Runner.... Numb big toe and tender arch. Advice please?

[Annoy]

Hi,

Run nearly every other day, between 5km and 12km.

For around 6 months I’ve had a numb big toe, just on the side... on the outerside. No pain or pain anywhere else.

In the last month or so I’ve started getting a slight niggle (not pain, I can still run and keep form, but I notice something) when I run deep in my ankle and arch of my foot. It doesn’t hurt when not running but my ankle clicks painfully when I move it around forcefully.

The arch is also tender when I press in to it with my thumb... the feeling radiates through my foot like I’m pressing a nerve. I’m sure there’s a small lump there too.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be? Or experienced this themselves? I’ve read up on plantar fasciitis bit don’t think it’s that. It’s defo a trapped nerve somewhere but I’m trying to figure out where? Or maybe a stress fracture in the metacarsal... but there’s no swelling or no pain when I walk.

Thanks

Ok, so 5k to 12k 3 times a week makes what... an average of 20 miles a week? How long have you been running this mileage and at what pace? Had you stepped up your mileage when this pain began, and have you decreased it since or tried to rest?

The numbness sounds like a stress fracture to me; but perhaps not, if it hasn't got worse over the last six months. I'm also wondering if this is related to the new ankle pain or not.

It could be nerve compression giving the numbness and the pain. When it’s possible it would be worth speaking to a sports physio - some of them are doing online consultations as well I think. Could be related to shoes as well. There are different ways of lacing up your shoes for different issues - you could google that. I used to get a pain in my forefoot and relacing helped.

There's a condition called 'metatarsalgia' which is characteristically a kind of cold, numb 'nerve' type feeling; I had it before and it did seem to radiate from my big toe although I do have a bunion there which exacerbated it. It would throb at night but never hurt while running, and did radiate into the arch. It's one of those 'catch all' type conditions though, pretty much any metatarsal type pain can be associated with it and there's no cure except rest it and raise it. Could it be that?