Exercising and Feet Problems

Does anyone have problems with their feet that prevent you from exercising (or tries t)?  If so, how to you overcome that???

I pretty much only walk or do the elliptical machine.  When I started walking on a regular basis about a year ago, I ended up with a pinched nerve in one of my feet that caused my toes to go numb... and I think it's in both now.  It's nothing that a good ole cortisone shot won't fix, but the shot's not permenant.  But, my feet just hurt all over (which has nothing to do with the pinched nerve). 

Anyone have these problems?  I feel like no matter what I do, something's trying to stop me!!!

Sorry, I know talking about my feet on a public board isn't the prettiest thing, but what the heck.  :)

My feet always go numb after 20 mins of a quick pace- walking, aerobics, dancing in sneakers.  I have tried lots of brands at all price ranges - nothing works but going sneaker less. 

I work out at home in front of an aerobics program or walking on the sidewalk - all the same numb feet.  Drives me crazy and it has always been this way from high school at 125lbs to today at 185lbs.

Anyway, just started really working out again 3 weeks ago - shoeless is the only way for me to feel comfortable but you have to wear socks or your feet get really dry.

hope that helps.

your feet just hurt all over?  that's kinda vague - do you know what's causing it (you say it's not the pinched nerve) or could you describe the pain more?  

i got peripheral neuropathy in my feet/legs - when my feet bang down, it hurts (strange sensation, hard to describe; kind of like the feeling you get when you hit your funny bone, but way more intense + hotter), when i'm NOT moving my feet for very long, it's also painful though, like they're falling asleep but it hurts.  i take lyrica + oxycontin (the oxy [+ also some other opiates which i take PRN] is not entirely/really for the feet/legs, more for nerve problems elsewhere but it does help the legs somewhat).  i have found that wearing air-shoes (shoes w/ air in the soles) really helps cushion the sensation, but that's because my feet really hurt most when i bang down on them (so it won't do anything for you).

i used to love using the TENS machine (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator - sends an electrical current to specific nerve paths that are causing pain + prevents them from reaching the brain); stopped using it b/c tolerance.  talk to your md - may be worth a try (i didn't even have to buy one - they're fairly expensive - b/c my MD had another MD lend me one for as long as i needed it).  studies show that using TENS at low or high frequency for a long time causes opiate tolerance (mu + delta; cross tolerance to mu + delta agonists following use has been shown); while the dose you increase opiates up to is only limited by adverse side effects or the possibility of respiratory depression, TENS units only go up so high, so even though they work amazingly well, you may not want to use it as often as you'll WANT to (that is, only use it when you HAVE to - like, for exercising) if you want to avoid to the greatest extent possible the induction of tolerance.

other options - zostrix (made from capsaicin, the stuff from chili peppers, marketed for arthritis mostly but also provides relief for diabetic and other neuropathies - you can get it OTC); lidoderm (patches with lidocaine, wear them 12 hrs/day to numb the pain, probably not a great option when the place you'd be wearing them is the feet).


ok, i saw the part about the cortisone - why are you taking the cortisone?  inflammatory pain i assume? i assume, also, that you've tried NSAIDS like ketorolac (even though it's time-limited, i'd have tried that before cortisone shots)? what does your MD think the problem is (i assume that he has a theory if he's giving you cortisone)?

The cortisone shots are for the pinched nerve in one of my feet.  He said that I may or may not have to have another shot... and it has helped a lot.  My toes aren't numb all the time like they were before.  He said to prevent the problem from happening I should stop doing what irritated it.  Pretty much it's walking or exercising.  Can't really quit walking on it.  When it gets really irritated, the joint where my toe is attached to my foot (or between it or something) gets inflammed and swollen.  That's painful.  Wearing shoes helps... barefoot makes it worse.

The other sensation that I was talking about when I'm on the elliptical is different though.  It is a weird feeling that's hard to describe.  Kind of like the bottoms of my feet just hurt like I'm putting too much pressure on it.  Okay, I'm 30 and weigh 145ish.  I feel like I'm falling apart! 

Are you seeing a podiatrist or just a regular dr??  I would go to a foot dr -

 

You may need orthotics.  I have plantar fasitis from walking in bad shoes for so long and now have to wear custom orthotics.  I hardly have any foot pain anymore.  I can't ever go barefoot tho or else I feel it the next day. 

I would definately got to a Podiatrist there could be exercises you could do to help these problems. Plus an orthotic might do the trick. In the mean time how about trying things like Pilates, Bicycling or swimming? You can pick up an exercise bike really cheap at a department store or yard sale.

"weird feelings" of pain that are "hard to describe" are often (although not universally, not by a long-shot) neuropathic as opposed to nociceptive.  i would see a pain specialist as opposed to a podiatrist if you think that is the case.   the bottoms of the feet just hurting like you're putting too much pressure on them - is it a sore, inflamed feeling? more of burning or tingling "weird" feeling?  like walking on bubble wrap? numbness?  when you take the cortisone shots, do you still get the painful sensation when you're on the elliptical?  that could be important from a diagnostic standpoint. 

i'm obviously not an MD - if it's significantly impeding your life, pain specialists are the people to deal with it (though don't expect anyone at a major research institution's pain center or clinic to take an interest.  I know at UCSF it's a pretty rigorous referral process + you only get there if your problem is so complicated that others can't deal with it + even then, you often have to wait a while.  so, since you haven't exhausted all 'ordinary' resources, you'll probably be dealing with someone in private practice, not that there's anything wrong with that).  a podiatrist may be able to dx the problem, may miss it, a pain specialist is much more likely to accurately diagnose it.  that's just my opinion. 

Yes, I have had a strange sensation in both of my feet for about 4 weeks now.  It stated out as tingling in my toes and balls of feet.  Now the tingling is gone but I have a weird sensation when I walk - as though I am walking on little pieces of styrafoam.  When I touch the surface with my big toe (either foot) I get that sensation too.  When I walk, it is worse.  I have had blood work done and the doctor said my sugar is good - he said everything looked good.  My Podiatrist had x-rays taken and examined my feet and couldn't find anything wrong.  He suggested it may be a pinched nerve.

Would a pinched nerve affect both feet?  I do exercise every morning (in my home) and am just wondering if somehow I injured the nerves in my feet.  Does anyone have a similar situation?  It's very frightening.

I don't want to be taking cortisone shots or whatever and am wondering what I can do to heal this situation.

I can understand your concern about your "weird feelings"!

 

I don't know what youre experiencing but I do know that it may be as simple as tying your shoes too tight or too loose.

I know that once I tied my shoes a little too tight and I started getting kind of pins and needles/numbness in my toes and whole foot.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319--13001-0,00.h tml

I have completely flat feet. Jumping around and walking on uneven surfaces causes me the most pain. Strangely, I noticed that doing heel raises (also known as calf raises) really strengthened my feet and reduced the daily, chronic pain. I still try to stick to low-impact exercises, like stationary bike and elliptical though.

I have plantar fasitis in my left foot.  I started walking over a year and a half ago and felt a sudden pop in the bottom of my foot.  I thought I sprained it, and treated it as such, and it went away.  But it kept coming back.  I finally went to the doctor 6 months later. 

I was put on anti-inflammitories for what seemed like ages and sent to a PT.  He showed me exercises that help the condition (heel raises is one of them) and gave me resistance bands to use, as well as doing things involving electrical stimulation and some sort of sonic thing that was supposed to target and reduce the inflammation. 

I couldn't tell you which part of this treatment plan worked best, but a year later my foot is better.  It's not perfect, and since I developed a small heel spur (probably because I waited too long to see a doctor), it likely never will be.  But I can function, even doing karate or 2 mile brisk walks most days.  If it bothers me too much, I take an ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.  I should really still be doing the exercises, and I'm going to have to push myself to do that.

You really should see a doctor.  Foot pain can affect a lot in your life, and if it hasn't gotten better on its own by now it's not going to.

I have a related question for anyone who can help. I started a learn-to-run program about 1.5 months ago, and as I am now running longer distances and for longer time, the toes on my left foot start to go numb near the end of my run. It's not painful at all and a few minutes after I am done and do my stretching it goes away. Anybody have any idea what's causing this?