foot cramping

Hi all,

I'm a male aged 35, 200 lb, reasonably fit from different sports.

Three years ago I capsized a small sailboat (sunfish) on a windy day and righted it by pressing the balls of my feet down on the centerboard while pulling with my arms on the gunwale. I did this with all the strength I could bring to bear since it was windy and the waves were kicking up.

For at least 6 months after that the arches of my feet were quite painful after getting out of bed and on getting up after prolonged sitting. Eventually that went away, but I was left with a strong tendency to foot cramp. It's especially noticable when my ankles extend fully as when using swim fins (can't do that at all anymore) or in sprinting when I push off of the balls of my feet .

I also have tight ankle flexors and gastroc which I'm working on loosening with stretches.

If any of you have ideas for home PT I could do to fix the cramping issue I'd greatly appreciate it.

Cheers,
Tim

This must be either too tough or too trivial!

I had an experience with an active rugby player,
he gets cramp in his legs at night when sleeping on bed.
Due he is generally fit and strong, no strengthening program was given

But, I have found that there's a decrease in his ankel range of motion
and pain were felt at the end range of knee flexion.
I have thus givening him some soft tissue treatments - e.g massage
and some stretching exercises for the calf muscles.
he found pain were better after 2~3 treatments

If his presentation is similar with your, just in different area
you may try to give yourself some good stretches.
Dosage: 10~15sec hold x 5 times x 2~3 set/day

Hope that helps, otherwise, better get a physician to check out for you :)

Hi Tim,

Although I know nothing about sailing, i'm guessing your original injuring action was basically to lever your boat's weight through the balls of your feet like a fulcrum. From what you describe in the aftermath it sounds like you did some serious straining of the plantar fascia and the intrinsic foot muscles, as well as associated ligaments and calf muscles too.

Generally cramping can be for many reasons (eg, mineral deficiencies, neurological damage or irregularities, or muscle imbalance). It sounds like you're cramping because you managed to damage the muscles in the sole of your feet so much that they didn't heal properly and now they're not coping with "normal loading" and other things which put them under strain, like fins on swimming.

There are self massage and strengthening techniques that work quite well for the feet. Two of my faves:1. sit down in a chair, feet on ground. put a golf ball under your foot and roll it in circles, up and down the length of your foot, and crossways with as much pressure as is comfortable but not painful, for 5 minutes a few times a day. this will help break up scar tissue, stretch muscles and ligaments, and encourage joint mobility within the foot.
2. To help strengthen the arch muscles, sit in a chair feet on the ground. put a towel under your foot. keep your heel on the towel, but use your toes to scrunch the towel up under your foot. if it's too easy, put a book on the other end of the towel for resistance. do this for 20 seconds, 3-4 times a couple of times per day.
also for you i would be looking at stretching your achilles tendons, the front of your ankles, strengthening calves with exercise such as heel rises (single or double leg depending on current level of strength),
and also seeing a podiatrist to assess if you would benefit from some structural supports in your shoes during the day to offload the plantar fascia (ie. orthotics). and lastly, I recommend you see a sports physio who specialises in lower limbs and foot biomechanics for a full assessment and treatment plan.

good luck, hope you find some relief but it does sound like it's not going to be a quick fix (given how long you've already had issues!)

Cheers,
msk101

Thanks msk101, I'll start those today. The golf ball idea sounds good - like a foam roller for my feet.

Thanks,
Tim