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Painful Toe Joints
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When running, after about 10k (regardless of pace), I start to get a "twinge" in my toe joints. Typically on the right hand foot but occasionally on the left.
This "twinge" gets progressively worse until at about 20k is it almost unbearable. In fact so unbearable that this evening I had to pull up 500m short of a PB on a half marathon distance (who the hell does that????)
Now, here comes an ever so not clinical description of the "twinge":
- Imagine your hand is your foot and the thumb is the big toe. The sore toes are the index and middle finger
- The pain comes from the base of the toe where is joins the foot
- It feels like somebody has tied string around my toe and is tightening it.
Worth noting that within minutes of stopping running the pain subsides to nothing but does come back much quicker if I start again. I need around 24 hours to reset back to the 10k/20k limits mentioned above.
Very occasionally I get twinges in the same toes when walking around normally, and even more occasionally (when walking around) the pain kicks in out of the blue and hits me like a wall, literally takes my breath away.
I have convinced myself that it is some form of arthritis, but have no basis for this.
Thoughts?
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Comments
Hello MrEyes
I think I possible may be suffering from the same thing as you - it feels a bit like cramp, it sets in for me at about 5 miles in!
I too suffer from this, only on my left foot. It starts with a numbness then gradually turns into a pain which gets worse and worse. Usually I get away with the first 7 miles then it starts. It only affects my second toe and the pain starts at the bottom of the toe next to the ball of the foot. My physio suggested it was a dropped toe and lots of foot exercises have helped, including rolling my foot around on a golf ball, which makes my toe bone click!! I'm well into marathon training and am doing about 25-30 miles a week, have tried cushioned socks, more cushioned shoes, but funnily enough the pain went away when I removed my socks while running, which makes me wonder if it's a circulatory problem?.. I don't think I can do a half marathon without socks, let alone a full one! Any suggestions?
Morton's Neuroma? I have a similar problem in both feet, keep meaning to get it looked at but haven't as yet. Only been going on for about 6 years! There are plenty of threads about it if you do a search.
After a visit to a physio I may have found the cause of the problem (stress on the "may")
I have always suffered with fairly severe over pronation and therefore buy shoes with support for this. In my case this is fine for upto 15k or so but anything beyond it would seem that not.
When running the arch is collapsing a little as the foot is on the ground. By the time my foot has gone back to the point where it is pushing of the ground it has rolled in making me push off with just the two toes mentioned. So all the effort of running is on those two toes, they fatigue, get painful etc
So the attempted solution is far better orhotics that prevent any arch collapse. I will report back with progress.
That's interesting, hope it gets better soon with your new orthotics. I struggled with it during Brighton Marathon training but noticed it came on later and later the longer I ran, on marathon day itself I didn't get it until mile 20 but then it really bloody hurt, by mile 24 I had it in both feet, and 5 mins after the finish it had all but disappeared! Good luck!
After almost a year I finally have a diagnosis:
Morton's Neuroma (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton%27s_neuroma)
Its an inflammation of the plantar nerves that run between the bones in the foot. After a period of running the nerve inflames between the toe bones and the pressure this creates causes the pain.
Waiting for an MRI referral to confirm once and for all.