You Can Teach Your Feet

Running is generally considered one of the best things you can do for your body. Not only can it increase your muscle mass, but it can serve to help you lose weight, improve your circulation and increase your endurance. However, as many runners can tell you, you also run the risk of injury. There are a number of common foot injuries that runners suffer from, that you might find afflicting you when you start running often.

Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is a tendon that runs lengthwise from the bottom of the foot. Most runners are familiar with this tendon as it can be the site of a great deal of pain. Plantar fasciitis occurs when you have a sharp, shooting pain down the bottom of your foot. It is an issue related to tendonitis and can cause an incredible deal of pain.

Plantar fasciitis is an issue related to over- and misuse of the plantar fasciaa muscle. If you are having issues related to plantar fasciitis, it is recommended that you stay off your feet for some time and also consider changing your running shoes to something that is more amenable to the health of your plantar fascia.

Stress Fracture

A stress fracture is a fracture that can occur anywhere on the foot due to overuse, but is most commonly seen on the metatarsals. Stress fractures usually occur over a long period of time, and then rear their ugly head after the pain manifests itself as sharp and stabbing; this pain can be difficult to distinguish between forms of tendonitis, such as plantar fasciitis.

If you are regularly experiencing this pain, it is recommended that you see a physician, who will then make plans for you to see a radiologist in order to determine if the bone is broken. Stress fractures generally take 6 weeks to heal, during which time you should stay off your foot as often as possible – this means no running! 

Extensor Tendonitis

The extensor tendons run over the top of the foot and are attached to the shins. Overuse of these tendons can cause extreme, sharp pain along the top of the foot. You can generally differentiate the pain associated with extensor tendonitis with a stress fracture by attempting to raise your toes. If doing so isolates the pain in your toes and the top of your foot, chances are, you are suffering from extensor tendonitis.

Tendonitis is a form of inflammation, and this pain can be ameliorated by using a shoe more amenable to your tendons, icing the inflamed muscle, or, if prescribed by your physician, using pain killers in order to alleviate the pain.

Adductor and Abductor Hallucis

The adductor is a muscle that runs over the course of the top of your foot, while the abductor runs along the bottom side of your foot and meets with the medial. Again, the pain associated with suffering from hallucis of either of these muscles is similar to the issues described above, although a runner can usually tell if the issue is related to the adductor and abductor, as it is isolated to inside of the arch of the foot itself. Rectifying an issue with arch support can usually help with this issue, and the pain associated with it can be alleviated through the use of massage.

Foot issues are common in runners, and if you find that you are suffering from any foot issues after you've started running, visit a podiatrist. Your podiatrist--like one from Plaza Podiatry--can help you fix any issues that you might have due to running.