Help me identify foot pain?

[losidan]

Hi guys,

For the the last several weeks I've been getting pain in my left foot along the outside edge of my foot and sole. I looked up Plantar Fasciitis but the pain isnt in the heel just to the side between the heel and fore foot.

I do run on roads but try to get off road as much as poss. I took a week off running and although the pain eased up from just walking around when I started running again it was right back. No issues whilst running but kicks in about 30 mins later. Yesterdays session was all off road on soft moorland and mud so no hard impacts from roads.

I also get tightness in the top of the hamstring of the same leg.

I have not been to the GP yet as every injury I just get the standard rest and take ibuprofen response. I do stretch regulalry and do a bit of beginners yoga

Thanks ahead chaps
Dan

[Mike T]

Need to know exactly where the pain is - side of foot or underneath, and whereabouts wrt heel/little toe. Is there a lump or tender spot? Is it worse when walking in bare feet/socks rather than shoes? Did it come on suddenly? Recent change of shoes - running or casual?

[losidan]

Hi mike,
the pain runs along the the side on the left side from the front of the heel to the forefoot but not including either of those areas. It is on the sole and the side of my foot but not the top.

No lump but it is tender after running after about 30 minutes or so. It eases off after a day with no running but is still noticeable when walking.

No changes in footwear at all. Same running shoes and same casual shoes. I would say it is slightly worse when walking in trainers than when in socks/barefoot.

It came on suddenly one day rather than gradually.

[Mike T]

Sudden onset makes me think of a stress fracture of the outermost metatarsal bone or the cuboid bone but clearly you are not getting as much pain as one would expect with a fracture. An alternative is that there is a tear in the insertion of the peroneus brevis tendon. I would suggest seeing a podiatrist to clarify matters.

[losidan]

Thanks mike. I'll go see the GP to try and get a referral

[Scodler]

You might find this link useful.

[ZootHornRollo]

I used to get this and it was purely cramp from overly narrow / tight shoes. If you have wide-ish / flattish feet, it's a possibility, though it seems you haven't changed footwear recently, so ....

[fellgazelle]

Have you had your feet measured recently?

I suffered with the same kind of pain in exactly the same region intermittently for a number of years.
Last year I went to see a physio with a different problem (achilles tendon injury) and he diagnosed that my shoes were too small. This was causing me to clench my toes, pulling them inwards slightly towards the big toe, causing the feet to roll onto the outer edges very slightly (hardly noticeable as pronation).
Standing barefoot it was noticeable that my feet were "banana shaped" looking from above. Over a long period of time my arches had gradually collapsed and my foot had grown a half size in length. My feet had gradually adopted this shape and hence I hadn't noticed the change until it was pointed out.

I can't say for sure whether this was the cause of the intermittent problem, but changing to the correct size shoes cured my achilles problem, my feet have straightened out and I haven't felt the type of pain you are experiencing since.

[losidan]

I've got doctors tomorrow. Thanks for the replies. It does feel quite tender to the touch and even with no running since monday it is noticeably painful when walking.