Problem on the ball of foot

Hi I really hope some can help me with my problem I'm training for the London marathon 2914. After about 45/50 mins my Right foot around the ball and up to the second tie it starts to heat up and I get the pins and needles.when stop running the problem goes away with minutes anyone can help it's driving me mad

Comments

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    2914?  Well, you're certainly giving yourself plenty of time to get ready for it.  The danger I think will be peaking too early?

     

    Seriously, though, that sounds like metatarsalgia.  Might need more cushioning in your shoes or to learn more of a mid-foot striking or heel striking gait.

  • Thanks for the reply I'm a mid foot runner love running this way I will look up what you said I could be any more info would be great thx again
  • I get that too - to the point of actual pain.  Starts after about an hour.  I wear flexible shoes with forefoot cushioning, and find that if I can vary the surfaces it naturally varies my gait and that extends the time before the pain starts.  If I stop and walk for a couple of minutes it eases up.  Eventually after about 90 minutes it seems to stop hurting.  Or maybe by then everything hurts so I don't notice so much image.  One thing that I found helped a lot was standing in iced water - easy to do with cold puddles in winter - but not very healthy on long runs for the toe nails / blisters.  

  • Thanks for the info I was thinking that it was just me who gets these problems also do you have any ITB problem as my physio says they could be linked .
  • My ITBs are fine generally.  I have another unrelated injury at the moment though image 

    I think if your (or my) lower legs are rigid then we strike the ground on exactly the same part of the foot over and over - which is why it helps when the surfaces / gait change.  I have a stiff right ankle but I don't know if it's cause or effect.  Foot certainly hurt long before I noticed the ankle being stiff.

  • Darren,  Are you relatively new to running... or is this a new injury/condition?  I mean, have you run problem-free in the past... and has anything changed?

    • Footwear?
    • Any other apparently unrelated injuries, that might affect your gait?
    • Surfaces on which you run?
    • Are you running in the dark more than previously?

    That last one sounds a bit obscure, but if you're susceptible to metatarsalgia, exacerbated by overly rigid legs (acknowledge Louise and T Rex!) then there could be a link if you're new to lots of training in the dark.

    I've seen a paper that shows that the body is brilliant at adapting the stiffness of the landing foot/leg to exactly match the softness of the surface it's going to land on. It predicts how hard that surface will be, and a big part of this prediction uses visual information. 

    When we run in poor light, the brain has to guess at how to position the joints and tendons - unsure of the softness of ground. We therefore have the set up of our legs not quite right, and (I'm embellishing now...) I guess that the legs are likely to be overly stiff as it cautiously tries to find it's way through the dark.  And perhaps the brain doesn't spot almost imperceptible undulations, and slightly miscalculates the moment of impact - leading to small extra jarring on the legs.

    All of this is likely to lead to extra stiffness of leg.  Not a problem for most, but could exacerbate some conditions.

    Might well be wrong.  Just a thought.

  • Simple as it sounds make sure that your laces are not laced too tight.  I have this problem in the summer sometimes but with me it is caused by wearing shoes that are too flat like ballet pumps resulting in tight calf muscles.

  • joddlyjoddly ✭✭✭

    Try Googling Morton's neuroma.

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