.

Have you done anything to aid the healing like icing or actually staying off the foot? I always tell people to think of their feet like they would their hands. If you had a pain in your hand and kept using the hand would it take longer for that pain to go away? The same applies to the feet as you use them just as much as your hands but they go unnoticed and taken for granted.

 

[1babystep]

Ark- Dull pain or sharp

Ark- Dull pain or sharp pain? Take the tip of your finger and press down on each metatarsal. If it is a sharp pain that can be pin pointed, it may be a stress fracture. Swelling too along with the sharp pain can be another indicator. I would not run for a few days and if the pain stays the same or get's worse go see a doc...

Tom

 

[Ark]

 I have not done anything

I have not done anything like icing it or anything. I walk to class about every day (about 1-1.5 miles in all) and it does not hurt when I have flip flops on. I have pressed down on each metatarsal and no pain occurs. Do you think I just bruised it like Jimmy said?

Thanks,

Austin

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That sounds promising.  Let's

That sounds promising. Let's hope it's something that will go away soon. You still should ice it whenever you get the chance.

 

[Phil Hart]

Rest is best.  I didn't rest,

Rest is best. I didn't rest, and added 6 weeks to my recovery from a stress fracture. But a stress fracture hurt like any broken bone, particularly with impact or vibration, and it was 8 weeks before I could even walk normally. Hopefully you've just pushed, pulled, or bruised something minorly and wisely backed off quick enough to let it heal without doing any longer term injury.

Welcome, fellow Volunteer! I live in Georgia (getting ready to move to NC), but TN will always be home (Nashville, Chattanooga, and Jefferson City).

Phil

 

[nature runner]

Ark I am a fellow Volunteer

Ark I am a fellow Volunteer as well, I live in Bristol,Tn. Which is the birthplace of country music by the way! I have had the same occurences. They come and go. Part of mine is Mortons Toe. I find that trail and gravel runs are less a strain than pavement. Once you do those for a while pavement is candy to your feet! Bare feet that is! I still have problems after a year and a half. But, I am working through them. I will use vff's on pavement with good results, but that comes from practicing my form barefoot first. The only thing I fear on gravel trails is the copperheads in early afternoon! Other than that I love it! We should get together and run sometime, we are not that far away!