What have I done to cause my foot to radiate pain with out a specific incident?

August 3, 2011 10:36 AM

What did I do to my foot? I have been working very physically and in bare feet no less but... my foot started to hurt several house after I was done with work and there wasn't a specific incident to cause the pain. My foot just started to radiate pain, seemingly out of no where.

The pain seems to be originating from the large joint of my big toe (the ball of my foot) and radiating out to the top of my foot and even into the toes. The pain comes in pulses and seems to lessen when I rub my calf or arch of my foot. I am a theatre artist and I have been assisting a mask performance and making workshop which is quite physical. Half the day is in bare feet on a gymnast's sprung floor and the other half is standing in shoes on concrete. The really strange part is that my foot began to hurt several hours after my day was done with no incident and now the next day there is still no bruise or swelling and a lot of pain. Did I bruise my foot or fracture it? What is this?

posted by m. says: to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

pain from the large joint in your big toe makes me think gout.
posted by nadawi at 10:38 AM on August 3, 2011

Have you checked for splinters? Even a tiny nearly invisible one can wreak havoc. Ask a friend to check your foot with a magnifying glass.
posted by mareli at 10:40 AM on August 3, 2011

I had this happen once after some fairly demanding work (in shoes). I actually had to use a crutch for two or three days and it resolved itself.

FWIW.
posted by resurrexit at 11:27 AM on August 3, 2011

Best answer: I have experienced a similar type of pain when I go barefoot too long or wear shoes which are very flexible. For me it was a result of over extension of the ligaments/tendons of my foot also known as a sprain or turf toe. I switch to shoes which limit the flexibility of my foot (specifically at the big toe). My foot usually starts to improve in a day but can take a couple of weeks to feel completely better.
posted by estronaut at 12:31 PM on August 3, 2011

Hey, I had exactly this happen to me this week. I was out running barefoot on the beach, and about five hours later, my foot started hurting. That was the only risky thing I'd done that day, and I was really scared I'd gotten a stress fracture. It got worse throughout the day, and the next morning I gave in and went to a walkin clinic for x-rays. Answer: it was fine, it was a muscle issue. Two days later, I'm limping still, but as long as I don't walk miles, I'm fine.

FWIW, the doctor said that the fact that it didn't start hurting for several hours was a very good sign that it wasn't a stress fracture. The fact that I wasn't in excruciating pain when she wiggled and pulled on my toes was another good sign. My injury was right above the fourth metatarsal, and it hurt to stand or for ME to wiggle my toes, but not when she pulled on them.
posted by instamatic at 1:06 PM on August 3, 2011

My feet hurt more by my heel if I go barefoot, because my feet are stiff. A good tip-off for stiff feet is if there's no way you can sit like this with your toes tucked under.
posted by anaelith at 1:10 PM on August 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

I had something similar happen to me out of nowhere about 5 years ago, never had it looked at, and it still bugs me off and on and that joint now sticks out funny. So I have no idea what it is, but if it doesn't go away soon I suggest going to a doctor.
posted by sepviva at 8:14 PM on August 4, 2011