After a couple months of neglecting running & focusing on barbell work, and rarely wearing my vibrams, I put them on and did a 7.5 mile hike/jog last Saturday. It was a pretty hilly trail, and I felt fine, but when I got home, the outside part of my left foot started hurting & it's been bugging me ever since. There's no bruising or noticeable swelling, it only hurts when I'm putting weight on it, and it's causing me to limp. Went to the doc today because I was concerned it may be a stress fracture, but the x-ray came out fine. Doc told me it seems like a sprain, gave me a prescription for Naproxen, and recommended I ice it a few times a day, and wear better arch support (of course). After some poking around here, I get the impression I may be better off not taking the meds? What would you Paleohackers do?
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I personally would not take the Naproxen. And x-rays may not pick up a hairline fracture--a bone scan would be better for that. There can be a few different reasons for the pain. Soft tissue injuries, bone injuries, or non-injuries could all play a role. One should not automatically assume that inflammation is the culprit and fight that with NSAIDs (of course, I'm not a doctor, this is my hypothesizing). The stronger the NSAID, the harder it works against tissue healing. The pain signal is likely there in order to tell you to rest. This rest involves not walking so much, and possibly immobilizing the foot while you walk. The cheapest way to do that is to localize the pain and tape the joints around it (which a podiatrist can do). One way to maintain some motion but still tape is by using "Kinesiotape", like you see on athletes like Gabrielle Reece. You can also get an aircast or even upgrade to a walking boot if it gets worse. Good luck! (p.s. don't forget to rest) |
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I would just stay off the foot. How long have you been using Vibrams? Has this ever happened before? Sorry to hijack but I was interested in getting some myself. |
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My daughter just did something to her foot/ankle this weekend slipping on the grass and there is also no noticeable swelling. I asked a personal trainer/soccer coach friend of mine that I trust a lot. He told me ice for 20 mins at a time, several times per day, keep it raised while you do that. I am giving her Motrin at bedtime for the pain, but nothing else during the day because I am worried that if it isn't just a little sore she will overuse. I don't want to mask the pain. Especially if you aren't swollen, you probably don't need anti-inflammatories anyway. There is another thread floating around right now on what do eat with a muscle pull, check it out for some ideas on what food can keep swelling down. |
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Like many on here, I'm not a doctor, so is there a Dr. in the house? Personally, with years of road marching for Uncle Sam,I would say ice, and rest. After that to work on the tender spots, rub it, and use a firm ball to roll the foot around on it and use a towel on the floor and use your toes to scrunch or crumple it up. Also would not use the meds as the pain is there to tell you that something is wrong, and to rest. |
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How is your foot now Jules, did it heal properly with no lingering effects from the injury? |
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