So, I'm a fairly active, mid-20s girl, but about once a year, I get sidelined by pain on the top of my foot. It's not a debilitating pain -- I can still walk, albeit with a limp, and it feels fine swimming/doing other no impact excercise or when sitting. But for about 4 to 6 weeks, I can't run ot do anything else that has impact. The pain occurs on the top of the foot -- right now, its near the second and third toes, but before it had been by the great toe

This started happening about 5 years ago. I know that at least once it has been a stress fracture. I've been to doctors in the past, and they usually just say "wear hard soled shoes and stay off it as much as possible until its better." But I wonder, why does it keep coming back? I'm average weight (by doctor's charts), pretty muscular, I wear good shoes that I change regularly, and while I tend to run 5-6 days a week, it's not like I am runnign marathons. Usually, its more like 2-4 miles, usually on fairly flat trails or treadmills.

Any advice? What really sucks is I am now in grad school, with not-so-not student insurance, so specialists could bankrupt me :-(

With out seeing a Medical Professional like myself it would be difficult to say if there is a foot structure problem that is being missed. All in all sporadic pain in the foot could be from a bone moving of of position to stress fraccture as you mentioned to many other things.

Recommendations: look at you feet do you have high or low arches is your foot stiff or floppy flexible have your feet changed in appearance feel them do they have unusual hot spots.

For bone misalignment massage and mobilize your foot try ring it out like a damp cloth twist firm but gently in both directions nothing you do should cause you pain.

arch supports find a pair of arch support that fit and support your feet.

Other than that get a collection together and see a foot professional. you could try and find a Pedorthist some are available at retail locations and might answer questions a low prices to free but unfortunately you sometimes get what you pay for.

Hope this helps