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Any somewhat active person can commonly develop pain in the ball of the foot. This area, usually described as the part of the foot just before where the toes begin, sees a lot of pressure during the walking cycle. When combined with problems with ones foot structure and foot shape, this pressure can cause pain and other issues. This article will discuss some of these problems, as well as the treatment options available to provide relief from the pain.
Pain in the ball of the foot can be caused by many conditions. The most common condition seen in this part of the foot is a neuroma. A neuroma is defined as an inflammation of the tissue that surrounds one of the nerves that travel between the long bones of the foot towards the toes. It usually affects the nerve in between the third and fourth toe, or less commonly between the second and third toe (with the big toe being considered the first toe for comparisons sake). Due to a variety of reasons, but especially seen in people with either flat feet or very high arches, this nerve inflammation can cause the sensation of a hard or hot pebble in the ball of the foot, as well as burning, tingling, and numbness in the toes immediately beyond the area of pain in the ball of the foot. Rubbing often relieves some of the symptoms. The pain generally worsens with activity, but is especially irritated when tighter shoes are worn as the shoe material squeezes down on the ball of the foot. Treatment can consist of steroid (cortisone-like) injections to shrink the nerve tissue swelling, as well as anti-inflammatory medications and icing. Custom foot inserts called orthotics can help to relieve the pressure under the foot, and wider shoes reduce squeezing on the nerve. Sometimes surgery is necessary to remove the painful nerve segment.
Other causes of pain in the ball of the foot can include too much pressure to the bones as seen in people with flat feet and in people with very high arches, although there are two very different reasons for this based on these different foot types. In a person with flat feet, as the foot becomes over-flexible and one finishes the part of the walking cycle where foot begins to push off the ground, an increased amount of pressure is present in the ball of the foot over a person with a more normal foot type. In a person with high arches, the pressure to the ball of the foot comes in the form of too much shock from striking the ground, as a higher arched foot is not as flexible and will not flatten enough to absorb this shock. Regardless of the cause, the abnormal pressure to the ball of the foot eventually overwhelms the bodys natural fat pad, and inflammation develops. The bones at this site (the heads of the metatarsal bones) feel more prominent on the ground, and any deformity of the toe (like a hammertoe) also present at the same time can increase this pressure by pushing down on the bone in the ball of the foot even further. Eventually, the tissue that surrounds the joint at the base of the toe will become inflamed (capsulitis), and in more severe cases a tearing of the tissue that supports the bones in the ball of the foot can occur, especially under the second toe. Treated with well padded custom inserts and supportive shoes specific for one's foot type (stiff shoes for flat feet, soft well-cushioned shoes for high arches), the pain usually can be controlled without surgery and a quick return to activity is possible. At times, surgery is needed to fix the problem. Procedures to lift up or move back the heads of one or more of the metatarsals are usually favored over reconstructing a flat or high arched foot as they are easier to recover from and do a good job at relieving the symptoms. Sometimes the toes need to be surgically straightened as well to reduce the pressure on the metatarsal heads.
Stress fractures (microscopic cracks) of the metatarsal bones can also occur here due to repetitive pressure, and if one has a strong enough injury to the foot a full fracture can occur, where the bone breaks completely. Unless the fully fractured piece has moved out of position, both these types of injuries can be treated with a protective walking boot until healing has taken place. Bones that move out of position too far need surgery to place them back into position and need hardware to keep them stable until healing has occurred, unless they can be moved back into position with external manipulation of the foot and there is enough stability for them to stay in place.
If the pain is under the big toe joint, the cause may be due to inflammation of two small bones called sesamoids instead of the toe joint itself. These egg shaped bones are found in every foot, and can be injured if repetitive stress is applied to them, such as in running or other impact activities. Repeated stress as well as injuries from landing on the foot from a fall can cause a stress fracture or even a full out fracture of one or both of the sesamoids. These bones need a moderate period of rest and de-weighting of the big toe joint, along with icing and anti-inflammatory medications, in order for them to heal properly. Reoccurring cases need specialized inserts to reduce pressure and stress to the bones themselves. At times, when they are resistant to healing, surgery can be considered to remove them. This is often reserved as a last option, as the sesamoids do provide some stability to the big toe and removal of one of them can change the stability to a slight degree.
Finally, it is not uncommon for pain in the ball of the foot to be simply from a painful callus. Calluses are formed when the skin has too much pressure from the ground below it and the bone above inside the foot. The top layer of the skin thickens up to form a sort of armor to protect the skin from this squeezing pressure. When this layer is too thick, or when this tissue grows inward into the skin and not outward away from it, pain can result. Treatment simply involves regular shaving of the skin build-up, either with a pumice stone or emery board at home or with sharp treatment by a podiatrist. Custom inserts to decrease the pressure to the ball of the foot also helps greatly, as well as the selection of properly supportive and properly sized shoes. Surgery to lift the bone up underneath the callus can also be considered if nothing else helps.
As one can seen above and although due to a variety of reasons, pain the ball of the foot is almost always treatable, and simple measures like proper shoe selection and shoe inserts can keep these conditions from returning. Some conditions do require surgery ultimately to relieve the pain, but this is not always the case as non-surgical treatment is quite successful in many cases at this part of the foot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pain in the ball of my foot, by big toe?
I've been having foot pain for a couple of months now, it doesn't hurt every day, but it does hurt at least 3 days out of the week. I haven't hurt my foot in any kind of way, so i don't understand why it would hurt like this. My big toe is swollen now and when i walk i notice my foot turns inward, the pain in the ball of my foot really does hurt but not my big toe. Could someone help me please?
Metatarsalgia could be due to varying reasons from the footwear to ligament tear, plantar fascitis, gout and the like. If the ligaments are affected and the legs turning in, one single dose of Causticum 30 should cure that, particularly if it is on left leg. Other reasons of arthritic origin would be cured with Ledum Pal 30 three doses a day for as long as required. Medicines should be taken in consultation with homeopathic doctor. with best wishes.
severe pain in foot, big toe?
I have severe pain in my big toe, it started out by a sharp radiating pain, the next day it wass swelled?
go to www,webmd.com
Foot Pain. My big toe was hurting and now it has spread to the top of my foot as well. It is a constant pain
I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to make my big toe start hurting (ie kicking anything). Now for some reason last night the top of my foot became swollen and red and in constant pain. I'm using ice and advil right now. Any advice or reasons this may be happening. I haven't changed shoes in a while so I doubt it's that. By the way, it does hurt to try and move my big toe and right now my entire foot hurts unless it is elevated with ice to numb it. Comments will be appreciated!
If you're sure that you haven't broken, sprained or otherwise injured your toe, then it's possible that you might have gout.
What is causing the pain in by big toe joint?
I am 29 and when I wear high heels I get pain in the joint of my big toe on my right foot. I have worn flats for about 3 months but today fist day in heels again and the pain is back as if it never went! How do I get rid of this. My gp said it was just strain but it has not gone away! Help I am too young to wear flats for ever
Jackie above has it correct Posh Spice suffers from the same pain due to wearing extremely high heels to much.
High heels are sexy but costs to your foot is high.
Pain in big toe on right foot.?
A few months ago I started getting pain in the big toe of my right foot. Never in the other toes, just the big one. I'll have pain start slowly and then over 3 or 4 build and build until my toe won't move and it hurts so bad I can't even touch it. Then the pain will slowly subside and in 4 or 5 days it will be gone for the most part. Then a week or two later it starts hurting again. I am overweight, but it seems to me if it was caused by weight the pain would always be there and not come and go like that. Sometimes the pain involves my entire toe, other times it just seems the vert end of my toe hurts. A few times the top of my foot hurt, but like I said the other side of my foot nor the other 4 toes ever have any pain. I know I'll get "go to a doctor" but just asking to see if anyone may know what could be causing this. By the way, I'm a 40 year old male, used to drink, but haven't in years, and am overweight. Don't smoke.
fall·en arch (fôln)
A breaking down of the longitudinal or transverse arch of the foot, resulting in flat foot or spread foot.
I understand what you are talking about. A few years back I started to gain weight and had extreme pain in my feet. The foot is naturally arched, but with extra weight, the arch will begin to flatten. This involves extreme stress on bones and can cause hair line fractures which for me were very painful, but not all the time. I also had pain in the big toes. My foot size was 11 until I was 34 and now at 46 my foot size is 13. As the arch falls the foot will get longer and wider, toes will also spread apart requiring a wide shoe. I assume my bones have finally stopped moving and healed because I seldom have pain any longer. I would suggest a foot doctor specialist, avoiding the family doctor will save you money in the long run, depends on insurance. The thing I hate about going to a doctor is no matter what the reason you go, they assume its your heart if you're over weight. I went to a doctor about a rash and then spent 5 days in the hospital because he thought is was a heart valve problem. It took them 5 days to tell me my heart was fine and I had to force that out of them. I dont know about gout, I never had any treatments on my feet.
Bruise has appeared on foot, by big toe (bunion?)?
A few weeks ago I was walking across the office and out of nowhere, a sharp pain in my foot – right in the area where a bunion would be. I didnt think much of it, but it has happened again. I wasnt doing anything odd, I just stood up and suddenly, the pain and the bruise. Does anyone know what it is? It cant be a bunion becuase my big toe doesnt actually bend (broke it 10 years ago and the joint fused). Thanks
it may be your shoes, if it doesn't improve see a doctor.
relief of foot / toe pain? not believed to be ingrown toe nail?
anyone else have this and what do you do?
would love to know cause and how to relieve this massive pain i have on both my toe's next to the big toe. i mean the toe on each foot next to the big tow. each little piggy that stayed home if that helps.
anyway… it happens now and then… when i wear sandals. but only now and then. i can wear sandals and it doesn't happen… however i wore them for a long time yesterday and now massive pain.
my guess is it's the big toe pressuring the neighbor toe and the pain is coming from the lower right portion of the nail. where the nail meets the skin.
i'm thinking it's not an ingrown toe nail because it only happens in these rare occasions of the sandal usage and it's identical on both feet..
it is so painful i can't even sleep. i know it will be better by late in day or tomorrow but wondering what i can do for relief. does aspirin help this kind of pain? just ice it down.
foot/toe pain………?
so i'm a runner and am training for cross country this summer, so i've been doing quite a bit of running. lately i've been having this foot pain, kind of by my toes, the big one especially. it's on the top part, like where my joints are. i went to the doctor and he thinks it is a stressed ligament. i'm really angry about taking all this time off from running though. i actually limp when i walk too. does anybody have any advice for me, or have you ever had this problem? any help would be appreciated. thanks so much in advance.
If the pain is causing you to limp when you walk this can be a very serious problem.
You can not run when the pain causes you to alter your gait.
You can swim or run in deep water or bike but do not run.
I feel like i have a hot very sharp needle being stuck in my foot by my big toe?
the pain seem to go in from the top or side of my foot just by my big toe joint
you could have a staff infection. go to the doc
Foot hurts (by Big Toe)?
OK so the top of my big toe hurts (not the toe) when I bend it and when I walk or just dont do nothing with it at all. It's like the bony part of it that hurts and its like an inch or so from the big toe it self.
I push carts for walmart and I did work today but didnt notice any pain and dont remember smashing my foot haha. I don't see any swelling (yet) but any ideas on what it can be? sprained or something maybe?
Big-toe pain..?
Okay, here's the deal…
My big toe on my right foot is throbbing very badly on the right side where the nail meets the skin. I really don't think it is ingrown toe-nail because it actually starts bleeding and having this white, nasty fluid come out sometimes when I get done walking. It is very painful. At the moment, here are some of the things i noticed…
-Right side of my right big toe where nail meets skin, is swollen, red, and sometimes bleeds when I get done walking (hurts to walk lol).
Now, about a few weeks ago, I did try getting rid of an ingrown toe-nail, but I guess I was being stupid and cut myself there by accident (yes I know, OWCH!). Now I didn't know it could be infected, so I just ignored it (even though it still hurt), and I just went on with my day the next morning. I put on shoes socks, etc. I come home everyday after that, big pain lol. I think it could be an infection. Can someone help me with helping stop the pain?
also, wat happens if I used Benadryl Itch stopping gel. It says it may be applied to minor burns, sunburns, minor skin irritations, minor cuts, scrapes, rashes due to poison ivy/oak.. I'm really not into this whole doctor stuff = …
It IS infected. You need to wash it with warm soapy water 2-3 times a day and put antibiotic ointment (Neosporin) on it and cover it with a band aid. You can take ibuprofen (Motrin) for the pain as directed. If you do this for about a week and it doesn't get better, go to the doctor so they can culture the drainage. Good luck.
It hurts near the ball of my foot. over towards the big toe side but a little farther back towards the arch…?
sorry this is hard to explain but in my left foot, kind of like on the ball of the foot (near big toe) it hurts.. it seems like the pain is towards the back of it, like closer to my arch.. I've been trying to get into barefoot running by using vff's and it's been bothering me…
Your still getting used to not relying on padded shoes. Just go barefoot. Forget the stupid "VFFs" those things are for total clowns or total wussies, and they aren't going to help you get used to anything but but being a clown. Barefoot guys are hot, especially barefoot runners, but only real barefoot runners, not the wussies in "almost barefoot" shoes.
what is the pain behind my toe caused by?
well, first off i play lacrosse and i am 99% sure that this is where i got it. I feels like more that just "i got stepped on" or "just sore". but i am not sure. it comes when i put pressure on the inside edge of my foot, just behind my big toe. anyone know what could cause that?
would wrapping once or twice help with any of those?
This could be a hammer toe, you may need surgery. I play soccer and the same thing happend to me.
go here,
Why would my ankle be swollen if a bowl fell on my foot by my big toe?
yesterday my ankle wasn't swollen but today it is. Today the pain is more than yesterday too.
Better get an x-ray. Your foot has a thousand little bones in it.
What can I do about pain in my foot caused by ice-skating?
I am a competitive figure skater and have been practicing a lot lately. I have noticed that my foot right under the ball of my foot and one the side of my big toe on the inside of my foot has been hurting a lot. Is there anything I can do about it? I have competition in early June.
Let yourself have a break, but don't cut practice short. If you do not have superfeet, I would recommend them for you.
They align your feet correctly in your skate.
Here's what they look like.
how do i know if my right big toe/foot is sprained or fractured?
i injured my right foot a few weeks ago by doing a round off in my backyard, then, a few days ago, i jumped off a shelf thing by my shed in my backyard, which I think made it worse. It hurts to move it back and forth. My toe bone is bruised, but when i move my foot, the pain goes to my foot bone. So, is my foot sprained or fractured? How do I know if it IS sprained or fractured? Please help?
i'm not faking. my foot really DOES hurt. please help?
my foot hurts right now! i'm not faking. it really is hurting. please don't think i'm an attention hog, because i am NOT an attention hog. please help?
y'all, please don't think i'm desperate, because i am not desperate.
i go back to my mom's on Friday. do y'all think i should ask her if she can take me to a doctor right away since it's been hurting for so long?
i think it's mostly my foot that is hurting. do y'all think so?
I've broken/fractured my toe before. You don't really know if it is sprained or fractured until you go to a doctor. But i can tell you from personal experience that they cant do much for you. all they gave me was a little shoe that helped to restrict movement of my toe. So i would recommend just trying walk without moving your toe too much, and no more jumping from shelf things It usually takes 6 or so weeks for it to heal…
Also, take some aspirin to help with the pain! OUCH!
Hope you get better soon!
Big toe pain and cracking sound.?
In the past three weeks I've had a strange thing start happening with my big toe.
Sometimes when I take a step (particularly with no shoes on), the toe will make a cracking/popping sound which will be accompanied by a moment of moderate-serious pain. The pain seems to be at the base of the toe and goes perhaps a bit further into the main part of the foot (please forgive my lack of anatomical vocabulary).
What's going on here?
you might have arthritis in the toe.
I have a pain affiliated scrunching my big toe as far as it goes?
I've had this problem ever since I was little, but I now just realized what is causing the pain. I'm 14, and had this about since I was 4. So 10 years this has been going on…
My apologies for not knowing names of parts of the foot, so bear with me…
Okay, if you run your finger along the arch of your foot (It's my left foot.) you will be blocked by a bone. The exact spot that you're finger is resting is where the pain is, but only on the inside of my foot. The area of pain extends to the width of my big toe, and stretches all the way up to the joint you bend your big toe at.
The pain occurs when all of my toes are straight, except for my big toe. The big toe is bent at the joint similar to the knuckle ( the one farthest from your fingernails). Otherwise known as pointing your toes. However, only pointing my big toe. The pain is so intense, my big toe is physically paralyzed, I cannot move it. I have to grab my foot and just hold it in pain.It can last for up to 15 minutes. Once it happens, my toe is extremely sensitive and it will happen at almost any movement I make with my toe for about 6 hours.
I used to walk on my tiptoes when I was younger, but my father always told me it would ruin my feet. So that was scolded. I didn't do it often. I've always had foot problems.
I have accessory bones, causing me to actually have an extra ankle on each foot, on the inside of the foot. I played soccer for 6 years, started at age 4. I figure skate, the skates caused me immense pain until I bought my own, that I could fit my arthoticss in. Yes, I have orthotics, custom built for my feet & ankles. My grandmother had fallen metatarsals, my mom (not related to my grandmother) has planterfeshitis. I'm really sorry I don't know how to spell, or pronounce that. They didn't think my grandmother would be able to walk when she was twenty; but she could. I don't know what this pain is, if you have any idea what it is please let me know. A previous doctor suggested a fracture in the foot, but seeing as I've had it for 10 years; I ruled that out. I also have the same thing in my right foot, but not anywhere near as painful.
Too much uric acid. Its called gout.
I cannot move big toe or foot please reply ASAP!?
ok im 17 years young, im currently in asia on holiday iv been getting bitten recently on my feet by mosquiots, when in secondary school at about 13/14 years old i broke my big toe on my left foot and had a pin init up to today my foot has been fine and has recoverd back to its normal state.
I woke up this morning with no pain in my left foot, i can move my foot down but cannot bend my big toe upwards or move my foot upwards, i have done some search online and i have all the symptons for foot drop i cannot stand on my ankle and i have already fell over a few times today i have not lost any fealing in my left foot except for the loss of movement, i cannot move my left foot in rotation like i can in my right, and my ankle on my left hand side of my left food looks slightly bigger than the ankle on my right foot, there seems to be no colour change within my foot or no swelling apart from the ankle, as i said i feal no pain. i would be grateful for your help and opinions asap!
Thank you for the help guys its all been sorted and i sufferd minor muscular damage, had an xray and everything seems to be in place and now on 3 differnt types of tablets, for pain, muscle repair or something and vitamin b, doctor said the muscle one makes you go drowzy cant wait to ge them into me after i had my tea, once again thanks for the help much appreciated! I must say cost me £60 for xray and tablets but only took 20 minutes to sort out everything if in uk it would of taken 8-10 hours honestly!
I agree with above. Better sooner than later. If I were you I would head to the emergency room asap. Dont mess around with mosquito bites.
I had foot surgery in July this year..I had my big toe fused and my second toe straightened?
My second toes was dislocated by the bunion..that's why I had both toes operated on..but I still feel pain in the foot..my second toe will not bend and it hurts sometimes..I am finding it hard to walk without a limp..Does it take a long time for foot surgery to heal..and will it get better
Sounds like you might have a very common foot ailment. You should go to www.360footcare.com to see what the problem might be. This web site has a foot specialist, Pedorthist, that interacts with customers in helping them find solutions for their problems. My understanding is that they have youtube videos, blogs, twitter etc. Soon they will have a specific channel and live streaming video for free subscribers to their youtube account. during streaming they will answer, live, questions like yours. I know that they have a Q&A link on their home page that might assist you. Otherwise you might want to send them an email until their interactive site is completely up and running.
What do you do when you have ripped your big toe nail half way off?
My daughter accidentally stepped on my foot ripping by big toe nail up at least half way down. It is throbbing with pain, when I push the toe nail back down to the toe it oozes a clear fluid what should I do?
Your foot can take care of itself.
Wrap it up a bit – put some neosporin if you are concerned. The nail will either come off or not – you'll know in a couple weeks.
Keep your daughter from stepping on your foot for a while.
Foot Injury near big toe?
While playing a soccer game today the toes on my right foot were forcefully bent backward and at the time it happen I experienced sharp pain in them. Several minutes later, either from adrenaline or it not being that serious, the pain receded and I was able to play as though nothing happened. After the game I began to develop a sharp pain around the ball of my foot closest to my big toe that gets aggravated further by curling my toes, bending them back, extending them, or putting weight on them. Is this something serious? Should I be concerned?
Pain in my top left foot when i move my toe.?
I was walking in sandals the other day, and gradually, i started to get pain in my left foot. Figuring i just walked too much in shoes that werent very comfortable, i thought it would go away by the next day. Well, the next day, it hurt worse, and its been a few more and it still hurts to walk. The pain is worse when i move my big toe. When i do, i feel this strange pulling. It almost feels as if its pulling the bone wierdly. What could this be?
Hey, I've got the same thing – I was walking in sandals and now have that pain in my foot. Can move big toe but not others. Really strange, came out of nowhere while I was shopping. Would be really interested to know if you find out what it is. I've had it for about 5 days.
What could be causing the top of my foot to hurt when I walk, jog, or flex my big toe?
I have jogged 3.5 miles outside every morning for about 5 years. The only exceptions have been when I have had to use an elliptical and/or treadmill on vacation or in horrible storms (so about 2-3 weeks total each year). Almost two weeks ago, instead of jogging outside, I exercised on an elliptical for 6 days, then on a treadmill for one day. However, unlike the previous instances where I have not jogged, I did very little walking the rest of the day, and I did not even leave my apartment on some days (other than to go to the fitness room). The day I began jogging outside again, I don't remember whether I noticed any pain in my foot. However, the next day, I definitely noticed a sharp pain just behind where my big toe connects with the main part of my right foot. It's on the top of my foot, and I feel it whenever I bend my big toe back. I feel the same thing on my left foot, but it's barely noticeable. It was so bad I could barely jog yesterday, so I wrapped my foot in an Ace bandage this morning. It may have helped a little, but not much. Strangely, my foot hurts least when walking in high heels. Also, by the time I'm a little more than halfway through my jog, the pain starts to dull, though it never completely goes away until I stop using my foot (or if I stand on the side of my foot instead of the sole). I can't really see anything, though the skin may be a little reddish.
Any ideas what might be causing this? Could I have pulled a muscle by not using it much for awhile and then suddenly using it again?
Any potential home remedies (especially to make jogging less painful)? (I'm taking 1800 mg of Ibuprofen for completely unrelated swelling right now.)
How long should I wait before going to a doctor to see if it goes away on its own (I've had it for 3–4 days so far)?
Thank you for your ideas!
Are stress fractures more likely to occur after periods of non-use?
I disagree with Remy's opinion about running, but that is a whole other argument. I do, however, believe that it could be a small stress fracture. I don't know if it occurs after periods of non-use and I think it is odd that it is on both feet. Maybe you tied your shoelaces too tight? I did that once, and it caused pain in my feet too. Does it hurt to put pressure on it? If so, it is likely to be a stress fracture. It could also be a pulled muscle from, like you said, not using that muscle. I think you should lay off your feet for awhile, maybe 2-3 days, and try not to walk too much. If it still hurts, go to your doctor. Good luck!
Pain on the one side of big toe where it bends (between the phalanges)?
I've been feeling a twinge for a few days on/off last week under my right's big toe. It was sometimes under the toe nail on the right side when it's not between the phalanges on the right side. It no longer hurts under the toe nail (so developing ingrown toenail is no longer a suspect) During the weekend I wore a size too small pair of trainers for a few hours (doing renovation work on house – didn't have any shoes that I can mess up besides old pairs that didn't fit properly) and that actually subsided the pain because I couldn't lean on my toes properly to apply pressure between the phalanges. My toes couldn't be straightened out ^^" lucky me…But when I got home last night (my current house) after already changing into my proper shoes and then took them off to start walking around the house bare footed the pain hit hard like something snapped. During the times of the twinge I've "massaged" the big toe – really just twisting the tip of the toe and that eliviated the pain for a while until I applied lots of pressure on it again. You might say that the size too small pair of trainers is messing up my feet, but I don't believe it is considering I've been doing the same thing (wearing them the few hours during weekends to do work) for about 5 months now and nothing like this has ever occured. When I tried to find where exactly the pain was, besides saying it's on the right side under the big toe between the phalanges…it's actually just above the line where the two parts of the toe meet (so more towards the top phalange rather than dead in between the two phalanges) So…any ideas, please? I'd like to get some answers as ideas of what the problem may be before I consult with my doctor, as I may very well be transferred to a podiatrist so I might as well give my doctor as much info as possible to send to the podiatrist, rather than having the podiatrist try to work out themselves for an hour and take weeks until they can tell me of any sort of treatment I can get.
Health info: I am a young adult (female) – 178cm (5'10″) and 79kg (174lbs). I have flat feet and do not wear high-heels (trainers ftw). I do not drink alcohol at all. I drink water but like a cup or 500ml bottle a day, so not a lot. I have been diagnosed with Hypoglycemia since I was a child which is controlled by my diet. I have a balanced diet eating normally – 3 meals a day (having traditional Asian family won't really allow for change in diet because Asian diet is meant to be healthy anyway lol). I do not eat a certain food group excessively though I am partial to milk (semi-skimmed). I don't keep track on how much I drink but I do drink a fair bit of milk. My doctor had recorded sometime early this year that my Vitamin D was low, and prescribed me some supplement for it. I am not active but I do walk a mile and half to town to catch my university bus, and back again (takes me 20-30 mins each way). I probably have bad blood circulation because my hands and feet tend to be cold a lot.
I can't possibly have diabetes as I have hypoglycemia which is rather the opposite of diabetes.
Nope it's not curling, but now that you've mentioned tendons seperation I think that might be it, or at least something similar relating to tendons because I used to have this "snapping" pain at the bottom of my feet and they cramped up a lot too. My feet don't do that anymore. Toe is still sore in that one spot. I did the 'buddy-toe' thing yesterday for uni and that helped get rid of the pain until the bind came off when I got back home.
You may have a tendon separation problem in your big toe. My wife has that condition with both of her feet but more so in the arches and ankles. Especially in her right foot as of recently. Though most of her condition is attributed to wearing very high heels which she now rarely does. Your condition sounds very similar to hers except yours is only in your right big toe right now. Are your toes straight or do they tend to curl down? If they are tending to curl down, that can be a sign that the tendons are pulling. My wife's toes tend to curl down on her right foot which is from the tightening tendon condition. She has periodic 6 week sessions of physical therapy for it when the pain gets too bad but usually proper footwear and routine home therapy involving stretching and massaging greatly help her. I'm trying to get her to try going for some reflexology sessions as well. That supposedly can be a great relief too. But don't assume anything without consulting your doctor and seeing a foot doctor.
What is causing this pain in the bottom of my foot?
About 2 hours ago, I was just walking (still wearing my tennis shoes), and as I took a step, a pain shot into the inner side of my right foot (about where my big toe ends). Ever since, it has been almost impossible to walk, but the pain has reduced. Also, it was never swollen if that helps. What do you think happened, and what should I do? (I'm seeing a doc tomorrow if it is still there by the end of the day, or so my mom says…)
Pain under the ball of the foot (Metatarsalgia) is a common complaint with women wearing high heels and fashion shoes. Pain in this area of the foot may also occur when wearing hard shoes without any cushioning inside, such as work boots. Metatarsalgia is often described as a burning sensation in the ball of the foot, often combined with excess callous forming. The pain worsens when wearing high heels or tight fashion shoes for longer periods of time.
Ball of Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia) occurs when the metatarsals (forefoot bones) drop and the surrounding ligaments weaken. The entire forefoot structure collapses, in turn leading to excess pressure and friction under the ball of the foot. The key reason for this problem is that when wearing high heels most of our body weight is resting on the forefoot area.
Ball of Foot pain is not just limited to women wearing high heels. It can also occur when wearing normal footwear, especially during long walks or standing or longer periods of time. This type of ball-of-foot pain is usually caused by excessive pronation and can be treated with full-length orthotic insoles with a metatarsal raise to help alleviate the pressure and friction in the ball of the foot.
For more information please refer to links below:
Massive Foot Pain under the toes! HELP!?
I kicked the wall by accident last night and that heel-like area under the big toe on my right foot started hurting like a mother-freaker!!! I tried putting ice on it and it still hurts! It hurts right now. I walk to school and I couldn't even walk… I did get to school but I was walking much slower than normal. I cannot walk on this foot if i do it feels like something's cutting my foot. Any advice to drive this pain away? I'm about to call the doctor…
I just came from the doctors. Nothing's broken but there is a small purple mark where the pain is and is slightly swollen. They didn't even give me crunches or anything! But ehy did recommend ice and Tylenol.
You may have broken your foot. You need an ex-ray, and go to the school nurse, stay off the foot–see your doctor. Feel better soon.
is my big toe broken or just sprained?
on Friday of this week i was jumping a fence when i fell and landed in a very unnatural position when i got up i noticed a pain in my foot/toe i immediately wrapped it and iced it but but now i have a big bruise on the side of my foot i can walk on it but i have some pain so im forced to hobble around i need to know if my bone is broken or just bruised because i have to go to work this up coming week and i need an estimate of when this may get better
by the way im only 15 so will it heal faster that way
Constant Dull Pain in foot from being hit by a softball?
During indoor softball practice I was hit a grounder and it was hit so hard that I couldn't even move my mitt fast enough to grab the ball. Instead the ball hit me directly square with my big toe (I had running sneakers on). I got a black and blue underneath the toe nail from it and my foot felt fine that night. A few days later and up until now, I get this constant dull pain in my whole foot that lasts for several hours…..several hours on several hours off. It doesn't hurt that much but because it is constantly there for several hours it is very uncomfortable and annoying. Touching the foot or walking or even running doesn't bother it at all.
ouch. foot pain !!!!!?
i have pains in my right foot on my middle toe. when i am walking i will feel this type of pinching/prickly sensation in my middle toe and then it goes slightly numb but i can still feel the pain. therefore i try to walk by leaning more on my big toe but it still hurts very bad..the pain makes my toe feel numb and very tender while i walk. any help? its not hammer toe thats for sure.
Really you should just ask your doctor when you have a checkup or make an appointment.
What is the numbness in my big toe caused by?
After wearing a pair of heels to a party, i noticed the next day that my big toe on my right foot was numb. The numbness starts at the joint of the big toe, and continues down to the tip. The numbness is only on the right side of my big toe and doesn't cover the entire toe. I can move my toe, and there is no pain when walking – it just feels weird because of the numbness.
I'm thinking its a pinched nerve or something?
Though this has happened before. One morning, about a year ago, i had numbness just above my elbow that continued to the back of my shoulder. The skin was numb and it hurt to extend my elbow fully – i'd get a sharp pain. The numbness slowly went away til it was only located around my elbow. It is now gone, but it took months to go away.
Do you think these could be related at all? What should i do about my toe?
You probably compressed a nerve when you wore the heels. Give it a week or two. If feeling doesn't return by then, see your doctor.
I am wondering if I need to go see a doctor for the pain in my foot?
I stepped on my sons shoe and twisted my foot yesterday. It instantly swelled up, and the pain is almost unbearable. The pain is on the side of my foot by my little toe. The pain seems to be getting worse and is constant. The pain also shoots up almost my whole leg. It even hurts as bad when I am not bearing any weight on it. I can not even let it lay on my bed or pillow or anything, that seems to make it even worse. I don't want to go in to see a doctor and find out it is just a sprain and waste my time or the doctors. Not to mention looking like a big baby. Any suggestions?
Yes this should definitely be seen by a dr. Even if it is a sprain it's best to have it confirmed by a dr to be on the safe side. My rule of thumb (I also have a lot of health problems so I am basing this experience on what I'm going to say) is that I would rather overworry and have my dr confirm to me that it's nothing to worry about than to find out later I should have done something sooner and have them ask me why I didn't come in sooner.
Please see your dr to make sure this is not a break of a bone.
I have foot pain and its starting to spread to other parts of my foot?
Ok so about a week ago i got this really bad pain in my foot. Its on the top of my foot. The pain is usually at the bottom of my foot, like close to my toes or like the mid section. It hurts to move my toes and its a tiny bit swollen. Sometimes my big toe gets numb. And know the pain started spreading to other parts of my foot, like by toes and the outside of my foot. I dont remember dropping anything on my foot or anything but i just had a soccer tournament and i play goalie so someone may have stepped on it. And it doesnt hurt as bad when i apply pressure or stand on it compare to when i just leave it alone like when im sitting. SHould i go to the doctor? I have no clue whats wrong
hi! I have had an amazing experience and would just like ot pass it along. i recieved a product called Royal Oil. the site sounds a litle wonky, but I used it on my heels which were agonizingly painful for the longest time, I thought I may have a bone spur but cant afford a doctor. within a week the pain was gone. since then i have used it on sore throats and general muscle pain with equally great results. here is the web address: www.royaloil.org the stuff only costs around30$, but they send you a free sample if you go to the order page. worth a try, I think
I began having pain in my foot on Monday, trying to figure out what it is?
I was pretty active all weekend, but didn't injure myself (at least not that i recall). The pain is more like a burning (it's painful but more uncomfortable). It begins in my left big toe and travels up the toe to where the toe meets the foot. It hurts whenever i put pressure on my foot, or bend my toe. It also hurts (much less though) when i touch the joint of my left big toe (the side of the joint between the big toe and the other toes). The worst pain feels like it's around the are of the first big toe joint (not the one that connects it to the foot).
I am actually limping because it's so uncomfortable, but i feel like it's probably something minor.
It's a persistent pain and has been with me for 4 days now (i thought it'd be gone by now)
My doctor doesn't really have time to see me, and will probably just send me to a podiatrist who will tell me every thing's fine, so I'm hoping someone here'll be able to help me. Any help is appreciated. thanks,
I'm no doctor, but it sounds to me like you might just have a stress fracture. Try keeping it as immobilized as possible, and (I hate to be an echo, but) if it isn't better in a few days…
Diagnosis for pain under foot?
So it all started when I was doing whatever in my house and I tried to reach something with my big toe. I was on my computer chair so I was trying to get this object into my grasp by pointing my right foot towards it. Before I knew it, some sort of intense pain hit the bottom of my foot. I can't tell if it comes from the middle of the foot, or somewhere in my heel. Ever since, (this happens every month or week,quite random actually) whenever I do something strange with my foot like pointing it outwards or rotating my foot while spreading out my toes, the pain would come back and it feels as if the afflicted area is numb and paralyzed slightly. The strange thing is, it doesn't happen all the time when I point my toes outwards and it will go away in less than a minute if I hold my toes back until the pain goes away. Quite recently this happened in my left foot so I guess both feet are affected.
I'm scared that somehow this is going to happen more and more in the future, as I'm only a teenager.
Can anyone diagnose this?
How do you treat foot pain?
Basically I have a verruca on my big toe and I had it treated on tuesday at a Chiropodist but the Chiropodist put some strong stuff on it and now its been throbbing and hurting since tuesday. (It is now Thursday.) I can barely walk let alone run and I am going paintballing with my mates on Saturday so I need the pain to go away by then. So what can I do?
just rest it has much has u can dont put any pressure on it , then fingers crossed it b fine by sat, take plenty of paracetamal
my big toe on my left foot is numb / tingling?
so i just got done snowboarding yesterday around 3 and when i got home i noticed that my toe was… numb. not like "no pain" numb but the whole "god, my leg is asleep" numb, but in my toe not my leg. it does'nt look weird or anything and its not bruised, just numbish.
i tried going in the hot tub to warm it up yesterday night cuz i thought that it was just because it was cold (which, for the record, my foot was NOT cold or wet)or something. that didnt help though. the snowboard boots were tight, but not THAT tight…
also, about…15 weeks ago i broke my left ankle (same foot) and am still in therapy for that, but my doctor said it was ok to snowboard… idk if its like a circulation thing or like a pinched nerve…
should i get it checked out by a doctor? will it go away?
ps: ive gone snowboarding before and this has never happened. also i ride goofy foot (right foot forward and strapped in board) if that helps
I would guess you most likely caused minor temporary nerve damage from the boot. It happens fairly frequently with footwear that causes pressure over the area where the nerve that runs to your big toe comes close to the surface of your skin. It's possible that you have a little residual swelling from the ankle fracture which made either the shoe fit more tightly or more swelling within your toe (which would make it easier to pinch off the nerve or cut off the blood supply to it). I would expect that the sensation will return, but it might take from a few days to a few months.
Good luck!
Extreme foot pain?
Sometimes, when I'm just sitting or something, my big toe twists down and to the right/left (depending on the foot) towards the second toe. This is accompanied by extreme pain (really extreme) where the tendons of the big and second toes meet, and when I feel this spot, there is a lump. What is the cause of this, and how can I stop it?
By extreme pain, I mean EXTREME pain. I would rather get my foot chopped off than experience this again; and it happens periodically (at least 10 times a year).
All I can think of is gout. Here is some information, but maybe you could look it up further and see if this sounds like it. Good luck!
I have HORRIBLE pain and POPPING/CRACKING in my Right Big Toe; does ANYONE have an idea what may be going on?
Hello, all. This is my first time posting, and I'm almost to the point of exhaustion over this particular problem of mine. I'm open to any suggestions, as I've looked over several questions others have asked and the advice given seems well spot on to me. My pain: the scourge of my daily life is something I have been dealing with for the last several years but never began to take it as serious as I have began to lately. My big toe on my right leg not only causes me pain and discomfort, but it has escalated to the point of driving me absolutely nuts. It literally, compulsively forces to me adjust and crack it just about every other few second, (60-70% of the time more often than that) causing me to think it may just drive me mad. I have not experienced any sort of trauma to my right foot, or right leg either for that matter, excluding a few stubbed toes throughout the years. I mean, its so bad that it has greatly decreased my quality of life, if not even left left me feeling a bit subjugated by it. I'm a 25 year old male, I've never played any type of sports, though I do exercise several days a week. Just even this little bit of typing so far into my question has already taken close to 35 minutes, because of the constant cracking of my big toe, and without being bothered by this problem, this would have taken no more than 10-15 minutes tops to think up what I wanted to say and type it out. My big toe doesn't even have to move hardly at all before it releases an extremely audible crack, or even double, triple cracks, accompanied by tremendous pain. And the exact thing happens a second later. And a second later. And so on. I could literally pop it an infinite amount of times in a row, completely out of nowhere. Thats why I say, guys, I'm almost in complete exhaustion by this. The only thing I take for the pain is Advil 800, and it just doesn't effect it at all. The only other medications I am prescribed are Lisinopril and Atenolol for my Blood pressure and Xanax occasionally in the case of a Panic attack. Ahhh, I don't know! I just feel on the end of my rope dealing with this problem. Would anyone of the community who may have an idea whats going on, or simply just your opinions send me a few messages back? You don't know how much it would mean to me. Thank you very much, and of course, any other questions you may have for ME, regarding the subject I'll very happily answer. Thanks, everyone again, and I'm hoping for the best.
There are several common causes for pain in the big toe and surrounding area, including gout, hallux limitis, hallux rigidus, bunions, arthritis, sesamoiditis, osteochondritis, fractures, and trauma to the foot or big toe. Two conditions that mention your symptoms.
Symptoms of hallux limitis state – "In the later stages of stage 3, cracking and popping of the joint and sharp pain may occur."
"People with sesamoid problems usually feel vague pain under the main joint of the big toe. The sesamoids typically feel tender when touched. Movement of the big toe is often limited. People tend to notice pain mostly when their big toe is stretched upward, which can happen when the back foot pushes off for the next step. Occasionally the joint catches or pops. The catching or popping is often followed by increased pain, which usually eases after resting. Some people report feelings of numbness in the web of the first two toes."
You need to see a doctor to assess what the cause is. A few links to read through.
Could my toe or foot be broken?
A few hours ago, my sister fell on me and landed on my foot, putting all of her weight on it.
It was really painful straight away, especially in my big toe, where I think majority of the impact was. But I'm also getting pain at the top of my foot by my ankle, and when I press all of the way down gently, it really hurts.
Could it be broken?
I'm really sorry to say but yes your toe and foot can be broken it looks like you have a sprained ankle and a broken toe and foot.
Foot pain?
This is my first year doing high school cross country, and practice started a couple of weeks ago. We had a time trial yesterday, running a 5k as fast as we could. While I was running my foot started hurting a little, but by then I wasn't really worrying about pain. Well, it's the next morning and I can barely hobble around. The ball of my foot, right around the big toe, is killing me. Do you have any idea what it could be, what could have caused it, or what I should do?
I'm thinking it's your shoes. Go to a running store and get fitted properly for running shoes and get you a really good pair. Shoes can make such a difference when your foot is hitting the pavement a whole lot. How'd you do on your 5K? Hope your foot feels better.
Mystery Foot Ailment: What is it?
I've been to 3 doctors, the last one supposedly a specialist. However since the foot was not hurting by the time the appointment rolled around – each doctor dismissed it.
Foot Pain – running from big toe-knuckle to ankle, off and on, sometimes swelling for a few hours. Hurts worse laying down especially at night.
TESTS for Gout and Diabetes or Arthritis in foot are negative. The doctors insist nothing is wrong – because the pain is not present nor swelling by the time I get to see them, It occurs without any set pattern or time. No Injury to foot that I am aware of. I would think an MRI would clear up the mystery but no doctor will do it.
Anyone else have this problem? If so WHAT IS IT!? I am sick to death of these idiot hick backwoods doctors.
I have been to a Podiatrist, but the man refused to hear me explain symptoms and by the time of my appointment the pain was gone. He treated me as if I were imagining the pain even after explaining it was not hurting at the time.
He told me to make an appointment when it was hurting next time. Hello Doctor! I DID! But they schedule the visit several days away.
The pain always returns as if when it so desires. I don't go barefoot but do wear sandals often. No foot injuries, not even glass chards.
Did you try a Podiatrist?
May be able to recommend a simple cure with some inside shoe support or different shoe. This is an experience thing, so a foot specialist would be better. Kind of like you go to Opthalmologist if your eye is always hurting, not just the regular doctor.
If it's Plantar fasciitis, for example, a simple heel support in your shoe helps you to get over this condition.
When the condition hits, keep a careful record of what is difficult. Can you stand on your tip toes? Both feet? Only one side? Cold water makes it hurt more? Write down every possible thing you can think of. Take it with you to the doctor. Include duration of difficulty, what activities you were engaged in when it started, etc.
If you live in Canada, see if Robaxasil (over-the-counter) helps with the pain. If you can't take aspirin, there is another one called Robaxacet, I think.
Another thing: Do you go barefoot at times? Have you walked on broken glass? Is an embedded sliver a possibliity?
Foot pain, help!?
The other day I was sitting outside with my legs crossed and my left foot went numb. No big deal, but when the numbness went away, it felt like I had bruised the outside of my foot, between my heel and pinkey toe. Mind you, I didn't do anything to bruise it, and there was no bruise. Thats just how it felt. By the evening I was limping around in pain, and the next day the pain moved to my heel. The next day to the inside if my foot, betweet my heel and big toe. Now today its back where it started at. Also, at night when I'm trying to sleep I feel this tingley numbness. Coul this have anything to do with my sciatic nerve, or not even close? I'm a bartender so its kind of a pain in the ass to be limping around, but I dont want to go waste time at the doctor for the to tell me they dont know what it is. I'd rather hear it from you guys…Thanks, hope to hear some feedback!
I doubt if this is the sciatic nerve. But it's definitely a nerve problem. The fastest relief you could get would be from professional massage therapy. I go through terrible problems with the nerves in my feet and legs and the only relief I get is from massage.
Take a hot bath with 2c. of dissolved Epsom salts. Soak for 30 minutes.
Massage an analgesic cream into the sore Areas. Advil liquid capsules work very quickly for pain relief. Take these four times daily.
Dehydration can cause severe pain . I recommend you drink purified water mixed with mineral water 50/50. This will replace the minerals that are exiting your body continuously.
I suggest that adults and children drink 40 ounces of water per 100 pounds of body weight every day. Realize that exercise, ambient temperature, and state of health affect the water needs of your body.
500mg of calcium and magnesium, taken twice daily, can help with diminishing the pain.
If none of this helps see a chiropractor for this condition.
How do I know whether I sprained or broke my toe?
Right now I'm in the late stages of recovery from knee surgery on my right knee, and I just got off crutches Nov 2nd. The doc okayed me to do some basic leg exercises, and said walking was completely fine.
Well, the day after my appointment I walked a mile, and have been going to the gym regularly since then.
BUT, at some point about 8 or so days ago, I noticed a pain in my big toe on my right foot. Here's a list of symptoms:
1. Cannot put pressure on big toe, or pad of foot where toe is connected.
2. Pain when toe is moved farther up, down, or to the side than normal.
3. Pain is worse when toe is moved independently of other toes in either direction.
4. Slight swelling, though not severe, and it was not even the day of injury.
5. Pain does not stop immediately after movement/pressure, but lessens to a dull pain, and disappears after a minute or so.
6. Feeling of relief when I lift my foot off the ground, whether I had weight on that toe or not.
7. Movement pain is worse when there is something inhibiting movement, causing toe to push against it (e.g. shoe, floor, etc.).
8. No disfigured appearance of toe, and no irregularities can be felt when toe is self-examined.
That's about all I have noticed. I do not know the exact date of injury because there was no traumatic action to the toe, and no moment of extreme pain or anything of the sort. I just noticed one day that I couldn't put weight on the left side of the pad of my foot without intense pain.
I have not had it checked out by a doctor yet, and I know the importance of that, especially after this whole surgery experience. I am simply looking for opinions, not treating this as a doctor's visit.
weird foot pain maybe having to do with being vegan?
i was a vegan for 6 months when i was 13 and now am an organic vegetarian. i still think i might be lacking calcium. yesterday my foot just suddenly started killing me and i couldn't put any weight on it. its the part kind of by the big toe, but a little lower. could a small bone possibly brake from practically no calcium? over 24 hours later and its worse. have any ideas what it could be?????
I am a vegetarian too ((Go us!)) and I have a pain in my left foot a little lower then the big toe too! Weird, i know. But I got it X-rayed and nothing was broken or fractured. I started taking a multi-vitamin for teens to make sure I was getting enough nutrients and the pain hasn't gone away but it has been better. Good luck with your foot pain, it's no fun, i know.
toe/foot spasms very painful?
I've had this problem for a few years now. It started when I was about 21 maybe 24. My big toe on either foot would spasm and come outward to the side and would last for about a min. I would put my foot down and kinda flex it on the floor or would hold my toe and it would go back into place.
The problem increased more after I had my daughter (she is going to be 2yrs in Sept) now with the toe spasm, the arch of my foot will go completely flat and it would last forever with the most intense pain that I can describe as giving birth with no pain meds (which I did). My doctor told me that I am causing the pain, called him a quack and found another doctor and he said that I did the right thing. I am waiting for a referral to see a foot specialist because IEHP sucks big time but I am afraid that there is nothing that can be done.
I am taking leg cramp meds with quinine (helps with spasms) and 600mg ibuprofen, but when its really bad I also have to take hydrocodone/apap 5mg/500mg prescribed by the first doctor for pain, the meds help to a point and then after about 4-6 hours its painful and spamming again. I had to go to the er because I thought I was dying and they gave me ibuprofen 800mg, cyclobenzaprine 5mg (for spasms) and lorazepam 1mg (for anxiety) to take home but at the er they gave me a pill and a shot that made me dizzy and after about an hour I didn't feel any pain I didn't even feel my toe/foot spasm that night I just woke up and told my husband and went back to sleep. I had an xray taken and I have bone spurs in my heels and a bunion on my right big toe.
I was thinking if my advair I was taking could cause my feet problems since it can cause osteoporosis. I had to stop taking advair because I found out I was pregnant but I had a miscarriage at 3 months about 2 months ago. Is anyone having the same problems? what could it be? How can i get it to stop? I'm having enough pain with having a miscarriage I don't want to have to deal with this too.
You really should be assessed at a pain clinic as they have "Pain Medication Protocols" which means you are only prescribed for your situation and not symptomatic as one of your medications is the cause of the anxiety or other symptoms.
I demanded to have a psychiatrist review my medications and get me forwarded into a pain clinic. I now only take the medication for my pain and all the other symptoms are gone which included extreme anxiety.
Genereal physicians treat symptoms and not the big picture, so you need to find the specialist for your case whether it be the pain clinic, rheumatologist, etc.
I was in your exact situation and it cause a nervous breakdown and a review of medications. I now don't go through the UPS & DOWNS as side effects of drugs that initially helped, but then became the cause.
What kind of foot pain do I have?
Yesterday, during my football game, I fell and two people landed on my leg, one of which landed on my foot. I didn't really notice the way my foot moved but all i know is that my foot was crushed by a big lineman. It started to hurt and I told my coach I had to come out but it was an intense game and he told me to finish the game so we can win. It didn't hurt me too much then but later on at night, when i took of my shoe, it hurt really badly. Now it hurts along the bottom of my left foot. I noticed that when i bend my big toe inwards, the bottom of my foot hurts. The only way I can really walk is by keeping my foot flat, so there's clearly something about pushing off of my toes. My foot doesn't hurt when not in use. I've never had any problems in my left foot. Does anyone know what this could be, like a sprain, strain, avulsion? If so, please tell me and please suggest what I can do to help my foot?
Torn big toe ligament?
Went for xray today, hurt big toe last Friday, today is Wednesday (was in Cancun). Thought big toe was broken, doc says not broken, probably torn ligament(s). Side of foot by big toe and across connecting toes are still black and blue, not as much as it was and it was very swollen, but swelling has gone down a lot. I am in severe pain if I try to step down, especially on side of big toe, can't wear shoes, toe will not bend at top, and if I try too hard I literally see stars!!! Doc only said to just leave it taped up and gave me a script for darvocet. Is that the only advice doc should have given me?? I am in pain…. maybe an MRI???
Foot pain- bone spur?
So I have this sharp pain in my second toe- the one next to the big toe. It comes and goes, surprisingly hurting the most when I try walking without putting pressure on the toe. (It hurts less when i just roll my foot naturally.)
But I believe this was caused by a particular incident a few days ago… I was wearing a pair of open-toed shoes that I borrowed from a friend, and they were a little too small, so I compensated by walking with my toes scrunched up (bad idea!). I ended up with a blister on my heal from the shoes rubbing because they were so small.
But today, after a walk, my toe just started hurting (stabbing pain). And I thought maybe I had a spinter or something in my shoe (sneakers). It also felt like a wasp sting, which was not possible cuz I was wearing sneakers.
I told my mom, and she said it was probably a bone spur, and that it might go away over time.
The pain isnt too bad. I can still walk. And when the pain comes, it only hurts for a few seconds.
If I know its nothing serious, I can just ignore it, but I would like for it to go away, nonetheless.
Is this a bone spur? And if so, do you know of any natu
Bone spurs in the foot have never been proven to cause pain and you probably don't have one. Wearing a pair of shoes for a day certainly could not give you a bone spur.
When most people say they have a bone spur in the foot, they are talking about a spur on the front of the heel bone. These commonly occur in association with plantar fasciitis, or inflammation of the soft tissue of the bottom of the foot. It is simply a sign that there is tension on the bone, so the bone remodels itself over a long period to handle the mechanical stress more efficiently.
I think the most likely thing you have is a trigger point, or painful muscle knot, in the muscles between your metatarsals, which are the long bones in your foot between your ankle and your toes. You can press between them with your finger or a pencil eraser or something to find really tender spots that reproduce your pain. Holding them until they release should solve the problem. If it comes back, just keep releasing the point in your foot- since it is a new problem it shouldn't be hard to get rid of.
Alternatively, you could have irritated a nerve in your foot, which will go away with time as long as you don't aggravate it by squeezing it more.
Mysterious foot pain? What could be causing it?
Pain: The pain is located on that 'ball' spot below my big toe. When I press on the ball spot directly from the bottom of my foot, it doesn't hurt at all. Instead, if I press on the side of the ball spot (the side of my foot) it feels like something inside hurts really bad with a sharp pain. If I pull my big toe out and away from the other toes (again to the side, not up or down), the pain can be felt easier when pressed upon that side part of the ball. Any ideas on how this started or what could be causing it??
History: It first started about 6 months ago when I used to go for walks around the block (occasionally I'd jog lightly). I stopped immediately the same day that the pain started. I'm not sure if the walks caused it but I think it's worth mentioning. I haven't had it checked by a doc yet. It occasionally will randomly start hurting without being touched, but that happens off and on.
firstly you need to see a foot doctor and get an x-ray. my suspicion is that you have a bone chip or spur that causing the pain. a foot doctor will take an x-ray and if it is you can have it removed


text:
Lee McCann, Ph.D.
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Lee I. McCann received his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Iowa State University. He is a Professor of Psychology and both a Rosebush and University Professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where he has served as Department Chair and Associate Vice Chancellor. Dr. McCann is a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. He is the coauthor (with Baron Perlman) of Recruiting Good College Faculty: Practical Advice for a Successful Search (1996, Anker), coeditor (with Baron Perlman and Susan McFadden) of Lessons Learned: Practical Advice for the Teaching of Psychology Vol. I (1999, American Psychological Society), Vol. 2(2004, American Psychological Society), & Vol. 3 (2008, Association for Psychological Science, and coeditor (with Baron Perlman and Wm. Buskist) of Voices of Experience: Memorable Talks From the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (2005, American Psychological Society). Dr. McCann is the coauthor (with Baron Perlman) of several articles dealing with the teaching and curriculum of psychology and has presented numerous papers, posters, workshops, and invited presentations at regional and national conferences.
Dr. McCann teaches Health Psychology, Comparative Psychology, and Learning.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fine MotorPreschoolers135 Comments
These are some fun to make, homemade, upcycled wind chimes that the kids can make!
Henry and I rummaged through our recycling bins to find some tin cans in various shapes and sizes, including some lids. Believe me, there's a lot you can do with stuff from your recycling bin! Upcycle whatever you can for the kids to play and create with!
(I taped around the rims of the cans to prevent any cuts.)
Using his trusty green basting paintbrush, Henry painted the outside of the tin cans with washable tempera paint.
Find 30 more classic summer crafts for kids to make!
(We had added glitter to the paint, but when painting it on the can, it didn't show.)
Of course, we had to see the glitter, so Henry shook a lot some more on the tin cans when the paint was still wet.
(So glad we did this project outside!)
After the paint dried, we punched holes in the bottom of the tin cans.
Henry actually refused to use the real hammer and would only use his yellow toy one. He was determined to make the hole. (Luckily he let me take a few swings in between his so I could punch it through.)
I am quite impressed with Henry's hand-eye coordination, he never once missed his target.
I strung a long piece of yarn through the holes and tied two washers onto the end of the string, inside the tin cans. One washer is used to hold the yarn in place, the other is placed at the end of the string to make a lovely clanking sound when it hits the tin can.
(You could also use nuts or rocks instead of washers, whatever is hard enough to make a noise when it hits the can.)
Henry tried threading the yarn (find more fine motor materials and activities) through the washer holes, but still continues to struggle with this. Yarn isn't the best medium to practice threading with, it comes unraveled and isn't stiff.
Once you've tied on your washers to the wind chimes, test out the noise it makes!
Henry noticed right away that different size washers make different noises. Different size tin cans make different noises, too!
Hang up the tin cans so that they overlap each other.
Let the wind do its thing and enjoy the wonderful clanking of your homemade wind chimes! (Or you can let your child do their thing too and listen to it all the time!)
Find 26 tin can crafts, music and activities kids can do! The wind chimes are one of them!
Henry and I have been reading about the wind in The Windy Day, by Anna Milbourne (affiliate link).
Wind is everywhere around us, you need it to fly a kite, or turn a windmill for energy, or for the seagulls to fly! And even if its not blowing near you, its blowing somewhere!
For lots of crafty weather ideas, visit Red Ted Art's Weather Themed Crafts and Tutorials. The tin can windchime by Learn 2 Grow inspired our DIY windchimes!
What weather activities have you done to go with our homemade wind chimes?
Fill every week with activities using the planner.
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Do you browse Pinterest and pin activities......but find that you never actually do them with you kids?
I created these activity plans that are actually doable and a super quick way to be more present with my kids.
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CHARLESTON - Mississippi County's chip-and-seal blacktop process still needs some fine tuning, but appears to be getting good results so far.
Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg asked the district commissioners what they thought of the new blacktopping method during their regular meeting Thursday.
"I think chip and seal is a pretty good deal," Commissioner Homer Oliver said.
Commissioner Martin Lucas said he has only received two complaints, both of them being about rocks hitting windshields. Lucas said there is too much excess, loose material, and that the problem seems more prevalent with the pea gravel.
The loose gravel is pretty much just along the road edges, commissioners agreed, and is mostly just a problem when oncoming cars move away from the center to make room for each other.
Lucas suggested they try going back over the chip-and-seal roads with a sealer to lock down any loose material.
The irregular gravels may interlock better than the rounder pea gravel, Lucas suggested, but commissioners agreed the pea gravel seems to be bonding just fine. "They won't come out," Blumenberg said.
Oliver said he thinks they are getting better results with the pea gravel. "I think it makes a better road," Blumenberg agreed.
Blumenberg said, overall, he is pleased so far with the results they are getting. "It rides pretty dog-gone smooth," he said.
The only problem he has seen so far, Blumenberg said, is on one section which is coming apart that was "too far gone" before they laid new surface. He said they need to fill in grooves and potholes before laying the chip-and-seal surface.
Commissioners said they can't justify spending $20,000 of taxpayers' money for a stretch of hot mix asphalt for two houses, but chip and seal surfaces may be more feasible.
"The experiment's not over yet," Oliver said.
Blumenberg said Spanish Grant Road is not nearly in as bad of shape as he previously thought. He suggested putting hot mix asphalt on about a quarter mile where there is heavy traffic, and then, once past the houses, "going to go with chip and seal all the way to the old highway."
Also discussed by commissioners was a project on County Road 411 where residents are gathering money for blacktop on two short sections of 411, one about three-quarters of a mile long and the other just over a mile.
Commissioners said it is a high-traffic road used by many motorists to bypass East Prairie.
In other business:
* Mississippi County Port Authority officials have decided not to raise fares for the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.
Port Authority Board member Liz Anderson said ferry operator Stephen "Capt. Steve" P.J. Stanionis did a study which indicates raising the fares would only bring in about $15,000 more.
"He really felt it would hurt ridership," said Anderson, "that people would not ride the ferry so much."
Blumenberg said he would like to see a more detailed expenditure report on the ferry.
* DeLay presented a letter regarding delinquent medical bills on inmates at the Mississippi County Detention Center.
One bill should have been billed to INS; the other was on a county prisoner, he said.
DeLay said the jail's administrator, Don Chance, requested the county pay the bills and seek reimbursement.
The bill on the INS prisoner is $350 and $115 on the county prisoner.
Commissioners also discussed the possibility of billing inmates for medical services, noting some counties have gone so far as to charge for lodging during jail stays.
Lucas said there are probably some inmates who go to jail just to get the free medical attention.
* Lucas said the Maple Slough ditch needs some spraying. "It would sure save a lot of mowing," he said.


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The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Paperback)
Email or call for price
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They re back This eagerly awaited four-volume slipcased paperback edition of the original groundbreaking collection features the adventures of Calvin and his pet tiger, Hobbes.
"Calvin and Hobbes" is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. The entire body of "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoons published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon in "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes." Composed of three hardcover, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this "New York Times" best-selling edition includes all "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all "Calvin and Hobbes" fans seek.
About the Author
Bill Watterson is the creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. "Calvin and Hobbes" appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson's retirement in 1996.


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FAIRBANKS-This year's Doyon Limited Yukon 800 Marathon race exemplified what is dubbed the toughest riverboat race in the world.
14 riverboat crews set out from Pike's Landing on Saturday and only two made it back to Pike's on Sunday afternoon.
The first boat in was Tom Kriska and the Be-Bi-Bones express. They came in second last year but won it all this year as he was greeted with cheers and hugs from fans and loved ones.
Clinton Huntington and River's Edge were the second crew to make it back to Pike's despite flipping over three times.
The battle was just making it back to Fairbanks. Numerous boats scratched that couldn't finish because of mechanical problems and rough conditions. There were reported four foot waves heading into Galena.
Kriska was happy to win this race despite not having his wife as part of the crew, she came down with an illness before the race. Subbing in was rookie Leslie Jones from Koyukuk who was the engineer for Be-Bi Bones Express in this year's unforgiving race.
"I'm really happy for my late friend. His daughter, Vernon Jone's daughter, in her first Yukon 800 and we won it," Kriska said.
Leslie Jones, the rookie engineer, talked about her Yukon 800 experience."
This being my first race it was very smooth the whole way. It didn't rain that much and the only patchy part was right before Galena and it was all rocky water. There was a bunch of white caps," Jones said. "It was very dangerous and the second boat behind us flipped over so anything can happen at any moment. You can't really tell with nature it just changes really fast."
"All these tries we've been trying, we just never gave up and paid off today," Be-Bi Jones navigator Vernon Stickman said.


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What's the key to happiness at work? University of Alabama researchers have found some answers.
Posts Tagged 'Business'
Helping the Wheels Go Round
A group of University of Alabama business researchers teamed with a heavy duty truck and trailer supplier to solve a product distribution challenge and achieve cost-savings for the company.
Private Eyes: Study Looks at Alleviating Customers' Privacy Concerns
By better understanding how consumers are made comfortable providing personal information online, University of Alabama marketing experts are providing website-development strategies beneficial to both customers and companies.
Building a Better Child Safety Seat
A dentist is teaming with two University of Alabama entities in attempts to provide an easy, alternative way to quickly remove a child from a safety seat in an emergency situation.


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It Is Packed with Features: collect and organize hundreds of programs in one place, keep the program list up to date by online update, download both transcripts and MP3 audios by one click, perform audio analysis, parse sentences automatically, auto replay each sentences and define replay times, add intervals after each sentences and define interval length, change playing speed without changing pitch, make comments or translations on the editable transcripts, transfer audio to MP3 players at specified speed, support ID3v2 tag. Embed lyrics into audio or create lyrics file, search for desired programs and bookmark favorites, support Http/Ftp proxy and intelligent download, has neat and Easy-to-use interfaces with MS Office style, upgrade to future versions without paying extra charges, and download over one thousand programs with one license. This version is the first release on CNET Download.com.
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Definition of tip-off in English:
A piece of information given in a discreet or confidential way: arrests came after a tip-off from a member of the public
More example sentences
- If you have tip-offs or confidential information about possible terrorist activity, call the police anti-terrorist hotline.
- And police today praised the high quality of information from tip-offs which has led to the surge in arrests.
- Police have urged residents to keep calling them with information after a tip-off led to an arrest.
piece of information, message, alert, prompt, warning, forewarning;
hint, idea, cue, clue, lead;
information received, evidence, advice, information, notification
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: tip-off
Definition of tip-off in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


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I am having serious problem in Atahualpa theme 3.7.3. Not able to see the "Template" drop down for custom page template in Page Attribute section when I add a new page. This option is available in default themes like twentyeleven and twentyten.
I believe this option was available in earlier versions of Atahualpa.
Can somebody help ?
I do not wish to fiddle with core php programs of the theme which would render me unable to update theme later on.
My basic puprose is to have a "custom page template" for one page with no right side bar which I use for rest of the pages and posts.
Thanks in advance.


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Man found dead in Nob Hill apartment
SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco homicide detectives are investigating the killing of a 65-year-old man in his Nob Hill apartment.
Police say the man's body was found by officers called to do a welfare check around 6:15 p.m. Friday.
Few details have been released, but a police spokesman says there were what he termed "obvious signs of trauma" on the man's body.
The San Francisco medical examiner has identified the man, but has not released his name pending notification of relatives.
The Associated Press


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Get an overview of this hotelHotel in Williamsville with free breakfast and free airport shuttle
Situated near the airport, this hotel is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) from Eastern Hills Mall and 2.2 mi (3.6 km) from Diamond Hawk Golf Course. Island Park and Glen Falls are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Hotel Features
Along with a 24-hour fitness center, this hotel has a business center and a 24-hour front desk. Free continental breakfast is provided, as well as free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free airport shuttle. Other amenities include express check-in.
Room Amenities
All 51 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and coffee makers, plus free WiFi and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Guests will also find pillowtop beds, free local calls, and hair dryers.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
La Quinta Inn Buffalo Airport6619 Transit Rd Williamsville NY 14221
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. This hotel offers access to a business center. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary to guests 24 hours. This Williamsville hotel also offers a 24-hour fitness center and express check-in. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
La Quinta Inn Buffalo Airport has designated areas for smoking.
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Free airport transportation
- Business center
- Designated smoking areas
- Express check-in
- Fitness facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free RV, bus, truck parking
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Long-term parking (surcharge)
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Number of floors - 2
- Total number of rooms - 51
Family Friendly Amenities
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Long-term parking (surcharge), Free self parking, Free RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Cable TV service
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Daily housekeeping
- Desk
- Flat-panel TV
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Pillowtop mattress
- Premium TV channels
- Refrigerator
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
- Pets stay free
- Specific rooms only
- Pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No elevators
Pets allowed (no fees)
Noise-free rooms not guaranteed
Optional extras
- Rollaway beds are available for an additional fee
Hotel Name
- Quinta Inn Buffalo Airport
- Quinta Inn Hotel Buffalo Airport
- La Quinta Buffalo Airport
- La Quinta Inn Buffalo Airport Hotel Williamsville
- La Quinta Williamsville
- Williamsville La Quinta
- Quinta Inn Buffalo Airport Williamsville
- Quinta Buffalo Airport Williamsville
- Quinta Buffalo Airport
We should mention
Children 16 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. This property allows pets in specific rooms only. Guests can request one of these rooms by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


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What to Look for in a Fitness Trainer
Part of the Weight Training For Dummies Cheat Sheet (Australia/New Zealand Edition)
Any personal trainer can help you get fit, but to get the most value from the fees you pay, you need to find a fitness trainer who motivates you to work hard and achieve results. When interviewing personal trainers, we suggest you look for these assets:
Certification: Your trainer should have credentials from one of the professional organisations in Australia or New Zealand. Look for certifications from:
Australian Institute of Fitness
Fitness Institute Australia (FIA)
New Zealand Institute of Sport
A TAFE or University
A personality that's compatible with yours: Do you prefer a cheerleader or a drill sergeant?
Good teaching skills: Your trainer may have a PhD in physiology and be more congenial than Rosie O'Donnell, but can he or she teach you to do a push-up?
Personal attention: A trainer shouldn't give the same program to a 65-year-old woman and a professional hockey player.


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Emirates May Invest in Indian Carrier
By Anirban Chowdhury
Mumbai – Emirates Airline may consider investing in an Indian carrier — even a loss-making one — but only if it gets management control, a senior executive said, showing some positive sentiment for the troubled sector and an economy that's losing favor with foreign investors.
The comments from the Dubai-based carrier come at a time when global economic uncertainty as well as growth concerns in India are making foreign investors cautious. In the aviation sector, investors are worried also because of a multitude of regulations and high taxes on jet fuel.


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iPad numbers reflect changing reading habits
July 26, 2012 - Art Smith
Apple announced earlier this week it has sold 17 million iPad tablets in the last three months. That's a stunning number of units for a device that didn't exist a few years ago.
In the tablet market Apple pretty much owns the category with 70 percent of tablet users using one of the Apple devices.
In many ways it is changing the way we consume media. Reading books, scanning websites and playing games — they all feel very natural on the book-sized device.
Creation of media is still a bit of a challenge on them. There are just some things for which you actually need a mouse and keyboard.
We are able to track what devices people use to access our newspaper sites. As you expect, the number of people using iPads has exploded as the popularity of them has gone up. Most people simply use our main site; others chose to use our mobile site, which delivers a more scaled-down version of the site.
The iPad accounts for nearly 51,000 page views a month to MariettaTimes.com while its "sister," the iPhone, accounts for another 47,000 page views. Together the devices account for around 10 percent of the traffic to the site. A total of 254 different mobile devices accessed the site last month, accounting for 20 percent of the total visitor traffic.
The numbers help to graphically illustrate the changing ways people choose to read their newspaper.
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National Briefing | Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania: Opposition To Moving Art
Published: October 4, 2002
Trustees at Lincoln University have voted to oppose the Barnes Foundation's proposal to move its art collection from a Philadelphia suburb to the city's downtown museum district. The Lincoln trustees approved the resolution on Wednesday, saying the move would go against the wishes of the gallery's founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes. Lincoln, historically a black university, selects most of the foundation's board. Lincoln's trustees also expressed concern about a proposal to enlarge the board, diluting Lincoln's influence.


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Monster Adds to Power Strip Lineup
- May 01, 2009 3:54 PM EST
- [num] Comments
Known mainly for its high-end home theater hardware, Monster also makes a variety of power conditioning products under the Monster Power brand--and like other manufacturers, the company has been doing its best to go green. Notes Noel Lee, Head Monster (his actual title!), "you may think your HDTV is off, but often it simply goes into stand-by mode and continues to use electricity while you're away. With GreenPower, we are utilizing innovative technologies that work automatically to reduce energy waste from products that are not in use."
Monster just announced two additions to its line of power strips: Called the HDP 850G ($99.95 list) and the HDP 900G ($129.95), the new strips are designed to save energy by turning off unused home theater appliances, killing their vampire power draw. Both strips feature three "slave" outlets that are controlled by a master outlet. Plug your PC into the master, and when it turns off, the slaves are shut down as well. The 900G adds network and phone line conditioning, though those ports don't appear to be controlled.
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- At Home


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By Mr Douglas Demaio (Army Medicine)April 23, 2012
VILSECK, Germany -- Four officers tested their Soldier skills, knowledge and physical abilities to see who among them would become Europe Regional Medical Command's best junior officer here April 16 - 20.
Day and night land navigation, physical challenges, weapons proficiency and many other events measured the competitors' leadership aptitude.
"It was a great experience," said 1st Lt. Aaron Olsen, who won the competition. "It hasn't been a joke; it is definitely physically demanding."
The officers started the competition with an Army Physical Fitness Assessment. The APFA was followed by a 4-km march and the competitors dropped their rucksacks and immediately transitioning into a stress fire test with 9 mm pistols.
Having the competitors prove their marksmanship abilities while tired was by design, said Sgt. 1st Class Juan Olivarez, who was the Officer in Charge of the weapons range and is the as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Clinical Operations for Bavaria Medical Department Activity.
"It was a gut check," Olsen said, who is a nurse at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. "The stress fire was really stressful. Everything didn't work out the way I wanted it to; my glasses were fogging up; I couldn't keep my pistol steady. Everybody is yelling and you're on a time basis."
The physical demands on the competitors did not lessen through the rest of the competition, according to one competitor.
"There is not a lot of down time," said 1st Lt. Brain J. Keller, a competitor who works in the intensive care unit at LRMC.
Much of what the Medical Command officers did throughout the week was rare, Keller said.
Medical Command Soldiers have an everyday real world mission and prepping for something like the ERMC Best Junior Officer Competition is a challenge, said Staff Sgt. Charles Bailey, who is the NCOIC of the physical, medicine and rehabilitation clinic at LRMC.
"The opportunities for training are fairly limited for those Soldiers because they are doing their job every single day," Bailey said, who was the combatives lane OIC. "They don't have that training environment. For those who are really prepared, it will stick out and for those who are not it will stick out. Preparation and training will shine in the end."
The competitors agreed with Bailey's view.
"What I am actually doing 90 percent of my time is taking care of our horribly wounded boys and girls from downrange," Keller said, referring to his job as an intensive care nurse.
Olsen had a similar outlook.
"Because we work in a hospital every day, we don't get to experience a lot of this," Olsen said, referring to the opportunity the competition gave the junior officers. "We don't get to do a lot of that and this gets us back to our real Soldier skills."
The competition allowed the Soldiers to understand their strengths and weaknesses better.
"The warrior tasks were a great lane because it exposed weaknesses that I personally had so I can train up for the next competition," Keller said.
Three other Soldiers who participated in the competition did just that.
Junior officer 2nd Lt. Laura Amschler joined the officers the entire week and used the competition as an opportunity to train for the U.S. Army Europe Best Officer Competition this summer. Two NCOs also joined Amschler is training up for a competition.
"We ran through almost everything they are going through," said Sgt. William Travis, who will represent ERMC along with Sgt. Christopher Dettor at the Medical Command Best Warrior Competition in the beginning of June. "It has been a very tough competition. It lets us know ahead of time what we need to be prepping for in the coming weeks.
"All around, we have identified that we have a strong skill set to start with. In the next six week, we need to sharpen and hone everything down to a fine point to get ready."
Travis, who works at the Schweinfurt Health Clinic, and Dettor, who works at the Hohenfels Health Clinic, competed in the ERMC Best Warrior Competition and brought some experience the junior officers could use as the group progressed through the competition.
"I'm rooting for them," Olsen said. "Learning from them has been extremely beneficial. It has been very helpful learning from their experiences."