Five Common Running Foot Conditions You Should Be Aware Of

Five Common Running Foot Conditions You Should Be Aware Of 

Running is one of those sports that many people participate in, but few understand how impactful it can be on the body.

When you run, the high impact stress on your feet, especially if you do not have the proper footwear or run too long, can inflict injuries on your feet.

Even professional athletes are not spared. You will often hear of pro runners needing treatment or surgery because of an injury sustained when running.

The best way to protect and take care of your feet while running is to know what conditions most commonly affect runners.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the most common running injury. Affecting the plantar fascia, a strip of tissue running lengthwise beneath the foot, it can cause stabbing pain in the heel.

Usually a result of tissue inflammation, it can be caused by improper running shoes, a biomechanical issue, increasing training intensity or volume too rapidly, or tight or weak calf muscles.

Stress Fracture

Stress fractures are tiny fissures that develop in the bones of the feet over time. Although they can affect any bone, they mainly impact the metatarsals, the long bones of the feet.

Stress fractures can be challenging to diagnose because X-rays cannot reliably detect them early on. In some cases, a podiatrist might order an MRI for a more thorough scan, although even such a scan might not identify all stress fractures.

Extensor Tendonitis

Extensor tendons extend your toes and maintain them in a straight posture while supporting movement. These tendons are responsible for keeping your toes extended on the ground when you run.

If you run too much, have a tight Achilles or weak calf muscles, or run with the wrong footwear, extensor tendonitis can develop, caused by inflammation of these tendons that leads to a burning pain in the affected areas.

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is another common overuse condition that affects runners. Symptoms include a sensation of having pebbles in your shoes or a feeling of pain and bruising in the ball of the foot.

Wearing the wrong shoes and overrunning can put too much pressure on the metatarsal bones, leading to inflammation and internal bruising in the ball of the foot.

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel and is responsible for stabilizing the foot while running.

Overuse, excessive running, and increasing running distance or intensity too fast can all cause Achilles tendonitis, which is the inflammation of the tendon.

One of the challenges of this condition is that healing can be quite slow owing to the limited blood flow to the area.

Protect Your Feet

Running is considered a high-impact sport alongside other sports like rugby and basketball, and for good reason. When you run, your feet absorb all the pressure and stress of carrying your entire body weight.

The best way to protect your feet while running and avoid the conditions above is to wear proper running footwear, gradually increase running distance and intensity, and take adequate rest between runs.