Heel/foot pain

So the last three weeks, I've had a lot of pain in my heel that extends a little bit down the foot. I've never had this before. My running volume has not increased at all. I am on a new program where I run six days a week but that's not new either. I am a little concerned that doing leg presses with a lot of weight may have overloaded the bone.

Anyway, assuming it is PF or a heel spur, any advice that has worked for you? I am not even sure what kind of doctor to see - ortho or foot doctor? It mainly hurts to walk. Running also hurts but I think because I land mid-foot, the pain is less so I can handle it, plus I'm close to the marathon so I want to make this work.

I get pain in the same area a lot, and for me, I think it is really a combination of PF, achilles tendonitis and very tight calf muscles.  If it is really bad after a run I will ice the back of the heel and I will roll the foot (arch area even though it never hurts) on a golf ball or frozen water bottle.  At least 3x per day, I do what I call the "towel stretch".  Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you.  Loop a towel around the arch of the foot where the heel hurts and pull towards you - hold for 2 min.  Taping can help as can compression socks.  I found some short compression socks at www.procompression.com that I really love and I have taken to wearing them for all my long runs and races.  

I also wear clogs as shoes and they help as well.  That might not be something that you can do without feeling a bit weird - lol.

John, 

It's probably due to acculturated running over the years. Mine seemed to come from nowhere too. Lol


http://www.heel-that-pain.com/




Do the exercises mentioned on the above web site, you will be fine. Just need to make a habit of them after Chicago. Ha




They are very effective to me, and I need to make them regular too.

Could be PF. I've had that, and I didn't like it!
I saw an orthopedic guy who specialized in the foot and who is a runner. He x-rayed it to rule out bone spur (it was negative). He quickly identified my symptoms as PF, and gave me some stretches to do, said I could try to run through it, and the usual ideas for PF that you'll see on the internet (rolling a frozen water bottle with the arch of your foot, or a tennis ball, etc.). None of these things really did much for me. I ended up bailing out of a marathon training cycle and postponing until the next fall (from the spring). I think the thing that helped me most was getting on the bicycle. I not only maintained some fitness that way, but the cycling actually seemed to help to stretch that out and make it feel better.
I hope it goes away quickly!

Have you gotten new shoes lately? Old shoes, or new - and different - shoes, can cause problems like this.

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I haven't really used new shoes and even have been turning them over a little sooner than normal to not get them worn down. Between the golf ball on the foot, some ice at night, the towel stretch and calf stretches, I can tell there is a little relief. My hope is as I do this the next three weeks, and then taper the ten days before the marathon, that it will be good enough to run it.

JohnP wrote:Thanks for all the tips and advice. I haven't really used new shoes and even have been turning them over a little sooner than normal to not get them worn down. Between the golf ball on the foot, some ice at night, the towel stretch and calf stretches, I can tell there is a little relief. My hope is as I do this the next three weeks, and then taper the ten days before the marathon, that it will be good enough to run it.

Hopefully you will be able to tolerate it through your race.  Then hopefully you will be able to give it the rest that it probably needs.

Most PF is due to accumulated stress.  Another thing to look at is whether you are primarily landing on your heel when you run.  Focusing on landing mid foot can take some of the stress off the heel area.  This would be more of a long term goal, not a quick fix.

Make those exercises a habit.  God knows, I had all kinds of experience with PF...and then the torn achilles tendon.  Those exercises were my morning and evening routine for 10 years.  I did have to go to a sports podiatrist and still see him annually.  He was the one that started me on the exercises.  Unfortunately I waited too long to go for help with my right PF.  That one took a lot longer and really screwed my training for my fall marathons in 2002.  I was more attentive after that and went back to him at the first sign of a niggle that wouldn't give up.

If you are still having symptoms after your marathon, do yourself a favor and have an evaluation by a recommended sports podiatrist.  It could keep you from having years of difficulty in the future.