Today I went into the Shoe Clinic and saw Chris Gates. He is one of the best Posiatrist's here in Nelson.
I have been having trouble with my feet for some time and have not know quite what to do about it.
I can racewalk but often feel like I have a pebble stuck in the bottom of my shoe at the base of my toes (ball of foot)...it does hurt but more feels annoying. When I wake up in the morning, the initial standing up on my feet hurts sooooo bad. Its like someone has smacked them with a bat in the night. But once I get going I am ok. Where I once wore high heels all the time....now I can last an hour....if that...sighs.......
Well Chris Gates spotted it right away. I have Inter digital Nerve Pain (Morton's Neuroma/Neuralgia) Its where the nerves are squashed up between the toes and they get inflamed and swollen. Mine have been like it for years really but Racewalking has really flared it up.
Good news - it is fixable.....bad news....not in the time I have before the worlds. So quick fix is to pump up the soles of my shoes to take the pressure off the nerves. Then build me orthotic's to go in all my shoes.
But he did say that the operation on my feet when I was a teenager was botched up and that was why I flick one foot funny when I race walk as the mechanics of the foot have been changed. Nothing can be done about it now.
Public health system has a lot to answer for in New Zealand!!
6 comments:
I've got three pairs... a really solid pair of rigid orthotics, a much more flexible pair of rigid orthotics, and a really flexible pair base on various pieces of hi-tech foam.
If you can stay away from the rigid orthotics and go for the flexible ones... pieces of foam can be added, subtracted, and shaped as required to get the perfect fit.
Also, ask for an orthotic that is flat at the rear... racewalkers 'land' on their heels, and a rim on the orthotic can cause 'pinch blisters' ... this becomes an increasing problem as distance increases.
Thanks heaps for that. I am lucky the guy I see has dealt with many race walkers so was all kinds of understanding of the mechanics of how we walk.
So you would say that the orthotics have helped? I am worried that I will 'feel' them and that they will annoy the crap outta me....
I couldn't do what I do without orthotics... my biomechanics just aren't good enough!
The extent to which you might feel them depends on what their purpose is. Mine are to reduce pronation, so of necessity they change the position of the foot slightly, and there's a bit more support around the arch. But that should feel like 'support' rather than like something niggling in the shoe.
It sounds like yours will be more to create some space for particular joints, and you might not feel that at all. For a while I had a problem with the joint of my middle toe on my right foot... the solution was to have a 'cut away' under that joint. Never felt it, but it made an enormous difference.
Yep that's what they are going to do to mine as a quick fix for the worlds but yes I over pronate with one foot and he wants to build it up to hold my foot at the correct angle.
I am pleased to hear that you dont notice it .... having never had any before I was concerned it would cause more of an annoyance than a help.
I am to ring on Monday to arrange a time this week to get the base of the shoe done but cant get the others till I am back as the guy is fully booked.
I hope the orthopedics help you Nyle, its sad that the op you had so long ago is making it worse, at the time it was to make all right with your feet!
Glad you are getting some help for your injury & hope you will be in top form for your upcoming race :). Sorry to hear about your Morton's neuroma but at least they have a fix that will keep you going 'til your race. Too bad they can't fix it totally in the short time you have, but at least they can hold you together. I'm with you on that w/my foot injury - different injury, same story.
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