Today was the day... I was going to be totally fixed the moment I walked out of that therapy appointment. Not so fast. A guy can dream, right? Anyhow, I think it was a good first appointment. My therapist, Shawn, really seemed to have his stuff together. He spent time listening to my self-diagnosis and humoring me... Then, he proceeded to tell me what was really going on.
To my surprise, he told me that I'm not really that flat-footed. I've always been told that I was flat-footed. And, he told me that my bio-mechanics aren't really that bad. Sweet. He thinks that my injuries have probably been a result of overuse. And, in his words, the original injury from the marathon is just having a tough time "settling down".
I was convinced that I needed orthotics. But, since my bio-mechanics aren't that bad, Shawn didn't want to jump there right away. I'm all for caution... and, after all, he is the expert here. So, he taped my left foot to mimic what orthotics might correct to see how that feels. He also gave me some metatarsal pads because of the loss of feeling I was getting in the balls of my feet. He said that it would pad my strike and take some of the stress of the pounding from my forefoot. I'm not kidding you when I say that this pad is bulky. It feels really strange, but I am going to keep with it to see if it begins to feel more normal.
Overall, a good first visit. I have a follow up visit next week to see how all this is playing out. I will be running on Thursday and Saturday (maybe Sunday instead) with the tape and the pad.
Then, I'll talk with Shawn to see what he has to say about my feedback. But, it feels like the wheels are in motion.
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2 comments:
It's great that you got more information about what's been going on with your feet. Whoever said "ignorance is bliss" was an idiot! ;-) Now that you know what's going on, it certainly made you feel better about your situation. Atleast this way, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Just as long as it's not carpal tunnel. ;-) (OK, sorry, couldn't help myself.) But seriously, I hope you adjust to those bulky metatarsal pads. Hopefully, they'll help you on your runs, despite the odd feeling. It probably feels better than the sensation of having a rock in your shoe, especially since a rock shifts around! ;-)
Hope the pads & tape help your foot heal faster!
Funny enough... I thought I had tarsal tunnel a short time ago. Ok, maybe this isn't a laughing matter at all.
Anyhow, I'm gonna run with the met pads tomorrow and see how it feels. I do think the taping is helping my foot (sugar pill anyone?). So, that would lead me to believe that I could benefit from the orthotics. But, I don't have any feedback on the met pads yet, other than the fact that they are extremely bulky. But, if they keep my foot from going numb, they're probably worth the weird discomfort for a while.
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