Q. I have been jogging regularly for the last few years, taking part in 10 kilometre and half marathon runs. Recently I’ve had a pain in the middle of my left foot that is worse when running, but never really goes away completely even when I’m resting. Could this be a muscle or ligament strain, and what can I do to ease it? I don’t want to stop my running unless I really have to.
A. You must see your doctor. It’s possible that it is a strained ligament, but it could also be a stress fracture of a metatarsal, one of the bones in the centre of the foot. If that’s the case (an X-ray may help) you will need to rest the foot. You may even have to have a walking cast for four to six weeks to let the fracture heal. After the cast is removed, you may still have to return to exercise slowly, say over four weeks, only starting to run again after that time, and then only if the foot is pain free.
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