Numbness

jjb

Barefooters
Jul 15, 2015
90
82
18
LA
Hey all,

Total newbie, so I hope you'll forgive me if this question has been posed/answered on here somewhere -- but I didn't see it.

Not-so-brief background: I started running in January 2015. I was using traditional (brand-new) running shoes, heel-striking, etc. By April I was up to 10.25 miles for my longest run and 23 miles the week I stopped, due to, yes, a stress-fracture in my left knee and plantar fascitis in my right foot.

A friend suggested I read 'Born To Run' and I quickly adopted a barefoot lifestyle. I bought VevoBarefoot street shoes and Shamma sandals for when being barefoot is discouraged and otherwise have been walking barefoot the rest of the time (probably 85% of my waking hours).

The stress fracture healed up but the plantar fascitis has not, despite my efforts in icing it, stretching it, etc. I have done a little running now and again (I read Robillard's book to figure out how) and am definitely not heel-striking anymore, but the pain still comes back. I intend to buy a boot to sleep in to try that out.

What's plaguing me now, though, is numbness of the second toes on both of my feet. The right toe is worse. Additionally, I feel like my foot pads have expanded such that they're putting uncomfortable pressure on my feet -- sometimes I feel like I'm stepping on a rock or something but there's nothing there, especially under my left footpad.

So I'm a mess. And very discouraged. I feel very enthusiastic about being barefoot; it makes sense to me and I would prefer not to reverse course. I also really want to get to a point where I can join you all in running this way! But if I'm going to be in ever-increasing discomfort, maybe it's not for me.

What should I do?

Thanks -- and sorry for the long post.

Jess
 
Seek out an R2P (rehab to performance/return to play) provider. You're going to get answers all across the board from everyone. You need to be evaluated so someone can see where the problem is so they can help you resolve it. Good luck.
 
Seek out an R2P (rehab to performance/return to play) provider. You're going to get answers all across the board from everyone. You need to be evaluated so someone can see where the problem is so they can help you resolve it. Good luck.

Thanks Mike. Is what you're talking about something easily Googled? Are you talking about a sports chiropractor or something of that ilk? Thanks.
 
For the PF, what worked for me was rolling my arches on a hard roller--I used an empty wine bottle. It will hurt but start out with light pressure and increase pressure when it seems reasonable. Eventually (it took me years) you should be able to put all your weight on it. The PF went away fairly quickly though--a few weeks or months, I don't remember. Maybe I had a mild case and there may be other factors for different people. When I started running BF, I stopped the rolling for a while and slowly (over a few months) the achiness in my heels and balls of feet came back. So I went back to rolling and it went away again.

If you were a complete newbie to running (and all exercise?) in January, at age 45, you should consider taking things a little more slowly to give your body time to adapt. The injuries will probably be more severe the faster you push it. A quick google say as many as 80% of runners get injured every year and "a runner’s aerobic and anaerobic fitness develops at a faster rate than their tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones".

Just my two cents.
 
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For the PF, what worked for me was rolling my arches on a hard roller--I used an empty wine bottle. It will hurt but start out with light pressure and increase pressure when it seems reasonable. Eventually (it took me years) you should be able to put all your weight on it. The PF went away fairly quickly though--a few weeks or months, I don't remember. Maybe I had a mild case and there may be other factors for different people. When I started running BF, I stopped the rolling for a while and slowly (over a few months) the achiness in my heels and balls of feet came back. So I went back to rolling and it went away again.

If you were a complete newbie to running (and all exercise?) in January, at age 45, you should consider taking things a little more slowly to give your body time to adapt. The injuries will probably be more severe the faster you push it. A quick google say as many as 80% of runners get injured every year and "a runner’s aerobic and anaerobic fitness develops at a faster rate than their tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones".

Just my two cents.

Great advice. Thank you. I'll start rolling as well.

I think what's nagging at me is this concern that my feet seem to be getting worse -- at least in terms of the numbness that I mentioned. I figured the more I went barefoot, the better my feet would feel, you know?
 
btw, don't discount the advice from people. it could be as simple as overworked muscles.
 
btw, don't discount the advice from people. it could be as simple as overworked muscles.

I'm definitely taking the advice to heart. I may decide to really back off a bit, calm down, and just walk for the time being. Obviously I'm letting my overall fitness go a bit, but if it means I can eventually get back out there barefoot, I reckon it's worth it.
 
Does the numbness go away when you take your shoes off and rub your toes?
 
Consider posting in the Ask The Docs forum.

I'm no expert. I used to get nerve zaps when I had a big callus, and landed on it over and over. I changed my form and it went away.

I wonder if the numbness could be a pinched nerve, and if CorrectToes would help?

Good luck!
 
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Consider posting in the Ask The Docs forum.

I'm no expert. I used to get nerve zaps when I had a big callus, and landed on it over and over. I changed my form and it went away.

I wonder if the numbness could be a pinched nerve, and if CorrectToes would help?

Good luck!

Hmmm. CorrectToes... Googling that!