Dr Foot Discussion

[Dr Foot]

Over the past few month's I've been experiencing pain across the top of my foot. Trying to explain where it is - if you follow bones up from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th toes up towards the ankle, just as foot starts to rise up towards your ankle I've got a band of pain/discomfort which is tender to the touch and sore when I put weight on the ball of my foot. It's worst when I wake up in the morning or have been sitting still for a while. I've been running irreguarly over the past 4/5 months but on monday started my first proper training for a half marathon in december (with a short half hour run, nothing drastic) and since then the pain/discomfort's been much worse.

I bought new trainers (with advice, so they should take care of pronation etc) a few months ago in the hope that was it, but it doensn't seem to have helped. I wear flat shoes most of the time after an ACL injury a few years ago on my other leg. I'm wondering if perhaps my running/walking style post my ACL injury is causing problems in this foot? Though I'm not aware of doing anything different, I do sometimes get hip and ankle pain on the non-injured side during and after running.

Resting doesn't seem to have helped, nor new shoes. And a deadline is looming, and I want to be fit! What should I do?

Bronwen

[Dr Foot]

It sounds like you have strained the inferior extensor reticulum. The Inferior Extensor Reticulum is essentially dorsal pedal fascial-ligament (top of the foot where your foot hurts) that stabilize pedal tendons, especially, the pedal flexors (i.e., Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Hallucis Longus/Digitus, and the Peroneals).

If you have imbalance in your running stride due to an ACL injury than the Inferior Extensor Reticulum can be strained due to abnormal pronation being applied to the region.

In short, use Ice on the area after a run for 15 mins, try and wear an ankle support and most importantly you need running insoles to prevent this problem.