How much pain is normal....

[sue123]

I know pain is going to be a part of skating, but how much pain is normal and how much is too much? Lately, I've been having problems with my right foot, to the point when I take off my skate, I can't put any weight on it, can't walk. It goes away after a while, but it's still sore. The thing is, it doesn't hurt when I'm skating, only when I take off my boot.

I've talked to somebody at the pro shop about this, and they offered to punch them out, but didn't think it would help because I don't have the pain when I'm skating, and it doesn't feel tight. I'm thinking the next stop might be the podiatrist, but I just don't like going to doctors. So at what point do you figure it's normal pain, and at what point is it too much and you need to get it checked out?

[beachbabe]

I had a lot of arch pain when I first got my most recent skates. I had the same type of problem as you. well, I don't know about how you can fix the skate itself, i jsut went straight to the foot doctor and took my skates with me.

The guy x-ray'd my foot and kept my skates for a few days. Then i got them back he had put in custom orthotics that were I guess glued in permanently somehow on the arch and behind my heel to hold it in tighter and keep the wight balanced. I first skated on them about a week ago and I have not had any pain since. I feel like I'm on a cloud because my feet actually feel better in my skates than they do in slippers.

seriously, orthotics work wonders.

[TashaKat]

Yes, I agree, get it looked at.

I had something similar (though I also had pain when I was wearing my boots) and it ended up to be plantar fasciitis which was a real bummer as I had a 2 week dance course booked (6 hours a day for 10 days PLUS a performance on the last night 8O ). I got through the course with lots of ibuprofen both topical and tablet form but it wasn't pleasant!

Properly fitted orthotics are wonderful things :D

[EastonSkater]

You might have to see whether the pain is due to the boot. If your boot shape isn't right for your foot, or if you're strapping your foot too tightly and it presses up tight against the bones and tissue, it might cause your foot to become bruised or cut off circulation. It might feel ok when your boot is on ... until you take your boot off....and the pain will really kick in.

If it doesn't feel tight....as you already mentioned, then maybe you got a foot spur or something. X-rays will help for sure.

Sometimes, you might put a boot on, and strap it to your foot real tight. It will hurt bad for a while....and then the pain will subside. And then.....at the end of the session, when you take off your boot.....oh geez....pain city.

It might help to have the laces around the main part of the foot looser, and have the ankle area strapped reasonably tight. That might help.

[jenlyon60]

Have you tried adjusting how tight you lace the boots along the top of the boots?

Sometimes that will help. There's no rule that says that boots have to be laced REALLY REALLY tight along the top of the boots. I personally tend to lace mine barely snug across the top of the boot, with the last of the "holes" being a bit snugger. Then as I start lacing the eyelets I pull my laces tighter.

I have had minor cases of plantar fascitis and it's definitely not fun. What happens for me is that often within about 5 minutes of putting on my boots, the bottom of one or both of my feet (along the plantar fascia) will start to hurt beyond belief. I take my boot off, stretch out the foot (similar to one of the stretches on the web page linked below), relace, and no more problems.

This web page (http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/plantar/index.html) has some information and stretches for the ailment.

[DressageChica]

I get wicked sharp pains sometimes when I spin. It's right on the ball of my foot right where the bone is kind of below my big toe. Does that make sense? heehee. The skin has really toughened in that spot. Ohhhh, I wish that pain would go away! It doesn't always hurt, but if I spin a lot and don't take days off from skating it is wicked bad!

Hope your problem gets better!

Cheers!

[Mrs Redboots]

I get wicked sharp pains sometimes when I spin. It's right on the ball of my foot right where the bone is kind of below my big toe. Does that make sense? heehee. The skin has really toughened in that spot. Ohhhh, I wish that pain would go away! It doesn't always hurt, but if I spin a lot and don't take days off from skating it is wicked bad!

Hope your problem gets better!

Cheers!I get that sometimes even without spinning. Mostly when I'm walking in shoes that don't give too much support. I did have an orthotic made for me to correct it, and it seldom hurts now - if it does, I find massaging it helps. Thankfully it's on the other foot from my bunion!

[beachbabe]

many leg and spinal pains too are due to improper foot alighnment and balance. I'd really cincide rthe doctors b/c you can fix it today or suffer forever.

[sue123]

I called the podiatrist office today, but by the time I called, they were closed, so I"m going to call tomorrow. I've tried tightening and loosening the boot in different ways, and nothing seems to work. So I guess I'm going ot have to consider defeat.

I don't know how this goes for anyone else, but I always seem to injure myself on the same side. I sprained my right wrist when I was little and in a cast for 5 weeks, tore a tendon in the same wrist a couple summers ago, shredded the ligaments in my right ankle, dislocated my right knee, dislocated my right shoulder, broke my big right toe, and now this problem on my right foot. I just find it strange. And nearly all my bruises are on the right side of my body.

[flippet]

It's right on the ball of my foot right where the bone is kind of below my big toe.

I sometimes get pain in that area, both in skates and shoes. It's pressure pain--and like there's suddenly less or no fat pad there anymore. I've found that when it happens, I'm not drinking enough water. Once I'm fully rehydrated, it goes away (takes a day or two, if it's bad). In the meantime, Dr. Scholl's (I think) makes a little triangular-shaped gel pad for just this area, and it really helps.

[coskater64]

Most boot companies offer "pour-on" it is a cushy foam layer underneath the leather you put your foot on. It is usually an option and one I learned to get early on it makes the pounding on your metatarsels (sp) much easier especially when you are just learning. Also someone mentioned alignement, that also causes a lot of pain, practicing 1/4, 1/2 and single revolutions landing on one foot (your landing foot will help with alignment) also getting a nice foot cross and working on landing softly rolling through the foot is helpful even if you aren't doing big jumps. Learning how to land softly and jump straight and work on core strength are helpful and can allievate pain. ***Usual disclaimer, this worked for me but it took a long time, months --years.

When in doubt always go to a doctor, never wait until it is blindingly bad.

:lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

I sometimes get pain in that area, both in skates and shoes. It's pressure pain--and like there's suddenly less or no fat pad there anymore. I've found that when it happens, I'm not drinking enough water. Once I'm fully rehydrated, it goes away (takes a day or two, if it's bad). In the meantime, Dr. Scholl's (I think) makes a little triangular-shaped gel pad for just this area, and it really helps.Flippet, bless you for that! I was wondering what had changed - of course, I've started drinking 2 litres of water each day. I seldom get that pain any more, but it is not totally unknown.

[flippet]

Flippet, bless you for that! I was wondering what had changed - of course, I've started drinking 2 litres of water each day. I seldom get that pain any more, but it is not totally unknown.

Glad I could help! It's easy to overlook the connection sometimes. :)

[kayskate]

Lace loosely at first then tighten as you warm up and your boots soften. I have had these probs, but this seems to solve it. Also wear thin socks.

Kay

[Mrs Redboots]

Glad I could help! It's easy to overlook the connection sometimes. :)I've now found out a little more - apparently the pain is caused by a build-up of crystals (of what, I have no idea!) in the joint, and the presence of such pain/crystals is one of the ways a reflexologist can tell if you are dehydrated or not!

[sue123]

I went to the podiatrist today. Apparently, I have tendonitis. He thought it might be stress fracture because he felt a bump on my foot over the spot where it hurt that wasn't on the other foot. X-rays were normal, and based on the amount of time I had the pain, he said he would have seen signs of healing on the x-ray if it was a stress fracture.

He said if I was a regular person, he would put my foot in a boot to let the tendon heal. But, I told him that I skate and he knew I wouldn't approve of my foot in a boot unless it was my skating boot. So he said to go conservative approach first. He wrapped my foot in an Ace bandage, showed me the proper way to wrap it, which I never knew before, told me to wear it when I skate and as often as I can. Since my boots are a bit big, it shouldn't be a problem getting the Ace bandage in there.

The next step if I'm not getting any relief from the Ace wrap is a soft cast, but for now, it's the wait and see how it does. Apparently, I need to try to avoid jumping in sneakers, because the tendon connects through the ankle, so if the ankle bends the wrong way, it can cause the tendon to snap where it connects at the foot. So I'm advised to not do the off ice jumping excercises I've been doing, in case I come down wrong. But as for as on the ice, it should be OK because the skating boot acts like a cast anyhow.

I really liked him, he's treated athletes before (he actually called me an athlete because I go skating several times a week and do off ice exercises to help my skating!) and treated figure skaters in the past, although he said it's been a couple years since he's treated a figure skater. But he knows that it would absolutely kill me to take so much time off the ice, especialyl since I've been skating with it, and he didn't tell me I had to stop. But he did make me promise if it gets worse to come back and see him.

This tendon thing is going to take at minimum 4 weeks to heal, but maybe even closer to 8 because I'm still going to be active. Oh well. I'm just really happy that he didn't tell me to stop skating, like my first orthopedist did when I hurt my knee.

[beachbabe]

you see, doesnt that jsut make you feel so much better now that you know its gonna be ok, if your not sure always go to the doctors to check it out, b/c it is worth it in the end

[doubletoe]

Oh wow, that dehydration explanation makes a lot of sense. I have been experiencing tight foot muscles in my arches these days and I was wondering why. Dehydration is probably it.

Back to the original post, it's strange that you should experience pain *after* taking off your skates. It makes me wonder if the boot is providing some sort of support that your foot needs, and when you take it off there is once again stress on your foot. How long does it continue to hurt after taking your boot off?

[doubletoe]

Back to the original post, it's strange that you should experience pain *after* taking off your skates. It makes me wonder if the boot is providing some sort of support that your foot needs, and when you take it off there is once again stress on your foot. How long does it continue to hurt after taking your boot off?

Oops, just saw your post! That answers my question as to whether it might be a stress fracture. Glad you got it checked out, and hope it heals soon! :)

[sue123]

Oops, just saw your post! That answers my question as to whether it might be a stress fracture. Glad you got it checked out, and hope it heals soon! :)

Yep, he told me that the boot very likely does provide the support I need. He asked if I remembered injuring it, and I don't remember hurting it, although I told him it wasnt impossible that I landed a jump incorrectly and didn't realize I had done any damage. That's very likely what happened. Oh well. C'est la vie.