Old Man foot pain

I turned 38 years old and went and got foot pain, specifically sesmoiditis Any of you other climbers out there ever go through this?

I'm hoping that by getting custom orthodics, taking a few months off from climbing, and some anti inflammatory drugs I'll be able to recover. I'll still be active with low impact cardio, climbing conditioning workouts, and of course fingerboard training.

42 here. I thought I hurt my big toe tendon walking on uneven ground in snowboard boots a couple months ago. Went to the foot doctor and apparently it's some small bone spurs and the start of arthritis. Eventually when it gets worse she'll have to go in and take out some of the bone to alleviate the pressure.

For now it's going to be custom orthopedics to raise my arch (flatish), stiffer shoes to minimize bending, Tumeric and fish oil for inflammation.

Here's some good info on diet and inflammation

thefeed.com/blog/2016/08/03…

You don't want bone spurs, especially in the ankle/foot area..it'll end up like this

I was being facetious about my age and being old. ;)

john strand wrote:You don't want bone spurs, especially in the ankle/foot area..it'll end up like this The toes are pretty bad as well

I'll drop it if you want....the other pics are worse.

BUT...it's so much better now, i can even flex my ankle !

Dear gowd those pics look painful!

I had this a few years back and tried a variety of treatments (EPAT, taping, cushioning) suggested by various podiatrists with minimal relief. Routes with a lot of edging made it worse. Most trad routes didn't cause flare-ups so I continued to climb. I randomly started stretching my calves and it made a huge difference.

This condition has plagued me off and on for years. Currently it is back in full force in my left foot again (although I've had it in both simultaneously).

I've tried custom orthotics, physical therapy, avoidance of activities, chiropractic, kinesiotape, you name it. Mine also gets worse with sport climbing/edging and stiff shoes. Once flared up, even hiking and walking around make it worse (of course). Trad climbing in softer shoes on rocks that require more smearing seems to cure it. I believe it is strengthening of the foot that really helps.

Now I live in an area dominated by bolt clipping on edgy volcanic faces, so I'm having problems again (also I picked up a shoe that is unknowingly one of the stiffest I've worn and it has exacerbated/accelerated the re-onset). Currently I'm taping a dancer's pad to my foot every day, taking tumeric/bromelain, icing at night when needed, and doing foot strengthening exercises. I also plan to buy some New Balance Minimus shoes since I saw this podiatrist's video on the benefits of a completely flat shoe. (Always thought barefoot shoes were somewhat gimicky but now re-thinking it.) I'm contemplating adding another pair of softer climbing shoes to my closet as well.

youtube.com/watch?v=V32SdKe…

This is a long video but has a lot of excellent foot strengthening exercises. They are tedious but I've committed to doing them. Maybe they would benefit you. I don't think rest alone is the key. I think a stronger foot is also key.

youtube.com/watch?v=2OOJ9AQ…

Yeah I'm hoping that orthotics and a corizone injection will work. My feet are aparently toted funny, the bad foot is rotated in two directions.

Ironically I've found that stiffer, wider climbing shoes helped. The softer slipper type shoes hurt the hell out of it.

Maybe,,depending on how much damage is already done.A slipper type shoe will strengthen your foot....at a cost I guess.

The ball'foot stuff shown above works for me pretty good

Thanks Aerili, that second video is really good, and eye opening. The top few related videos on YouTube are also good. I've searched in the past for vids like these and didn't find anything as useful.

Those videos are Eye opening.
& am not sure that this fits here

I have been stuffing my feet into climbing vices, (shoes) for a long time ..
For the last 15 years I have worn slippers.
I wore 5.10 Moccasyms, size 7, & went through 3-4pairs.
They form fit to your feet in a season of wear, I loved those Ninja shoes,
My toes Hate ME.
They dislocate from 'cramping' after a hard 'day' in tight Shoes.
I've tried 5-6 different pairs of modern soft, slip. (Slipper) Last'd shoes.
Then,
I had a significant injury making a old stiff shoe a good thing during rehab. I
As I got strong again, the need for an end to end fit for 5.9 and up climbing.
led me to 5.10 coyote's, red lace up's sized big to except my custom orthotic,
so still a bit 'sloppy' of a fit.

Now at almost 55 I've had a growth spurt?
My feet (at least) are now A size 40,
after having been a 38.5 till '94
when, after exploding my heel I went to 39.5s
Now I need to be in a 40.
(from a 7.5 to an 8.5 in 20 yrs)

All this is to point out that I would have had just as strong feet, in the long run,
if I had stayed With supportive, super Stiff Board lasted shoes.
(Scarpa Le' Minstrels! or Original Boreal, Ballets, 'sportiva; purple Marichas, Original Mega's !)
The support they gave for the 1st twenty yrs of climbing, did not compress my feet as much.

Although I lost and had no pinky toe toe-nails for a decade.

I have very strange connective tissue issues; example, I don't swim well,
my ankle tendon & ligaments, are loose and the talus bone moves out of alignment (ouch!)
This condition and the Dislocating/cramping of my toes has been evaluated, and diagnosed as

Over- use,,,,,, doh!,,,,,,,, no shjt,

Thanx for this thread, I wish it said "Foot Pain"
who are you calling' OLD? , Man......

QUOTE:Aerili said,
This condition has plagued me off and on for years. Currently it is back in full force in my left foot again (although I've had it in both simultaneously). I've tried custom orthotics, physical therapy, avoidance of activities, chiropractic, kinesiotape, you name it. Mine also gets worse with sport climbing/edging and stiff shoes. Once flared up, even hiking and walking around make it worse (of course). Trad climbing in softer shoes on rocks that require more smearing seems to cure it. I believe it is strengthening of the foot that really helps. Now I live in an area dominated by bolt clipping on edgy volcanic faces, so I'm having problems again

(also I picked up a shoe that is unknowingly one of the stiffest I've worn and it has exacerbated/accelerated the re-onset).

for me it was the reverse,
I've had to give up my 'moccosyms', slippers, for Board lasted Stiff toed comfy fit shoes

Currently I'm taping a dancer's pad to my foot every day, taking tumeric/bromelain, icing at night when needed, and doing foot strengthening exercises. I also plan to buy some New Balance Minimus shoes since I saw this podiatrist's video on the benefits of a completely flat shoe. (Always thought barefoot shoes were somewhat gimicky but now re-thinking it.) I'm contemplating adding another pair of softer climbing shoes to my closet as well.

Well it's been interesting. I got my orthotics snd they seem to make my foot pain worse. I've eased into using them as instructed. Then again I've only had them for a five days. Did a 3.5 mile (7 mile round trip) with only 1,700 feet of elevation gain and the sesmoid acted up.

I took a look at those vids,; thank you by the way; and found I have no issue doing any of the exercises. I'm going to keep doing them though as they can't hurt.

This really is difficult thing to deal with. It could be worse but I may not be able to climb or backpack as I'm used to.

The thing is with the orthotics is that my arches and feet are just fine. The only pain I have is in the sesmoid bone area, aka the ball of my big toe.

Now that I'm barefoot the pain is gone.

X-rays, watching me walk, Pasteur casts of my feet

Various measurements with plastic tools and writing on my feet / plaster molds.

Thanks for the well wishes. I'll be seeing my podiatrist next week to review my foot. I'm wondering if this could be some arthritis as well.

I may just have to say fuck it and take up mountain biking. ;)

Good luck...arthritis ? I'll take that bet

Chad Miller wrote:I took a look at those vids,; thank you by the way; and found I have no issue doing any of the exercises.