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My exercise of choice for decades has been long-distance walking and hiking, as my joints always acted up if I lapsed into jogging the same distances. By "long-distance" I mean 5-7 miles a day at a fast pace, usually with walking poles, on pavement. If hiking, I wear a loaded day-pack and mostly choose unimproved trails.
So my question is, now that I appear to have a chronic pain in the ball of my left foot (the right one is still pain-free) that my doc called "metatarsalgia" from overuse, why in just one foot? He just shrugged and said follow the RICE approach and take pain meds.
Is there an OTC orthotic specifically for metatarsalgia (NOT an arch support)? Right now I'm wearing something weird a friend's daughter gave to me that she used successfully to combat foot pain in her ballet classes. It looks like a little padded "toe tent" or half-footie that fits over the end of your foot to cover the ball area. So far it DID give me some relief from the pain on the shorter walk I took today.
Yes, I know I can switch to a bike, swimming, or elliptical while it heals, but I was hoping somebody might know of an effective treatment to let me keep walking. Thanks for any advice!
I suggest going to a local running store and have them analyze your feet to see how you walk, run and exercise and how that impacts your foot, then buy shoes specifically for that. I did that becuase I was experiencing pain on the inner part of my feet and found out that I tend to walk, run and exercise on the iner part...weird huh...Im considered overpronated or something. Since buying shoes and insoles to counteract that issue, I no longer have foot pains.
My exercise of choice for decades has been long-distance walking and hiking, as my joints always acted up if I lapsed into jogging the same distances. By "long-distance" I mean 5-7 miles a day at a fast pace, usually with walking poles, on pavement. If hiking, I wear a loaded day-pack and mostly choose unimproved trails.
So my question is, now that I appear to have a chronic pain in the ball of my left foot (the right one is still pain-free) that my doc called "metatarsalgia" from overuse, why in just one foot? He just shrugged and said follow the RICE approach and take pain meds.
Is there an OTC orthotic specifically for metatarsalgia (NOT an arch support)? Right now I'm wearing something weird a friend's daughter gave to me that she used successfully to combat foot pain in her ballet classes. It looks like a little padded "toe tent" or half-footie that fits over the end of your foot to cover the ball area. So far it DID give me some relief from the pain on the shorter walk I took today.
Yes, I know I can switch to a bike, swimming, or elliptical while it heals, but I was hoping somebody might know of an effective treatment to let me keep walking. Thanks for any advice!
As far as an orthotic, you can make your own. Buy some thin foam 1/8 - 1/4" at the drug store and make a "donut "then place another layer over the donut to cover it hole and all. Tape to the ball of your foot with the "donut hole" over the point of most of your pain and the extra foam layer where it will be closest to your sock. Be certain to use "stretch tape" so your foot can spread naturally on impact.
After exercise ice massage the ball of your foot for 10-15 minutes. Take a paper cup, fill 2/3rds, freeze it, then when it is time to ice peel the paper down about 1" so you still have a wrapper to hang onto the ice.
Is it your dominate leg? Maybe you legs are two different lengths?
I would get fitted for proper shoes because those kind of problems can cause other issues traveling up the leg. (to the knee and then the hip) It could just be the shoes are not right for your foot shape.
If you have a few to lose that can also help. Less weight means less stress on the foot. Even just 10 pounds can make a difference.
For pain relief I like arnica montana. It comes in pill and gel form. The body can heal faster with that than conventional pain meds sometimes. Make sure you can mix it with anything else you are taking.
Thanks very much for the additional input after my last post and a question for you, Blue: Would wearing negative-heel shoes help?
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Thanks for any advice!
