About 4 weeks ago I was out doing a very short run in my VFFs and towards the end of the run, I can down on a rock on the front of my foot right between my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals. It formed a little bruise and hurt like a bitch for 3 or 4 days and went back to normal after about 2 weeks. During this time I didn’t run at all didn’t really walk any more than I usually do. 3 days ago I started running again (in actual shoes), only doing 2 or 3 miles at a time. Today I finished a 4 miler and noticed the entire ball of that same foot was really sore like I had been stomping on pavement all day. Later in the day, I was climbing up some stairs and when I came down on the ball of my foot, I felt my foot spread out a little (like normal) but was greeted by a searing pain right in the same place the rock hit. It felt like the bottom of my foot had been ripped open. Later in the day while I was swimming, my foot felt like there was a knot, or something poking me in the bottom of the foot right there, but every time I’ve felt it, there’s nothing there.
Could this just still be a deep bruise that is working it’s way out, or did I potentially do something bad to my foot? Any thoughts?
Are you SURE you “came down on a rock” in that location? Did you actually see it? Many people have similar complaints from these from acute capsulitis/plantar (volar) plate injuries with no “injury” to speak of.
99% sure. There were other rocks around and I looked back and saw one right where I had stepped last.
Plus, I hadn’t been over using them. That was my 3rd run total in them over 2 weeks with each run being 10ish minutes long. I had been wearing them as daily shoes for roughly 5 weeks prior as well
Well then all you have to do is not run until healed since you know what caused it. Should resolve withing 3-6 weeks.
The real question is will you run around “sharp rocks” again with VFF and risk 6 weeks off again? Doesn’t seem like a good training decision to me! If you want to increase “form”/proprioception, etc. nothing wrong with that at all, but might I suggest some short strides around a golf course barefoot after your training 10K. This has been done for years.
I’ll bet they’ve made you a lot of money treating the associated injuries.
My podiatrist rolls his eyes and says he should send them a thank you note for all the new patients.
Yup - they have!
But … I do have a love/hate relationship with them. I’ve been an advocate for years of some proprioceptive training (you can search my posts from 7 years ago! way before this recent trend after Chris McDougal’s book). And I dislike most overbuilt running shoes for some people (they have a purpose, but not for most).
But when people do ALL of their run training (assuming high volume) in these (or barefoot) … a different beast entirely.
thanks, It was just a little concerning because I was at 100% before today and it sort of felt like something popped or ripped with I started feeling the pain. Right now I still feel some burning in the area and occasionally it feel like I have a rock or something in my shoe poking the area (there isn’t, and there aren’t any knots or swelling). On that note, how do I know when I’m 100% considering I thought I had been at 100% for a while already.
A simple test I have patients do is in the shower - When you can walk barefoot in the bathroom and raise on your toes in the shower without feeling any soreness or that “rock/lump” in the ball of your foot, you are good to test with an easy, short run. If no better within 6 weeks - get a hands on exam/imaging to rule out other pathologies.
so it’s been a few days and I’ve started noticing a weird sensation (sometimes cold, sometimes hot) that runs up the middle of my arch from the ball of my foot. If I feel around the ball of my foot (more towards the middle/back), I can feel stuff under the skin moving around under my fingers. Is that just inflamed bursa?
Likely (intermetatarsal bursitis) causing some neuroma type symptoms - often misdiagnosed as a true Morton’s neuroma. Not that important since they are treated similar initially, but different if chronic.
Honest question: what are your concerns with complete barefoot running? I ask because I’ve always had plantar fasciitis when running in any type of “shoe”. It’s quick to come up too, like 1/2 mile in. However I switched to VFF and SOME barefoot running for the past 3 years and the pain has not returned. I’ve tried 2 other times putting on shoes since and it still flares. I’ve gone as far as 15 miles with the VFF without issues and my largest run volume has been 43 miles in 1 week and still no concerns. 7 miles the farthest with complete barefoot. All have been on road pavement. So I’m really interested to know if there’s something I should be concerned about.
I have no issues with barefoot running. But few do best with all of their running like this (assuming you live in some Western Society). Seems to work fine for you, so press on! The main concerns are mostly acute traumatic issues.
I will say that if you think you are developing “plantar fasciitis” (an OVERUSE injury) with any type of shoe within 1/2 mile as you mentioned, that you aren’t experiencing that pathology.
Yea I live in WI so most runs are on your typical suburban roads. If issues arise with this barefoot/VFF running, I’ll have to revisit the shoes route. The pain would rear it’s ugly head within 1/2 mile but I still ran with it. I could never go over 20 miles per week though so maybe it isn’t an overused injury. Just wanted to make sure I’m not potentially risking a long term concern with the barefoot/VFF
It’s been a week and I’ve been doing nightly contrast baths and loading up on naproxin (2 aleve twice a day). I can now walk on a hard floor in socks without feeling like something is poking me in the foot, but it still burns quite a bit. I’ve been wearing normal shoes as well and they have really started hurting my foot. It feels like the arch support in the shoe is constantly digging into the bottom of my foot (it’s not), and by the middle of the day, my entire arch, starting around the 2nd metatarsal burns and stings horribly. This could just be due to the way I’ve been gimping around, avoiding putting much weight on the inside of my foot, but I’m not sure.
Is this kind of (lack of) improvement typical one week in? I have a routine physical on Tuesday and I’m wondering if I should ask for a referral, or just see if I can get some higher powered anti-inflammatory drugs.
No, I’d say you should be better by now if just simple capsulitis/metatarsalgia of a lesser MPJ. Need a good diagnosis first, then possibly some imaging to move on with treatment (other than just “more rest” which is never wrong, just hard for type-As to do).
I would agree that this is too long for a simple inflammatory process. Ask for a referral to a sports podiatrist, perhaps one who works primarily with runners. You may benefit from the relief of being in an aircast for two weeks.
Yea, it figures this happens now. My knee is finally good enough (after 2 years) to run again and BAM! Funny thing is I credit the vibrams for being the final key to fixing my knee and now they are the thing keeping me running. As much as I want to run though, as long as I can still swim and am better by ski season, I’ll be happy.
When I go to the doctor, is there anything particular I should ask or request? Do you happen to know a good sports Med doc in the Keweenaw peninsula (Houghton, MI) area?