1

Foot...sensation (Read 790 times)

ScissorsRun


    Okay, I've tried googling about, but can't find anything, so I'm coming to the experts. About 2 hours after my run today, I started having a pin-pricking sensation in one foot, on the top and side of the foot just below the smallest toe. It only occurs when I flex/put pressure on the foot. The toe has full range of motion and it's not terribly painful, I just don't want to make a dumb newbie mistake by ignoring a seemingly minor twinge that I should listen to. Any thoughts? I realize the immediate one would be too-small shoes, but I seem to have plenty of room even after running, and this is my smaller foot.
    Just another sad soul bitter about the gym class pecking order.


    #2867

      Scissors - I wrote an article about numb feet a few months ago: http://news.runtowin.com/2007/08/28/why-does-my-foot-go-numb-when-i-finish-running.html It mostly deals with numbness when you are running, but maybe something in there will strike a chord. My first guess about your problem would be that you are cutting off circulation after your run. There is a lot of blood flowing through your legs immediately following exercise as your heart tries to provide the fuel to your muscles to repair the damage that you just did to them (this is a good thing and is what makes us faster.) When I was in high school, I used to get numb feet or legs if I went to the bathroom immediately following a run because I was cutting off the circulation. I think a lot of that had to do with the low toilets. Because this is happening a few hours after your run, though, that first guess is probably not related. My second would be that your shoes are the culprit; they can cause problems if they are too large as easily as if they are too small. Is this the only time that it has happened? If so, then I would not worry too much about it, myself. If it is something that happens semi-regularly or all the time, then I would visit a doctor and get it checked out. You would also want to visit a specialty running store where they can do a gait analysis on your foot. The only real thing you would need to worry about would be nerve damage, and if that happens then it would probably be a lot more painful.

      Run to Win
      25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

      ScissorsRun


        Thanks for such a thorough response! The sensation has been persisting since it started, so I think it's probably not circulation (although I don't know if I want to ice and elevate it now, which is what I'd normally try!). Never happened before, and nothing I remember happened on my (uneventful, flat) run. It's possible my sneakers are getting towards oversized -- I was fitted at a running store, but I've lost a little weight since, and I have noticed that my normal shoes are getting loose.
        Just another sad soul bitter about the gym class pecking order.
        jcasetnl


          Thanks for such a thorough response! The sensation has been persisting since it started, so I think it's probably not circulation (although I don't know if I want to ice and elevate it now, which is what I'd normally try!). Never happened before, and nothing I remember happened on my (uneventful, flat) run. It's possible my sneakers are getting towards oversized -- I was fitted at a running store, but I've lost a little weight since, and I have noticed that my normal shoes are getting loose.
          I get that exact feeling, particularly after longer races (well, long for me LOL). So if I do an 8 or 10 mile race, funky numbness and pains are in the mail. They go away with a little rest or a hot bath. RTW is right though, if your shoes are too tight in the forefoot that will do it too. I get that sensation every year when I do my first ski runs.
          ScissorsRun


            Hey, those are enviable distances from where I'm sitting, j. I took a rest day yesterday and it seemed to help. The area still seems slightly off, but it definitely doesn't seem to have been exacerbated by my run this morning. I'm just glad someone else has had the exact same thing, because it's so localized that I was afraid it was a warning sign of something specific. I'm also going to keep out of heels during the day for a while -- I wasn't wearing them when this started, but I'll take any good excuse to avoid them!
            Just another sad soul bitter about the gym class pecking order.
            t_runner


              I'm also going to keep out of heels during the day for a while -- I wasn't wearing them when this started, but I'll take any good excuse to avoid them!
              Good idea! Heels are bad!! Runners put enough stress on their feet without adding heels to the mix. I permanently swore them off after they exacerbated an inflammation I had in the arch area.