Continuous numbness in the balls of your feet?
 

Is there anyone else out there that has continuous numbness in the balls of your feet? I still have sensation, but it feels like I got a shot of Novocaine in the balls of my feet. I really don't notice the numbness while riding. It is when I am off the bike that I notice it. This has been coming on for several years. A peripheral vascular test last week ruled out any circulation or diabetes problems. My Internal Medicine doc (long distance rider too) thinks it is neural damage caused by riding a lot of miles for a lot of years. There is not much that can be done about it other than to live with it. I will be seeing a Podiatrist next week to get another opinion, but I'm not sure if he can do anything about it other than to validate my IM docs opinion.
My shoes are Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon Mega's with a custom insole insert. They are two years old. I have no problems with the shoes being too tight, even riding for 4-5 hours in 95-100º+ days.
I'm thinking that I could go to a stiffer sole shoe, like the Sidi 5 Carbon, to dissipate the pedal pressure a little bit more. They are considerably stiffer than my 5 Pro's.

Any thoughts, ideas or recommendations out there?

Your podiatrist will be able accurately diagnose your condition. I have similar symptoms that tie into arthritis, metatarsalgia and Morton's Neuroma...Google can provide more information regarding these conditions.

My podiatrist has me in my third set of orthotics in about a year and a half and they have helped quite a bit.
The orthotics fit in my cycling shoes and make riding my recumbent very comfortable. Additionally, my bike positions me well and helps to take the pressure off the balls of my feet.

I've had quite an education on the complexities of the foot over the past few years and I think that you'll find your appointment with your podiatrist to be time well spent.

Don't buy any new shoes until after your appointment.

Good luck...let us know how it goes.

Better Insoles, looser fitting shoes , big platform pedals, more time off the bike with your feet up?

might have to drop the performance focus, and go to the casual biking side..

I've found this site helpful for self and friends: http://www.foot.com/site/foot-pain-identifier

One of my former coworkers suffers from the same thing you do. His doc told him to get off his feet, stop pushing big gears, orthotics and cortisone injections. Seems to have worked as he no longer has foot pain.

I had the same thing due to being in retail for 30 years and on my feet 10-14 hours a day 6 days a week. The problem has completely disappeared after leaving the bike biz last March and taking a desk job.

Try moving your cleats back towards your heal. That's a common ailment with long distance riders. Most of us have them all the way back or pretty close. Switching to a wider platform pedal/cleat can also help.

Do searches on Morton's neuroma and hotfoot. The subjects have been discussed many time on BFs over the years.

Your problem is probably related to the fact that your shoes are not wide enough. We still have the stupid problem that most cycling shoes are too narrow for American feet.

Try what I do. Before I pull the laces up and tie them, clear at the bottom I pull the laces loose enough that I can slip my fingers under them. Then I pull the laces up moderately tight and tie them. This lets the shoe relax over your instep. This works for me.

The real solution is to get shoes that are wide enough in the first place. Shoe mfg need to make shoes available in E and double E widths that actually fit right.

Working on my feet for 30 some years resulted in a moderate case of Plantar Fasciitis in my case. The sad thing was that a doctor had warned me of the probability of having foot problems more than a decade before this surfaced.

My Plantar Fasciitis caused me quite a bit of discomfort for over 2 years (fortunately, I was able to continue working at my new "desk" type job). I have since recovered almost entirely (tap on wood).

I mention this because the ball of my foot will feel somewhat "numb" and "tingly" when I over-stress it (I have learned to take this as a warning sign of a possible Plantar Fasciitis flare-up). However, your symptoms could be the result of some other foot related problem and, as such, I too suggest that you seek the diagnosis of a podiatrist.

Anyway, here's what I've learned about foot problems in general:

1. Buy the highest quality shoes you can get.

2. Stay clear of shoes that have "spongy" foam inner and/or outer soles (this can create and/or aggravate foot problems).

3. Wear a different pair of shoes every-other day or so.

4. Don't over-stress or under stress your feet (doing "too little" can be almost as bad as "doing too much").

We bid you good luck!

What's wrong with me is almost certainly not wrong with you, but it's worth pursuing the cause here. I had similar symptoms at least 15 years ago, but ignored them for a long time because I was training hard, had new pedals and shoes (size 15 feet, almost impossible to fit in those days) and the numbness came and went. Over several years it got worse, but it wasn't especially bothersome. I mentioned it to a couple of doctors, but nobody gave it much attention, maybe because I didn't make a big deal out of it. Eventually a few other symptoms cropped up, and finally I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a neuro condition that can cause extreme weakness (as in making you too weak to breathe). It's not curable, but it is treatable. I spent 18 months off the bike, three of them in a wheelchair, but I've been riding again for six months, doing pretty well.
I repeat, this almost certainly is NOT what you have. It's really a rare condition. But don't ignore it.

I'm with the people that recommend wider shoes.
Unfortunately, they don't make shoes in multiple widths for each size anymore.
I've ended up buying shoes a size larger to get the increased width.
The increased length is not a problem.

Thanks for that site: I had never heard of "Post-Tib Tendenitis" -- but it pretty well describes what I have been experiencing for over a year. I probably should have seen a podiatrist -- but a 'regular' physician described it as: "You probably partially tore something in there"...

And, as the article describes, I have found that wearing shoes (always) and ones with good arch support really helps.

But, amazingly, cycling has seemed to help it! It may be pure coincidence, but it didn't really start getting better until I started cycling...

Thanks!

I have an appointment in 10 days with one of the best Podiatrists in Sacramento. He has been around a long time and is the go to doc for athletes. Will let you know what he says.
Yes to wide shoes (I have Sidi Mega) and Peripheral Vascular test last week ruled out diabetes or heart problems.

Thanks Homeyba. The cleats are all the way back now. I do ride Speedplays, however, the new Sidi 6.6 shoes have one made specifically for Speedplays. I is an additional CF buildup to create a flat surface for the cleats. The pressure is distributed across the entire ball of the foot and I can get the cleats even further back. Very cool design. Will wait to pull the trigger on them until after I see the Podiatrist.

Sorry I didn't post up sooner. I had a nerve biopsy done and no problems were found. My Podiatrist diagnosed the problem as Neuropathy. His diagnosis was validated by his partner who is a competitive cyclist. He checked my shoes (Sidi Mega wide) and the fit. He liked the width. However, he did suggest that I ditch the Speedplay pedals. The contact area is too small and the pressure is too high under the balls of the feet. (pressure = force*area). An intermediate step to solving my problem is to get stiffer wide cycling shoes. After trying on a lot of them, the only shoe I could find was, again, Sidi, the 6.6 Genius. Although they do make a Speedplay specific shoe with a reinforced cleat area - http://www.sidiamerica.com/sidi/road/genius_6_sp.html -, they have no plans to make a mega width in my size (45.5) I elected to go with the standard 6.6 shoe as Speedplay makes an adapter plate for them. The deflection on the 6.6 sole is only 1.5mm with a 100lb weight hanging from the sole. Certainly stiffer than my Sidi Genius 5 shoes (almost 5mm flex)

My Podiatrist casted my feet and had a pair of custom orthotics made. He uses them too and says I should notice a significant difference in pressure. I should receive my shoes in a couple of days and get the orthotics correctly cut to match the shoe. I also got an Rx for Metanex, a herbal medicine that claims to be able to restore nerve damage. My Podiatrist said that he finds only about 50% of the people get positive results from using it, but the Rx was a money back guarantee, so why not? Tried it for two months and no change.

So, at this point, I am going to give the new Sidi 6.6's and orthotics a try to see if my Neuropathy improves. If not, then the next step is to get a bigger platform pedal. That is a significant investment because I ride Speedplays on my road bike and both of us ride them on our tandem. Three sets of light pedals are expensive. If that doesn't work, then there are a lot of advancements made in treating Neuropathy and I will go down that path. Will let you know what happens.

If I

Sorry I didn't post up sooner. I had a nerve biopsy done and no problems were found. My Podiatrist diagnosed the problem as Neuropathy. His diagnosis was validated by his partner who is a competitive cyclist. He checked my shoes (Sidi Mega wide) and the fit. He liked the width. However, he did suggest that I ditch the Speedplay pedals. The contact area is too small and the pressure is too high under the balls of the feet. (pressure = force*area). An intermediate step to solving my problem is to get stiffer wide cycling shoes. After trying on a lot of them, the only shoe I could find was, again, Sidi, the 6.6 Genius. Although they do make a Speedplay specific shoe with a reinforced cleat area - http://www.sidiamerica.com/sidi/road/genius_6_sp.html -, they have no plans to make a mega width in my size (45.5) I elected to go with the standard shoe as Speedplay makes an adapter plate. The deflection on the sole is only 1.5mm with a 100lb weight hanging from the sole. Certainly stiffer than my Sidi Genius 5 shoes (almost 5mm flex)

My Podiatrist casted my feet and had a pair of custom orthotics made. He uses them too and says I should notice a significant difference in pressure. I should receive my shoes in a couple of days and get the orthotics correctly cut to match the shoe. I also got an Rx for Metanax, a herbal medicine that claims to be able to restore nerve damage. My Podiatrist said that he finds only about 50% of the people get positive results from using it, but the Rx was a money back guarantee, so why not? Tried it for two months and no change. Money refunded.

So, at this point, I am going to give the new Sidi 6.6's and orthotics a try to see if my Neuropathy improves. If not, then the next step is to get a bigger platform pedal. That is a significant investment because I ride Speedplays on my road bike and both of us ride them on our tandem. Three sets of light pedals are expensive. If that doesn't work, then there are a lot of advancements made in treating Neuropathy and I will go down that path. Will let you know what happens.

I have had those symptoms for years and it is completely unrelated to bicycling. I started biking only two years ago. I had a neurologist try to find the cause. He hooked up some kind of machine that sent currents through my nervous system but didn't find anything. It's a constant numbness at the balls of my feet but since it hasn't gotten worse, I've learned to live with it.

Frankfest, while a Neurologist is really good, a Podiatrist is even better. They only focus on the foot. Neuropathy is generally found in people that are overweight, and/or have diabetes. Not in my case. Go find the best one you can, preferably one that rides. They will do a lot of tests, determine the cause of your problem, and give you a lot of progressive options what can be done to solve your Neuropathy. Surgery is the last resort. I choose not to deal with it. No feeling in the balls of my feet affect my balance. Not good.
Best of luck to you.

Perhaps an EMG might be worth while. The key is that the problem could be anywhere from the spine down. Until a qualified MD examines the entire neural chain you really don't have a good handle on the problem.

When the neurologist advised an EMG I refused. I was having back surgery at the time and I was tired of being poked and prodded. But you're right in thinking that it is a neurological issue that probably is caused by nerve damage outside of the feet. That is why I don't think that a Podiatrist has the answer.

This, together with your original post, do not make sense to me. You come here for an uninformed and mostly unqualified answer and yet refuse the test that promises the most valuable input to an answer for your problem. You agree that the problem most likely isn't with your feet and you withhold that information. Is what you post fact? Or, is it something else? If you sincerely want the problem resolved seems to me you will have an EMG. Not doing it tells me you don't really want an answer.

Are you mistaking me for the OP? I did not come here looking for an answer. I simply said that I would learn to 'live with it'. The OP asked if anyone else had the same problem and I replied sharing my opinion based on my experience. I'm not a doctor so take it or leave it. An EMG may not provide an answer for the problem. It is expensive and not covered by my insurance company. That is the reason I chose not to have it.
I didn't expect that I would have to defend my post. Next time I'll bring my lawyer.

My apologies!!!! Yes, I did mistake you for the OP. Guess somewhere along the education line I forgot how to read and associate.

What you did makes perfect sense.

Sorry.

No problem.

This issue is fairly common, as stated in the link in post # 4, and has been addressed numerous times here. It is common in the skiing world where people can spend upwards of $1000 on ski boots. In the ski world, boot fitting is a specialized skill requiring special training. I've had this problem myself, both with ski boots and cycling shoes. While there can be several causes, the most common cause is ill fitting footwear and incorrect foot bed for the sport in question.

Assuming your problem is due to the most common cause, here is what a boot fitter describes as the cause. The foot is designed similar to the hand with a small hollow in the palm. When the foot is working hard in too tight of a boot, it is squeezed into a narrow shape that causes numbness or a hot spot. In many cases, the current boots will be fine with the addition of a correct foot bed and or adding a metatarsal bed to an existing foot bed. In my case, simply adding a metatarsal pad did the trick, both in my ski boots and bikeing shoes. This pad does the same job as arch support does for some people.

While resolving the problem, rolling a tennis ball under your foot helps ease discomfort in the same way that hard massage eases knotted muscles.