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[Sappho]

First of all, I'm only posting this here because for the next 2 months, I'm stuck in America. I can go home to Prague (where I have insurance) in May, but until then, I cannot see a doctor. I know there's new health care here and I could probably get free insurance, but it would take too long to sign up for it. So I'm just hoping to find some kind of information on my own, just to get me by until I can get home and see a doctor. So please, I know that just going to a doctor is the best bet, but that has to wait for 2 months. Right now I'm just looking for general advice and ideas.

I'm getting pain in my left foot. It started about 3 weeks ago. I'd been doing a lot of walking (on paved surfaces) and a bit of hiking, and I did go jogging once, but nothing extreme, nothing much more than usual. I certainly don't remember doing anything to injure it. The pain started really gradually, but it's been getting steadily worse. At first, it only hurt when I put all my weight on it, but now there is a slight dull pain there all the time.

The pain is at the front (ball) of my foot, seems to be on the top (not the sole), right in the middle. It hurts mostly when I walk. Touching the top of my foot doesn't seem to hurt it, but putting my weight on my heel does cause pain (again, on the top of the foot), and the worst pain comes when I'm walking, taking a step, and the ball of my foot/my toes bend. Starting yesterday, it started to hurt when putting any weight on the front half of my foot. It's getting to the point where I am having trouble walking. When I walk, I just put all my weight on my heel. I'm limping a bit.

The pain is not extreme, but it is worrying me that it's still getting worse after 3 weeks. I tried looking up the symptoms on WebMD and all that, but there are a few possibilities, all of which have contradictory treatments. For some things, it says I should exercise, that sitting still will make the pain worse. For others, it says I should rest. I'm not a doctor and I have no idea which one of these things is most likely, so I don't know what I should do. Whatever it is, I don't want to make it worse!

So does anyone have any idea what could be causing this pain? Has anyone ever had a similar experience? I'm 30, and I have a history of joint/connective tissue problems, but I've never had a broken bone. I'm not a strong or particularly active person, and I suppose it's theoretically possible that I damaged one of my bones while out jogging or something, but I always thought that something like that would hurt right away. This built up gradually.

[martinuzz]

There's too many possibilities there to give you any specific advice.
I can only say, try to see if there's any charity clinics nearby. Worst case, if it's an infection, 2 months waiting is not a safe bet.

Or contact your embassy if it really gets much worse. I am sure they have provisions for emergency medical care for fellow countrymen.

On excersise: usually, you will feel when it's good to excersise it, and when it isn't. If excersise makes the pain worse, or causes swelling, you probably shouldn't.

[Arx]

You didn't roll your foot or anything while jogging? Otherwise it sounds like a repetitive strain/joint/connective tissue problem.

On the current evidence, I'd suggest resting it. If exercising it would help, it probably wouldn't have worsened over time.

[Sappho]

To be clear, I'm an American citizen. But I don't live here. I live in Prague, am only here for 2 months. I'm looking into signing up for free care, which I'm now entitled to as a technically unemployed citizen of this country, but I don't know how long it'll take to get that approved.

I'm pretty sure I didn't roll it or anything. But I *was* jogging on pavement, and I use minimal-style shoes, so maybe the impact did some kind of damage to the tissue.

At the moment I'm thinking this is probably the most likely culprit, given the fact that I *was* exercising before the pain started - only thing is, there doesn't seem to be any swelling: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/metatarsalgia

I'll continue resting it for now, as that seems like the most likely good advice. If it starts to get really bad, I'll find a way to see a doctor, but I'm hoping it'll get better, or at least not get worse until I can get myself home.

Still open to other ideas, if anyone has any suggestions. Thanks, guys!

[Arx]

Yeah, that's consistent with running on a hard surface with (effectively) no shoes. Road running in general is bad for your joints (last I checked) and not wearing any form of foot cushioning wouldn't help that.

[Sappho]

Well I know that running shoes are really bad for your feet and joints in general, been studying that for a while with help from my tai chi teacher and a few other friends who are into barefoot running. But I guess the pavement is probably not good for you either. So I'm guessing I hurt it on the pavement, and I'll just need to rest it until it stops hurting. I had still been exercising quite a bit, hoping it was just soreness, but I guess I'll have to lay off for a while until it stops hurting... Figures, I was trying to get into shape finally! I'll just have to wait for now and be more careful in the future... Do my jogging on grass or something...

I wonder if it would be okay for me to ride a bike now? Will that put pressure on that part of my foot? I don't have a driver's license, and I'm used to walking everywhere. Not sure how to get around if I have to rest. : /

[Arx]

A bike would be fine. Cycling is very low-impact as far as the joints are concerned.

I'm sure you are already, but it bears repeating that you need to be careful with barefoot running. You can't just switch straight into it entirely from shoes, and especially not on hard surfaces. I do mostly run barefoot (unless I'm playing sports), but I also run on soft fields or off-road tracks. Jogging on grass sounds good, once your foot has healed up.

[Sappho]

I've only used minimal shoes (and totally barefoot all summer) for the past two years, so it's not new for me. Actually, I can't bear to wear normal shoes anymore. But I am not used to running or even jogging. I was just trying to get in better shape. : / I walk loads all the time, usually on paved surfaces, so I guess it didn't occur to me that there'd be a big difference if I was jogging instead. But yeah, clearly the impact of the pavement is not healthy. Once I'm healed up, I'll have to switch to just running on grass/dirt, no more pavement. I'll stick with a bike for a while now. : ) Thanks for all the advice!

[Caz]

Rest it as much as you can imo. At least 2 weeks after the pain isn't there any more. RSI in the foot is really common, could even be a stress fracture from what you said. Try to keep it elevated above heart level and ice it to keep swelling down. Try to see a doctor asap if it's not improving though.

[Sappho]

So it's been like... 2 months now. My foot still hurts when I walk on it or stand for too long. I've been mostly resting it and walking as little as possible, but it hasn't really improved.

I managed to finally see a doctor today. Got an x-ray at a walk-in clinic. The doctor said he doesn't see any signs of a fracture, but that there could still be one and I'd need an MRI to be sure (something I can't currently get). He said it could be "metatarsalgia" which I looked up and that's apparently a symptom, not a condition, which literally just means "pain in the front part of your foot." I asked him what I should do and he said I should see a specialist. He wouldn't give me any advice beyond that because he basically has no idea what's wrong with me.

I can't get in to see a specialist until I'm back in Prague (3 more weeks). I'm pretty frustrated that this doctor was a waste of time. I still have no idea what I should be doing about this pain in my foot. The doctor said it's "probably" fine to walk on it. I have stayed off it almost completely for weeks now. It had stopped hurting altogether for over a week until yesterday, when I went shopping for a couple hours and in the evening it was screaming with pain again.

So yeah, I'm a little frustrated. I don't know what I should do. For reasons I don't feel like explaining now, I can't see a specialist until I'm back in Prague. Does anyone have any other advice? Do you think it's safe to walk on it? I mean, I can handle the pain, I just don't know what's causing it and I don't want to make it worse. But I'm SOOOOO sick of sitting on my ass doing nothing. I'm used to walking a LOT.

To sum up:
-My foot is NOT swollen or black and blue. There are no visible signs of damage to the foot, nor do I feel anything out of the ordinary when I touch it.
-The pain is not pinpointed to one location. It is sort of diffuse, the top of the ball of my foot, shooting pains.
-The pain started something like 7-8 weeks ago now. I have been keeping off it almost entirely for at least 4 weeks now.
-Most of the time it doesn't hurt, but if I stand or walk for an hour or more, the pain comes back with a vengeance and it's like I never even rested it.
-Anti-inflammatory drugs do help the pain, but I am trying not to take them except at night if I can't sleep, because if I don't feel the pain I'm worried I'll make it worse.

[Vector]

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[bahihs]

Have you tried putting ice on the foot? (I know its not a bruise or sprain but ice can help numb the pain for a while). 2 weeks is not that bad, especially since infection was ruled out. The fact that it hasn't improved in two months is disconcerting but, has it gotten significantly worse? If not, its probably a bone or muscle problem, in which case the less stress on the foot, the better. Try putting some padding in your shoes (insoles etc.) and keep off your feet.

[gimlet]

May be shoe related - how many different shoes do you walk in a lot?   Try switching to an old pair you used before you started to feel pain.  If you don't have any of those, try something different from what you've been walking in.

Also look up tips on walking right - maybe your posture is off or your feet are hitting wrong/too hard or something.  Make sure you're not carrying too much stuff - yeah hard to do I know.  At least get a decent pack and get as much of the load well placed and against the middle of your back.  Wide padded straps, ideally a waist strap.  Do NOT carry heavy loads slung over one shoulder, that's just asking for trouble.

[Arx]

If it's not fractured, the x-rays didn't show up anything of note, and the doctor couldn't find anything wrong, I doubt walking on it will permanently screw anything up. Strapping it will probably help, and reduce the chance of damaging anything - if it's not moving, it's not rubbing/bending/pinching/etc.

A little research suggests most of your symptoms match those of Morton's neuroma (which has nothing to do with a neuroma, fortunately), except for the type of pain. The cause is also consistent - repetitive stress. However, I am not a doctor and probably never will be.

[Vector]

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