This has a grip on me big time. I’m okay wearing shoes, but without them it is very difficult to walk - each step causes pain in my middle toe (right only), and I’m forced into a serious limp. For several years I have had sporadic problems with a dropped metatarsal head under my “index” toe, but that’s not the concern right now. I haven’t run in a week, opting to rest it for a while. I know there are various padding strategies that can be employed to relieve the pain of metatarsalgia, but has anybody out there dealt with it effectively on a long-term basis? I suspect I could probably pad it well enough to do a run ---- but the thought of running barefoot from the water to T1 is a miserable one. Fortunately, my first race isn’t until May 22 (Columbia), and I HOPE I’ll be repaired by then…yes? Any advice, anyone?
Who gave you the diagnosis of metatarsalgia? Normally wearing shoes will make it worse, especially if neuroma is involved. Have you had any xray, bone scan, mri? Depending on how solid that is, there are possibly some exercises to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the foot. Make sure that it’s not avascular necrosis, stress fracture, or some such thing first.
Picking up marbles with toes or bunching up a towel with toes will help strengthen feet. Also, “short foot” balance exercises may help. Good support from shoes, orthotic or insert, and metatarsal pad PROPERLY PLACED (which often does not happen) are the other key points I can think of.
Where are you?
Lehmkuhler
The diagnosis has come - without the benefit of x-rays, bone scans, or MRI - from my sports doctor and my chiropractor. It is based on a “lumpiness” of my forefoot pad, and point-pressure tenderness of the met. heads for the 2nd and 3rd toes, when pressed from below. The overall symptoms of a neuroma don’t seem to apply, and there is no suggestion of a stress fracture. This problem came about during a long run (1:45), ten or so days ago. What is curious is that the two runs following it, both of which contained some speedwork, were most comfortable when I was running at about 5 km pace. This usually gets me further up on my forefoot and toes, and yet that was when my foot was most comfortable. (Does this mean I should now proceed through life at 5 kM pace??) I live in eastern Ontario, about 30 mminutes east of Ottawa. Thanks for your comments.
Good points, except that he mentioned having this problems as “sporadic” and for “several years”. This would likely make a stress fx or AVN (Frieberg’s infraction) less likely. Also, a 2nd intermetatarsal neuroma is a little unusual as well and the symptoms are a little different. Metatarsalgia is a junk medical term, but is usually better in shoes and much worse when barefoot on a hard surface. You can hypertrophy your instinsic muscles of the forefoot (lumbricales, interossei, etc.) until Swarzenegger proportions and not likely much difference as this has never been demonstrated to my knowledge - although I agree in theory/concept and with my own anecdotal observations (especially in people with an intrinsic minus or denervated foot from Polio).
Find a good foot specialist that understands running WELL (and I don’t mean they studied it) - he/she should be able to help.
Thank you also, rroof. And tomorrow morning, when someone says to me “Good morning! How are you?” I will reply “Hypertrophied and denervated, thank you.”
Seriously, I do appreciate your response.
I suffer from time to time with pain in the ball of my foot which comes from a series of events. One of them is dropped met heads. I get my feet adjusted all the time and even bring my own activator to long races and do it mid race. For stability from the swim to bike I have a habit of using duct tape around my foot (gives that support feeling of shoes). Just have to be careful about leaving the tape on too long and/or too tight.
I ice the ball of my foot–when it can stand ice. Often the swelling is so intense my feet are on fire and the nerves are so inflammed regular temperatures aggravate me. Ironically, the pain becomes so intense that eventually I just lose sensation in my feet (I think it is overload and nerves getting killed). I finally felt my feet for the first time in a year last month…I am dreading losing sensation again.
As mentioned…small foot and towel squinching has helped to strengthen the tiny muscles deep down (think there are 5 layers in the foot of muscles?). Spreading out the feet and even balance work has helped. Chiropractic, massage, underwater ultrasound, stretching has helped me, yours sounds way worse.
Hope you figure it out!
Sorry, just re-read my post. I think not speaking directly to a person’s face and simply typing my thoughts tend to come across a bit too “technical” if I don’t think about what my fingers are doing.
I wish you the best!