I used to love wearing heels all the time, and then I started getting terrible foot pain all the time. I visited my podiatrist, and she showed me how much damage I was doing to my feet. She showed me how much better my feet would be able to react if I wore shoes with proper arch support and convinced me to try some sensible shoes. It made such a difference. My boyfriend says I'm a whole new person - a new person who doesn't complain about her aching feet all day long. Now I proudly wear sensible shoes and enjoy my life!
When you develop foot pain, it can be difficult to know whether you should run through it or immediately seek medical treatment. The following list of common foot problems in runners could give you an indication of what might be wrong with your foot. For a full diagnosis and treatment plan, be sure to see a podiatrist as soon as possible.
1. Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis has to with the plantar fascia, a tendon that runs along the sole of the foot to connect the toes to the heel. In runners, this tendon often becomes strained, which leads to pain in the heel or in the arch of the foot. A tell-tale sign of plantar fasciitis is heel pain that is particularly bad when you first get out of bed in the morning.
Many runners find that stretching their calves every day helps to relieve plantar fasciitis. You will probably also need to reduce your training volume to give the injured tendon time to recover. A podiatrist can suggest exercises that might help or prescribe orthotics that you can wear in your shoes to support your feet and help the plantar fascia recover.
2. Stress Fracture
A stress fracture is one of the injuries that runners fear most. Running a lot of miles on hard surfaces can put a lot of stress on the feet, which, over time, can cause hairline fractures to appear in the delicate metatarsal bones. Stress fractures require plenty of rest to heal, which means they can have a devastating effect on a runner's training schedule.
Before you diagnose yourself with a stress fracture, see a podiatrist. Many injuries that present similarly to stress fractures are actually cases of tendonitis. You could also have a stress reaction, which is a pre-fracture state that often responds well to ice and a brief break from your usual training.
3. Extensor Tendonitis
Extensor tendonitis is a minor injury that feels similar to a stress fracture. It presents as pain on top of the front part of the foot. Whereas you should be able to pinpoint a stress fracture by pressing directly on the bone with your thumb, the pain of extensor tendonitis is more diffuse.
Extensor tendons run along the top of the foot and their job is to lift the toes up when your foot lands. They can become strained by shoes that are too tight or by too much uphill running. If you loosen your shoelaces, avoid hilly routes, and apply ice to your foot after runs, you should find that the pain quickly goes away.
For more information on foot pain, contact a podiatrist.
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