Pinched Nerve?
Something weird happened during the long ride Sunday. A couple hours in I noticed my three outer toes on my right foot hurt a little bit. I rotated my foot inside my shoe thinking maybe my sock had bunched...or something like that. But it just kept getting worse and worse. It was the "little piggie that had none" that hurt the worst. It felt like it was one fire. Stopping to take off my shoe and investigate, I expected my toes to be bright red and swollen, and thought I'd see a bug bite or something. The pain was the intense, hot kind of pain you get when you step on fire ants. But nothing. Toes were normal size, color and appearance. I walked on the foot a bit, sans shoe, and the pain started to go away. I got back on the bike and rode without pain for another hour or so before it started to happen again. Same shoe/sock style combo I always wear. No change to my pedal or cleat position. No changes whatsoever.
It happened several times during the ride. I could always make it subside, but it would flare back up like crazy. It hurt when I pedaled, when I stood with that foot in the down position, when that foot was in the up position and when I went over the log stacks. It would start in that one toe then sort of radiate out to the two around it and down the outside of my foot.
Finished the ride and looked at my toes again...normal. I had minimal pain as I walked around that night and it was pretty much gone Monday. But I noticed it a bit on Tuesday so forewent a ride in favor of weights and core workout. I just got back in from a short sprint and big ring interval session and it didn't hurt at all. I'm going to try a run before our club meeting tonight to see if that causes the same symptoms.
The couple folks I've talked to about it say it sounds like a pinched nerve kind of thing? Anyone out there have any thoughts?
posted by Anonymous at 2:01 PM
11 Comments:
I'm a recreational road rider, about 100-150 miles per week in season.
I've had this identical pain for several years now. The good news: it doesn't get any worse, no matter how much I ride. The bad news: it's never really gotten better.
I am fairly convinced that it is a circulatory, not a nerve problem, and is directly related to shoe size and fit as feet swell on longer rides. I switched from a size 47 Shimano shoe to a size 48 Nike, and use only socks with minimal padding. These seem to help, altough even the new Nike's toe box doesn't seem wide enough. Hard to find a shoe locally bigger than the 48.
Please let me know if someone gives you more detailed, credible info on these symptoms
2:54 PM
Thanks Alan...I'll let you know if I hear more. The thing that really bothered me was how loose my shoes were. They didn't feel tight, just the pain. I always wear them loose as I've got several friends who've had bad issues with their shoes fitting too tight.
3:10 PM
seems like there was something on the CGC forum a week or so back about "hot foot." sounds similar to what you describe. you may want check the archived forums for more info.
5:12 PM
I think that's happened with my little toe two years in a row. The weird thing is that it was always from riding on the road, not mtn. biking. Anyways, it ended up going away after a day or two so I never found out the reason or a solution to make it stop.
On the other hand, my friend had "hot foot" and it was on the bottom of her foot and reoccured every time that she would go riding. Apparently that can be caused by lack of supportive shoes.
6:28 PM
Thanks girls. I'm going to check the list serv and see what it says. Mark D. told me he thought it was probably a hot spot, perhaps caused by my shoe sole thinning out from long use. He suggested an insert first, and if that doesn't work, new shoes. So, of course el Jefe made the "women be shopping" comment.
9:02 AM
Oh no! Hope it's better soon...how bizarre!
7:29 PM
trisaratops is a hottie ;-)
11:30 PM
Yes, Sara is very pretty! But your comment doesn't help out much with the foot pain!
3:20 PM
mallie-
call me/email me about your foot.
bob umberhandt
5:34 PM
Mallie, my EX-GF used to have a problem with a nerve in her foot. there is a nerve between a couple toes, can't remember which, but the nerve had pressure on it from running down the stair, which the Doc said it's a nuroma and is also caused by wearing shoes to tight, heals and shoes with bad padding. I don't remember if she had the same problem with her "little piggie toe" but it maybe worth having the foot Doc look at it. she would have the problem all the time, walking, running, riding, until she stopped running stairs and wearing heals. just a thought hope it helps and hope it not something serious.
12:22 PM
Mallie - although I can't diagnose something i can't see, it does indeed sound like either a neuroma (specifically a morton's neuroma) or impingment of the digital nerve on the foot. there are a few ways to deal with it, usually through the use of a custom orthotic - but there are cheaper ways of dealing with it as well - e-mail me and we'll talk....Alicia
12:07 AM
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