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Originally Posted by shotgunbob
Anyone else here have flat feet(fallen or no arches)? It really bothers me. When Im running or skipping rope I can only go before a minute or so before my inner foot starts to cramp violently. This has really deterred me from running and skipping and I wanna know what you guys do to deal with it. Any tips?
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I used to have high arches but after I stress fractured my shins in high school my arches fell so I got flat feet. Flat feet without any symptoms are not bad for you at all, and some recent studies indicate that they may be actually healthier than normal and high arches. But it sounds like you have some symptoms there.
The normal foot strike the ground on the outside of the heel and gently rolls to the inside and to the toes as we run or walk. The flat footed person has a tendency to collapse the foot more quickly or even stike the ground flatly.
The ligament like band running along the sole of your foot is the plantar fascii and a swelling of that is plantar fasciitis. This could be what you are experiencing. There is a solution. The solution is to see a foot doctor and get fitted for an orthopedic shoe insert. They may have to make some adjustments on it and be sure that it fits in your shoes properly. I have had some in the past that didn't fit and they repeatedly tore huge chunks of my foot off (like a 2 inch blister torn out instantly). But if you get a good one you can do all sports with it in, no problems at all.
Do you have any heel pain? Do you have stiffness in your arches or heels when you wake up in the morning? These are important questions. They indicate tension and swelling in the plantar fascii. If you do have tension and swelling, rest and stretching are needed before resuming further foot activities. How long? Could be 2-3 month without running, but you be the judge based on how you feel. It is a slow healing injury.
How do I know this? Because I have had this condition and have been to numerous doctors and have read every internet page I could find on this (hours of googling, believe me). Some sites suggest lots of stretching for plantar fascitis. It sounds like to me though that if you aren't in constant pain, but just when you excersize, you might just need to get some quality, fitted arch supports. The ones you get for $10 at Walmart are not good enough, you need to get some from a specialist. It is well worth it though, especially since if you push through the pain, you WILL make the condition worse in this case. But with the supports and well fitting shoes, you should be pain free and good to go.
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Originally Posted by heavyduty
my wet foot barely even shows the middle of my foot when i step on something dry. and i dont like that either! i feel it makes me run akward, too. when swimming i often get cramps in the middle of my feet, and with PUSHUPS too!
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Yeah, high arches can be bad too. Extra tension in the arches for you and you get cramps all the time. High arches can be more damaging than flat arches, it is now believed. Unfortunately I don't know how you can fix the high ones, besides maybe stretching the hamstrings, calves and feet to try to loosen or lengthen those ligaments.
