Foot questions for Knotted Yet

Please help!

I am training for an Ironman Triathlon in April. Last year I had severe nerve pain / inflammation of the 2 & 3 metatarsals, so bad I took 6 weeks off running. It went away for the rest of the year, but just came back last week.

This time, the pain was not nearly as severe, just soreness under the 3rd met head. I saw the podiatrist on base here, and he said 2 weeks off running.

Now for the saga of what the best preventative measure would be:

-I got ESoles orthotics last year, but they had a sloped forefoot that put the big toe lower than the others. They had a nice met pad. They helped the foot pain but I started getting knee pain so stopped using.

-Had been just using Sole Comfort insoles (similar to Superfeet) this year when the inflammation acted up again.

My podiatrist made me custom orthotics, which I have not yet broken in or started using. They have a carbon /graphite arch support in them and slightly posted heel.

To confuse me more, I found something on RunnersWorld website that said you should elevate the first metatarsal if you have my issue. Weblink to tha is here: http://www.triggerpointbook.com/mortons.htm

I have been running in Brooks Trance 7, ordered new pair and they are on the way. I also have a pair of Newtons.

appreciate any advice you can offer,
Laura

Once you have custom orthotics, you are in the big leagues! I'd be encouraging you to get to work breaking in the customs and working with your podiatrist for all the adjustments you need.

If you need the medial posting (raised big-toe side) you were reading about, he will have built that in to the form of the orthotic.

The really beautiful thing about custom orthotics is that the orthotist can build in fabulous corrections without messing up the way the orthotic fits in a shoe.

If you feel anything is needed in the orthotics once they are broken in, your podiatrist can adjust them. If he gave you 3/4 length, but you can "feel the edge" or they slip around in your shoes, he can easily put a full length top cover on them. If you feel like you need a met button or met pad, he can put those on, too. If they feel like they push into your foot wrong, or rub, or don't hold your foot right, he can adjust that.

When they are broken in he will watch you run and walk in a few different pairs of your shoes, and then give you shoe choice suggestions based on the mechanics of your gait and make adjustments to the orthotics that he thinks you need based on what he sees.

He can also send you to a PT who works with feet, and they will give you exercises to help you strengthen the muscles that control the shape and behaviour of your foot and entire leg. (foot intrinsic muscle exercises are very funny looking, but they really are helpful, so do them anyway :D)

Look up "metatarsal arch" and "dropped metatarsal head" and see if that sounds like your foot pain. There are exercises and orthotic adjustments (met buttons in this case, not met pads nor cushions) that can help correct this.

Your podiatrist is the expert here. I'm so glad you have a nice new pair of custom orthotics!