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Pain in the First Metatarsal
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cdmclean
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Joined: 23 May 1999
Posts: 5
Location: Sacramento, CA

PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 1999 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On my right foot, i have a chronic ache in the major joint toe-side of the ball of the foot during and after running.

i am not certain of the cause of the pain, but to narrow things down i would say biomechanics or dietary deficiencies might have something to do with it.

i am forefoot striker in stride and am a moderate suppinator (ankle/foot rolls outward on impact).

thus far in my career, the pain has not made any noticeable impact in my training or performance (i do not even medicate it; don't believe in that stuff)...but we are talking about a person with a high pain tolerance (i went through NWAAC regionals and conference championships with a stress fracture in the second metatarsal that the podiatrist said could literally explode the bone! all that for 5th place ?!? oh well...i was injured...i could have won...NOT)

so, for discussion's sake, do i or do i not see a doc? on the one hand, i do not like them and so far so good. on the other hand, am i jeopardizing a long term career?

i have heard of incurable conditions in those big toe joints, some type of cartlidge/bone degenaration. frankly, that scares me.

feed us your thoughts.

apologies for such a self centered initial post.

also forgive the rambling...i am 11 ounces through a deuce deuce of a fermented beverage from Oregon Brewing Co., a micro brewery in Newport, Oregon:

Rogue Mocha Porter.

A fine brew...nuf sed.


chris mclean
cdmclean@zdnetmail.com

[Anonymously Posted by: 'cdmclean']
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Dan
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Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Wed Mar 24, 1999 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whew, throwing me a tough one. Wink

I have had a similar experience. The first year I truly focused on toe-running/speed work, I developed a very painful condition in the second metatarsal (the "pointer" toe, i.e. pointer finger) of my foot. It got to the point where I could hardly walk, let alone touch it. I took some time off over the summer and it seemed to heal up. About the same time the next track season it came back even worse! By mid summer I decided it was time to go to the podiatrist.

More often than not, it seems if you seek a medical opinion, you'll find out something is wrong. Funny how that happens. But this time, the explanation of what was causing my problems really made sense. $600 and a pair of orthodics later, the pain nearly instantly went away. I doubt that was coincidence. X-rays showed that I either was healing from a stress fracture or that I was very close to having one.

So, back to your situation. My advice would be to look for a good podiatrist (one who understands sports, running, and why messing with biomechanics probably isn't a good thing) and get your foot looked at. I have heard that the biggest bone in the body only takes six weeks to heal. If it's been longer than that, something else is wrong.

Also, you could try taking Glucosamine Sulfate and Grape Seed Extract, part of the combination I took for my first hamstring injury. I believe they are supposed to play a role in cartiledge growth. Definitely cheaper than orthodics!

Keep in mind with orthodics you might be limited in shoe selection. Spikes, racing flats, and some trainers just won't work with them. Probably not a problem unless you need to be in the orthodics for all running. That's likely not your case, as you've run through it for this long.

Dan
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 1999 3:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've had hamstring problems all last track season but after I took time off and did it real easy its been doing a lot better. But this week I did a major upgrade in my training and it doesn't hurt but it is a little sore. I don't think its much I just don't want it to regress. During track, I would heat it in the morning, do the ultrasound during lunch and before practice I would heat it and after practice I would ice it and then at night I would heat and ice 2 or three times.
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Dan
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Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Sun Jul 11, 1999 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I really wish I could help you, but I'm struggling with the whole hamstring rehab thing myself. It's a tough one! The only luck I've had since the second injury has been to back off at any sign of soreness and not to push it till it feels ok again. Tough way to prepare for a season, I admit.

I did have some success (in hindsight) with a homeopathic approach to healing my first hamstring injury. Check out the details about halfway down the training page.

Dan
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