Five Running Injuries to Look Out for This Summer

Five Running Injuries to Look Out for This Summer 

The foot has twenty-six bones and thirty joints, so it is not uncommon or unusual to get an injury from running overuse. For most runners, however, it is hard to tell the difference between a sore foot and a foot injury. For instance, after a run, it is common to feel some soreness in the heel from the stress of running. At the same time, plantar fasciitis is also a common cause of heel pain. Therefore, knowing which running injuries can affect you is an important step in ensuring your feet remain healthy and ready to run.

In this article, we cover five of the most common running injuries.

#1. Plantar Fasciitis

Stabbing pain in the heel characterizes plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a strip of tissue that extends along the length of the bottom of the foot. When overused, this strip of tissue can either tighten or overextend, leading to mild to extreme pain. Diagnosis involves a physical exam by a podiatrist and a review of your medical history for any history of heel pain.

#2. Stress Fracture

Stress fractures can affect any of the many bones of the feet. However, the metatarsals are the most affected. Stress fractures occur gradually, worsening from mild intermittent pain to radiating pain when you place pressure on the foot. Stress fractures and tendonitis often have the same symptoms, so your foot specialist might suggest an X-ray or MRI to differentiate the two.

#3. Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia feels like having pebbles in your shoe or bruising on the balls of your feet. The pain is often experienced between the second and third metatarsals, the third and fourth metatarsals, or adjacent to the big toe. Symptoms are most notable when running, walking, or standing. Metatarsalgia occurs when the metatarsal bones are subjected to excessive stress, such as repetitive running over long distances.

#4. Extensor Tendonitis

Extensor muscles and tendons are responsible for helping lift or extend your toes. They run over the top of your foot and split into all the foot digits. When they become inflamed from overuse, you may feel pain whenever you try to extend your toes. Feeling pain when extending your toes or when your podiatrist pushes your toes upwards is a telltale sign that you have tendonitis and not a stress fracture.

#5. Adductor and Abductor Hallucis Tendonitis

Abductor and abductor hallucis tendons connect the foot arch to the big toe along the inside of the foot. Overuse and injury cause pain whenever you try to flex your big toe or when you extend your foot arch. When left untreated, tight adductor tendons can pull your big toe towards the other toes, resulting in a painful bunion at the point where your big toe bones and metatarsal bones meet.

Avoiding Injury

Running foot injuries are caused by overuse and stress on the feet from running. However, factors like the type of footwear, calf muscle strength, running volume or intensity, and the presence of other conditions like a flat foot also play an important role. The best way to avoid running injuries is to wear footwear for your type of foot, warm-up before running, and try to avoid running on uneven surfaces.