Would anyone know what could be wrong with my foot/ankle?This is an ongoing problem for over 2 years.The outside of my right ankle will get uncomfortable and then my foot will go completely numb starting at the big toe and working to the whole foot.I can't run on it as my foot feels like lead.I have no pain when I stop running.This seems to occur randomly and may not appear for a couple of weeks or it could appear everyday for a week.Running uphill seems to ease the numbness.I have been to countless physios but nobody to date has diagnosed the problem.I haven't met any other runners with the same problem.
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In the 2 years you have had this problem have you changed shoes? I suggest you try a completely different pair.
Hope this helps.....
started running in shoes 1 size too big and that worked very well until I upped my distance further
it came back on a long run this week but went away quite quickly when I stopped to loosen my laces, take my anti-blister socks off (wondered whether they might have shrunk in the drier along the way), and wiggled my toes
sounds obvious and trite but it worked for me and I did have all sorts of worries going through my head
EXACTLY the same symptoms as you guys.
I've bought a pair of Adidas trainers - I can't remember the name but they're the BIG cushioning ones, and that made a huge difference, although the numbness (and stump) does come back now and again.
I think the tight calf is key because I've started stopping every 3/4 mile or so and stretching them for a while. Yes it's frustrating but the fact that I can keep going makes it more than worthwhile. Toe-wiggling helps too.
If anyone finds the cure, please let me know? I'm desperate to sort it once and for all...
But thanks for this thread - it's really encouraged me!!
Please help
are the laces tightening up and putting pressure on nerves?
I also started wearing waterproof sock things which are a bit looser than normal socks and that helps me go longer before the numbness creeps in
Hav been going to a sports specialist this past few months and don't know if this, decreasing my miles or doing more running on grass is helping prevent the numbness. However, I am now upping my mileage again for London Marathon and am dreading the numbness coming back. I change my shoes every couple of hundred miles (though Mizuna's seemed to be the worst for me) and it does not help. I also have tried all the advice re loosening laces, wearing a bigger sized shoe, stretching out, etc.
My sports physio cannot pin-point the problem, but seems to think it may be something to do with the sheath/band at the bottom of my right ankle that covers the point where the tendon and muscle meet (I think I have got this right!). Apparently, this sheath protects the tendon and can sometimes become damaged. She says when you run (especially longer mileage) and increased blood pumps through your muscles, they expand causing the sheath to expand also. If this is damaged it may not expand and thus can compress the muscle and nerves, thus causing the numbness. By holding some part of my ankle/foot during one session, she was able to reproduce the numbness in my foot. She also said tight calves may be a factor as well.
When she works on the area around the tendon, it is extremeley painful but seems to be doing the trick (however, I also decreased my mileage at the same time which might be a factor). I was told after every run to stretch and ice this area of my ankle. She also said, to turn the water to cold when showering and run on my legs for as long as can be beared, which will help reduce any inflamation.
My ankles cramped so bad I had to stop and walk, afterwards towards the end of the race my right foot went numb and continued until I finnished.
The coach at my running club thought It may have been induced by the very cold weather (1 degree centigrade and icy wind) plus the fact it was like running on piles of bricks. In hindsight I would have been better off running in my normal Aasics, as the XC shoes are a tighter fit (which is needed in thick mud etc, but not on frozen mud) and probably caused that numbness.
I have recently swapped from squashy Nike Pegasus to Aasics1080 and fing the harder sole helps a bit. Overpronation could be putting extra compression on some nerves perhaps?? I found stopping for 10 seconds or so and wiggling my ankle helped hugely and occassionally running with duck feet spread out for a few paces! Maybe RW could run a whole big article on this!!
Now it may not be very scientific, but I found it easier to wiggle my toes if I wiggled my first 2 fingers at the same time. Numbness disappeared in 50 metres and I didn't have to stop running.
I also run in Asics 1080's
Bullfinch
Cycle, don't run.
My car had been in for repair so I ran to the garage to collect it. It isn't raining here, but I ran into the teeth of a gale all the way. It felt more like 8 miles than 5.
By the way, I work from home and started at 5 a.m. today. Bloody Self Assessment~!!
Bullfinch
It really is annoying as it stops me running to my potential and dont think i could do more than 10k due to it. I think the stretching of calf muscles it the best solution but feel this is not an instant fixer and will take time. If anyone knows of a real solution to this pls let us poor stumpy feet sufferes know. my poor feet will be very gratefull.
Two similies came out of this...that the cirulation was caused by the effects of my smoking for a great deal of my life while I was younger.. I was on 60 a day up til 1986.when I stopped completely and started running... two of the consultants said that it will get worse with age...theres nothing that can be done about it and to try different methods to alleviate some of the problem..
The two that I found worked best for me were changing the lacing in my shoes..(there was an article about this in either RW or RF sometime ago).. and wearing thinner socks. I tried different width shoes..but this didnt seem to have any effect on the problem
I went back to running just before Christmas - I still get it occasionally - it's worse if my calves are tight from a previous run - at the first sign, wiggling my toes does sometimes help.
ANYWAY, I saw an article recently in RW about exertional compartment syndrome - muscles fill with blood tightening the muscle covering which puts pressure on nerves within the muscle compartments - this all makes sense but I can't believe doctors/physios haven't sussed this out when confronted with such symptons??
Any other suggestions/thoughts?
My main concern at the moment is a slight burning sensation on my left heel.It recently seems to have kicked in after about 6 miles and lasts for the next 2.I
thought it was my trainers (Saucony Jazz 6000) but I've also notes it to a lesser degree with my walking boots when the pain starts at about 15 miles and goes after another couple .
Any ideas or solutions are most welcome !
Keep smiling ! Keep running !
A doctor diagnosed me as having compartment syndrome years ago, (and gave me the helpful "don't run" solution) it turned out to be shin splints, but I only figured that out after a couple of years of no running, and lots of reading.
Anyway, when I thought that is what I had, I did lots of reading on compartment syndrome, and numb feet is definately a classic symptom - because of the constrictions.
Would also make sense if it was linked to shin or calf pain.
There is loads about it on the internet, but this looked like a nice description.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/library/injury/bl_leg3.htm