Strange arch pain???

jhpiii

I have a strange feeling in my arch from running. It feels like the tendon (?) that is in the arch is stretching. It doesn't hurt but it just feels like it could pop at any point. Does this make sense to anyone? Anyone experience the same thing? Thanks

John

Barbara Spitler

Sounds like Plantar's Faciaitis. It doesn't hurt at all? Usually, if it is P.F., it hurts when you step down on it. I am not a medical person at all. Just throwing in my 2 cents, as I've had P.F. before, and it can be very painful. How old are your shoes John? Do you have a high arch, or low arch, and how is the arch in your shoes? That can make a difference. For instance, Brooks shoes are very flat arched. If you have a high arch, you tend to pancake out in the shoe. Whereas, Mizuno and Asics have higher arches for feet with higher arches. You should get some med. advice from the docs and p.t.'s in here. However, you might want to roll your foot on a trigger point ball and/or freeze some water in a dixie cup, tear off the bottom of the cup once frozen, and do ice massage on the arch. Do check your shoes though. If they are more than 6 months old, or have more than 300 miles on them, you are due for new ones. (Although I'm a teacher, I have worked part-time in a runner's store for a couple of years.) If shoes are good, you've rollered the arch, iced it, and it still bothers you, get to a good Podiatrist. Could be you need orthotics.
Good luck, and let us know how you're doing!
Barb

Leigh Boyle

@ John- think of the bottom of your foot as a collection of tendons to all of your toes with one big one (the plantar fascia) holding them all in place. really easy to tweak something in there and for it to create that hard guitar string feeling where it feels like something might snap.

plan of attack:

1) freeze a water bottle and use that to stand on. doesn't have to be full body weight, just what you can tolerate. spend a solid 3-5 minutes rolling your foot from the heel to your toes. be sure to work the outer and inside edges as well.

2) time to get to work on your lower leg. that means break out the foam roller and time to stretch. a large number of the muscles of the lower leg wrap under your arch to stabilize the foot and ankle. when they stiffen up they lose their shock absorbtion and your foot is left to take the beating. If one of them stiffens up, it can also spasm the arch.

Here's a video to get you started: www.youtube.com/watch

Stretches to work on: calf (gastroc and soleus), hamstrings, adductors. [will work on tracking some down; can't seem to get the old thread to pull them up]