General Fitness & Nutrition: Painful ankles and feet!! Any ideas why?

Sorry, I should have said, most of the pain in underneath the foot and it now hurts when I am just walking, so all the time.

(not only am I new to running, but new to forums..oh, it's all too much).

I really enjoy running and feel gutted by this new pain...

thanks

Rachel

Thanks Joe, I thought that might be the case, but, oh, I just don't want to...anyway, luckily I have an exercise bike in doors, so can use this for cardio.

A trip to the doctor seems like the best thing to do.  

Regards

Rachel

ALL of the above ...

and yes your trainers aren't doing you any favours either.

Even though your friend hadn't worn them, and while they might be within certain tolerances, if they aren't exactly right, they will in the end cause issues.

I have only been running for about 3 years, and I started out in a pair of expensive (most expensive I could get actually) runners that I thought would fit the bill.

 I am a remedial sports therapist, and therefore my own worst enemy.

I could not have been more incorrect in my shoe choice.

I was in so much pain due to deep gluteal issues along with an ongoing battle with an old but significant knee injury that  (R-lateral meniscus tear) that I was going to give it away - but I LOVED running, so I went to a speciaist running store to be analysed.

This is important - specialist sports shoe store rather than a shoe store  that also sells sports shoes.

I was put on the treadmill and filmed - far better than pressure testing alone - and was shocked at how much I pronated. If one of my clients had presented with such a hideous pronation and wanted to run in the shoes that I had purchased, I would have told them that they would be crazy to do so.

Anyway - specialist sports shoe store doesn't mean hugely inflated prices just as a blindingly expensive a running shoe doesn't necessarily mean that  it will suit your gait.

I ended up with a pair of Brooks at half the price I spent on the other shoes - and in the past couple of years have completed stax of 10k funners, a couple of 15k funners, completed the Melbourne marathon and am currently training for Dubai marathon in 2010 (have moved to Abu Dhabi from Melbourne).

If it wasn't for the specialist shop - I wouldn't be running.

The expense might seem a bit at first - but a pair of running shoes kept ONLY for running and nothing else will last 600-800kms and if you were to run that in a year it represents pretty good value. 

I tell my clients (well, told them- am yet to establish myself here in AD) that the cost of great running shoes Vs good running shoes might work out to be less than value 1/2 a cup of coffee a week. (or equivalent bought beverage).

I'd be more than glad to give up 1 drink a fortnight to let me run as much as I want.

Wow .. that turned into a sermon ..didn't it!

Didn't mean to get all preachy - but .. well I hope it helps.

PS. and I promise I'll shutup after this.

Most new model running shoes have a 2 lace holes at the top of the shoe, you can choose your preferred hole or you can double loop your laces through. If you choose the wrong method for you, you can compress a nerve that will create massive pain through the ankle.

Had a client come in tears once telling me about his mysterious problem - if I hadn't experienced it myself I wouldn't have known. IF you experience such discomfort - particularly confined to the inner (medial) ankle tending toward the top of the foot - can make a whole heap of difference. My client was amazed at their next appointment.... entire issue had vanished.. was simply about the lacing. 

Not the answer to everything BUT the answer to something.

Cheers and good luck.

hi racheldonn - the others have pretty much covered what I was going to say anyway but I'd really get your feet checked out. If its plantar fasciitis (which it sounds like it could be) then there is heaps you can do to treat it and manage it but in the end it just takes time. I've had plantar fasciitis on and off for a couple of years now and I know if I dont stretch my calves sufficiently it will flare up, if I wear heels two days in a row it will flare up, if I dont massage the bottom of my feet (the arch) either by hand or with a frozen coke bottle at least once a week it will flare up. The other thing that I now have are orthotics to provide more arch support and stop me pronating too much. But once I got the orthotics I had to change shoes because then I was getting too much support and the PF flared up!! Its all trial and error but if thats what it is it just means managing it and nipping it in the bud before it stops you.

Massageguy - its interesting what you say about lacing your shoes a certain way. I can always tell if my laces are too tight or not tied correctly cause I'll get pain laterally around the ankle and up into my tibialis anterior - problem is I usually only realise half way through a run and by then the pain means the rest of the run is going to be crap!

Racheldonn... no problem at all. Chondromalacia Patella would only add to the cause IF there was an affect to your gait, this should be picked up by the specialist, but is unlikely - you are probably aware already of the things you should consider.. so I won't get on my soapbox again LOL

Jenn799: Yup, when I first experienced it personally it was immediately after trying out my new improved shoes (see sermon) .. was genuinely displeased , but thenas I was removing my shoes I noticed a red mark where the laces had been cinching up on the ankle.. tried moving the lace.. problem solved.

It makes sense about the discomfort up and into Tib Ant. in some people you can actually see the nerve run over the top of the foot .

:-)

massage guy

make your 'sermons' as long as you want!! you have helped me so much! i started running 2 years ago with a pretty high cardio fitness from cycling and as you can imagine the impact did damage but the doctors wouldn't listen. my feet ankles, toes knees, everything hurts and it just keeps getting worse! i've never read through these discussions before but just saw them and thankyou guys, now i don't feel like the hypochondriac my doctor kept on telling me i was! a fat (sorry but its true) lazy GP who couldn't understand my love of the rnning of freedom. before the pain got too bad i had built up from running 1km to 20km in a year but now i can't wear heels (i used to live in stilettos - could run and dance in them for hours!) and from morning to night everything aches.

Finally you guys have made sooo much sense. that problem with the inflamed nerve! omg i nearly cried when i read that, when i got my new shoes they had showed me how to use the loop and now i realise thats when that problem started. so now i'm sure that im not just whinging or getting fat deposits around my ankles like my doctor said I'm off to the running speacialty store to find a good sports doctor.

Thankyou! i've not had the confidence to speak to another doctor for 2 years now and have put up with the pain but not any more!

keep up with the advice, if nothing else it promotes thought and options :)