OT: foot question

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I'm posting here because this is the board I frequent most. I am soon-to-be 47 and have flat feet. Other than that, I have completely normal feet as far as width, height, no bunions, etc. I'm not thin but I'm not fat either.

For most of my life, every so often I have had a sensation in both feet of what I can only describe as feeling like a rubber band being stretched the length of the sole of my feet, heel pad toward big toe. It does not extend into my toes. As a little girl I wouldn't jump out of swings because it felt really weird in that area of my foot to land. It's not pain per se, but uncomfortable - kind of like you don't normally feel your organs and muscles, they're just there. I also cannot stand for someone to rub (like during a foot massage) that area on the bottom of my feet; it is tender to more than a light touch. Months may go by without feeling the sensation.

The last day or so I've had that feeling again on my left foot, and a new symptom is that area of my foot is kinda sore when walking on it. A night's rest and all is well. Doesn't happen every day.

My question is, what is this? This sensation has happened in the past without regard to the type of shoe I was wearing, and also when barefoot. My BIL had plantar fasciitis and it doesn't sound like that at all - PF sounds much, much more painful. Mine is more of an annoyance. I was just wondering if you guys have had a similar experience because my concern is that this could be the beginning of something, and like Barney Fife I want to nip this is the bud.

 

[RumpleMom]

The area of the foot sounds like plantar faciitis. Plantar faciitis doesn't have to be extremely painful, but it can be. It can also come and go. Stretching exercises can be very helpful, but if you stop doing them the pain can come right back.

Try looking up the stretching exercises for plantar faciitis and doing them gently to see if it helps.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have flat feet and feel the pains you describe. If you were to massage my "arch", you would also find knots. I have been told this is plantar fascitis. I find that good massages as well as use of a foot roller help.

I also have another thing that occurs--much like a charlie horse in your calf. Sometimes, when I curl my toes, the muscles in the arch will pull and my foot actually gets stuck into position.

Stretching and massages help as well as good fitting shoes--which in my case, involves forming to my natural foot and not giving it an arch that it doesn't want to have via extra inserts.

There's also a special sock sold at running stores that you can wear at night that help stretch the foot. I've not looked much into it--but it helps some people based on their advertising.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

The area of the foot sounds like plantar faciitis. Plantar faciitis doesn't have to be extremely painful, but it can be. It can also come and go. Stretching exercises can be very helpful, but if you stop doing them the pain can come right back.

Try looking up the stretching exercises for plantar faciitis and doing them gently to see if it helps.

I have flat feet and feel the pains you describe. If you were to massage my "arch", you would also find knots. I have been told this is plantar fascitis. I find that good massages as well as use of a foot roller help.

I also have another thing that occurs--much like a charlie horse in your calf. Sometimes, when I curl my toes, the muscles in the arch will pull and my foot actually gets stuck into position.

Stretching and massages help as well as good fitting shoes--which in my case, involves forming to my natural foot and not giving it an arch that it doesn't want to have via extra inserts.

There's also a special sock sold at running stores that you can wear at night that help stretch the foot. I've not looked much into it--but it helps some people based on their advertising.

Thanks to both of you. I looked up PF and everything I found talked about heel pain and I don't have heel pain, it's my instep. I'll need to keep looking!

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

It kind of sounds like how I felt when I had tendonitis in one foot. The pain was really bad though. But I did have that pulling sensation as well.