My foot hurts. And from the self diagnosis that I am doing from the internet, it is most likely one of two things.
Extensor Tendinitis - which is inflammation of the tendon that runs along the top of your foot.
Or, it's a stress fracture.
So... I have a race in less than two weeks. What is your expert opinion that I should do? (Not that I can guarantee that I will listen - I've paid money and I don't like wasting it.)
Try to get in to a doctor right away (which kind of a doctor? Sports?)? Rest and cross-train all week and see how this weekend's 6 mile goes? Pop lots of ibuprofen? Try tying my shoes differently?
Here is where the pain is located:
It doesn't hurt all of the time... it feels like a bruise, actually.
Any advise?
5 comments:
I once had a similar pain and swore up and down it was a stress fracture. I was scared but since I diagnosed myself I also thought it was maybe not the right diagnosis. I just kept at it, would listen to my body and my feet and ease up if I felt it too bad while I was running. Pain eventually went away on its own, but since then I've not tied my laces as tight. Actually my shoes aren't tied on very tight at all. I can pop em off and put up on without undoing the laces. I think I may just have been tying the laces too tight.
My advice to you would be to keep running but maybe either fewer days, fewer miles or both, listen to your foot if it starts to scream at you and to maybe tie your shoes a little looser.
If you are really hobbling around when you get out of bed in the morning or hours after you run, then maybe you just rest completely and go see a doc if need be but it sounds like you'll be fine.
I had a similar pain also, started in the middle of a marathon and for two months after, I had to move the tongue of my shoe way off to the side of my foot. I asked my now-PT about it, a couple years after it happened, because it just came up, and he said this is very common and is indeed a SF but not much you can do but let it heal. I ran all the time with it, just had to move things around so it wasn't painful. Not sure if this is related to what you had, but maybe. Eventually, it just went away. I'd go and seek a PT or podiatrist if not better and it's causing you anxiety!!
I've had a bone bruise in that same area before (diagnosed by my podiatrist). I rested, took ibuprofen, and iced it A LOT and it went away.
See if you could get an appointment with a podiatrist. Sometimes the really good ones are difficult to get in to see, but it might be worth it. In the meantime, can you cross train and rest and maybe see how the 6 miler goes?
How is your foot doing, Whitney? That pain is exactly what I had. Have you tried to move the tongue, does it help? I also sometimes put a little piece of foam in there on the spot and it really helped. I never stopped running, but I was able to manage it by just a little manipulation. Hope you're seeing some progress!!
Probably too late to tell you to go to the doc. If you are running your race, good luck!! And if not, hope your foot is at least on the mend!!
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