ankle/top of foot pain please help

[Cloud]

I noticed a slight twinge in the top of my foot where it meets the bottom of my leg when I was running a few months ago on the treadmill. This has developed into a shooting type pain through my foot and ankle whenever I put weight on it. It is at its worst when I do things like running and kickboxing. When I have finished these acitivities I can barely stand on it, it feels like my ankle is not attached to my leg properly anymore and is about to drop off and I just can't stand on that foot properly.

When I stoped the running and high intensity exercises I still have problems, the pain never seems to go away. It seems to get worse even when I walk short distances. Sometimes the pain seems to go further up my shin and make mu leg feel really stiff.

I am going to physio at the moment but the physio hasn't given me any clear indication of what it could be apart from some kind of muscle weakness. I am doing balance exercises and calf muscle strengthening exercises.

Does anyone know what this could be and what I can be doing to recover? Also should I stop running or not?

I am new to this site and hope I have described everything well enough for someone to help me.

Thanks

[Heidi]

Hi

The foot and ankle are quite complex areas and so it is difficult to give you any idea of what may be causing your pain. Due to where you said you experienced pain initially, this was my thought:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/foot/extensor_tendons.htm

But, what you need to do is find out the cause of your injury. Common examples include:
Being new to running and working up to quickly
Not wearing the correct trainers
Tieing shoe laces too tightly
Having very tight calf muscles

My initial advice would be to add calf stretches into your routine, both gastrocnemius and soleus.
Also rest! I couldn't work out from your post if you are still running/kickboxing?

[Cloud]

[QUOTE=Heidi;3124]
Also rest! I couldn't work out from your post if you are still running/kickboxing?[/QUOTE]

I have stopped the running and kickboxing for now yes, but the pain seems to be getting worse. Walking seems to trigger it even if it is a short distance.

Thanks for your help so far, it is so frustrating not knowing what the cause is.

[coachgreywolf]

Dear Injured foot man....I too have been through similar problems. I am a athletic trainer for a high school and treat many, many different injuries daily. It sounds to me (without actually giving you a physical exam)that you have a problem with your navicular joint. That is the joint between your Talus bone (think of a turtle shell) and your calcaneous (ankle bone) There is a large piece of cartilage separating the two bones. The Talus allows your foot to move from side to side, laterally. It sits on top of the Calcaneous and separates your ankle bone from your shin bones (tibia/fibula) When this cartilage becomes inflammed, it can cause horribly debilitating pain. Cortisone injections may help at first. However, too many injection can cause more damage than the original injury. First, use the RICE standard...Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation. The reason for rest is obvious. The ice decreases swelling. When an injured site is swollen, no nutrients can repair the injured site as all the capillaries are shut off. Compression may be the most important in my opinion. Go purchase a QUALITY neoprene ankle brace. They are comfortable, easy to put on, and inconspicuous. When we stretch tendons and/or ligaments we MUST strengthen them by compression. Ace bandaids are fine but take a while to put on. The last part of the recipe is Elevation. Lay on the couch or bed with your ankle well above your heart. Gravity will do the rest. As you walk all day, blood (nutrients, oxygen, blood, ect...) flood the injured site. By elevating the area, you will drain all the toxins and old blood and dead cells that are always present at the site of an injury. Elevating will drain all the bad stuff out. In addition, drink water all day, or sport drinks (NO POP!!). Then you will rid the waste products from the injury through urination. After any workout, immediately ice the site for 20 minutes as this will alleviate swelling. Then put heat on the site for another 20 minutes. this will speed up the healing process. Lastly....an ankle fusion was what finally helped me. they screwed my calcaneous to my foot so to speak. I have lost a little mobility but with ortho shoes I walk without a limp. And now there are new shoes on the market that look just like mine. so I don't look like a crippled gimp. My pain became so bad I just could NOT take it any longer. Try the procedure I outlined above. Your last option (before evasive surgery)would be getting an AFO (ankle/foot/orthopedic) brace. It has a insole for your foot and is strapped to your calf. It keeps the ankle in the correct position and did wonders for pain control. However, it was hard to wear with shoes (I have a size 15 foot, finding 17's to accomodate the AFO was very hard) and is VERY conspicuous. Plus, wearing it at the beach, at the ocean or pool, in formal attire was a pain in the ass.
Good luck and inform me if any of this helps. I have been in your shoes and I know how HORRIBLY ankle pain can be. Massage also helped when it was hurting terribly.