Foot Pain

For the past several days on and off I've had an odd foot problem. The pain is along the sole of my foot near the arch, between but not including the ball or my foot and my heal. It's a weird pain, sort of a sharp stabbing pain, sometimes a pins and needle feeling, or like someone is ripping a bandaid off my foot over and over again. The area feels warm and a little swollen. The pain comes and goes, and while it seems to be aggrevated by hard exercise, it often hurts when i'm just sitting around. It does not hurt in the morning when i wake up however.

I'm wondering what is causing this and how I should treat it. I'm 17, female, generally healthy. However, i have very flat feet and am also a runner, have been for 3 years. I don't usually have foot problems, but I was in desperate need of new running shoes, and did run a hard and fast 5k 3 days ago on asphalt (i usually run on treadmill) wearing my old shoes, which were worn down and had little arch support. I was thinking maybe my foot was just irritated and if i took time off and iced it it would heal.

I'm slightly concerned that this is something more, or an injury that I need to see a doctor about. My dad thought it was plantar fasciitis. I was under the impression that pain from plantar fasciitis is usually in the heel, but I'm not really sure. I guess for right now I'll rest it for a while and if the pain doesn't get better I'll go to the doctor. Does anyone have any ideas as to what this might be?

I think your dad has the right idea.

Or bursitis.  I'd see the doctor.  They can give you pain meds and recommend shoe inserts that might help.

Your dad could be right. I had plantar factitus last year and it lasted for over a month.  Mine wasnt really a pain, but it just realy hurt all the time and I had it in both feet. I could barely walk.  It started with my heals and then moved into my ankles. I did go to the doctor, she couldnt really do anything for me.  She told me to exercise and do stretches with my feet and told me to get some dr. scholls foot things.  Eventually, it did start to improve, it just took awhile.  I would definitely get a doctors opinion. Mine told me it was caused from just being on my feet a lot and putting stress on my foot. A doctor might be able to give you some tips on what to do for your foot.  Good luck!

I agree that plantar fascitis is very likely. The pain in the arch (not heel) is typical. New shoes carefully chosen to give the right kind of support (do some research) and a splint that holds your foot flexed while you're asleep or just sitting around.

Thank you all for your replies! I'm thinking that this is probably plantar fasciitis, brought on by my super flat feet and improper shoes! I wear flip flops all the time...

So for now I'm going to stick to my tennis shoes and ice my foot and take ibuprofen...how long should I expect to have this?

Actually, one of my main questions is in regards to exercise. Should I stop running, and stick to just walking? Or do I need to stop exercising entirely? I don't want to cause anymore damage, but I love to exercise and I've heard that P.F. can hurt a lot if you go long periods without using the foot.

Thanks again!

I'm dealing with this right now. I kept running when my foot was sore, and now I'm completely unable to run. I'm seeing a sports physician, and he says not to even try for at least another two months. It's already been about 6 weeks since my last run.

Don't risk a more serious injury. Ice it, get it looked at by a sports specialist (physiotherapist or sports physician), and if any activity at the gym makes it hurt, stop right away.

Another potential injury is a stress fracture. If you're running hard in garbage shoes, you can crack the long bones in your feet. Get checked!