When you fall in love with an activity, especially one that Let’s Chat About 4 Common Foot and Ankle Running Injuries and What You Can Do to Avoid Them
1. Injuries to the ball of the foot
If you’re experiencing pain in this area of the foot, you may have what’s known as a neuroma, or a pinched nerve right between your toes. The pain below your toes may also be caused by inflammation of the teeny-tiny joints that connect your foot bones to your toe bones. For runners, these injuries may cause a burning sensation, loss of feeling, or severe pain. If you start to notice any of these symptoms in the ball of your foot:
- Check out your footwear. Flexible shoes might be the culprit. Consider switching to a sturdier pair with plenty of arch support.
- Consult a foot & ankle specialist to see if orthotics or injections may be right for you.
2. Injuries to the heel
This is the most common runner’s affliction we see at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle and it is most often caused by ligament inflammation. You see, the ligament that holds up your arch can become inflamed. This leads to plantar fasciitis, a condition which the National Center for Biotechnology Information notes, affects 1 in 10 people and is most common among young male athletes. If you start to notice heel pain:
- Make stretching a part of your daily routine.
- Invest in good arch support.
- If the problem persists, ice the area and take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory.
3. Injuries to the Achilles tendon
As a runner, your Achilles tendon, and other tendons in the ankle and foot may experience tendonitis. This is often a wake-up call for a runner that they have been pushing too hard. You may experience tendonitis when you’re racking up more miles than you can handle. Beginners beware! And listen to your body. If you’re experiencing tendon pain in your Achilles or elsewhere:
- Take a break and rest the affected area.
- During your self-prescribed rest time do some gentle stretching and icing. Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories to help manage the injury.
- However, if the pain persists, visit your local specialist for a consult and professional physical therapy.
4. Stress fractures
Finally, many runners are under the assumption that if they can walk on an injury, a break is off the table. And this just isn’t the case. Stress fractures are a common injury we see in our running clients and often the symptoms are slow to show. A stress fracture may not result in immediate pain or swelling. However, if an impact is great enough that you believe a stress fracture could be possible:
- Deploy Operation R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) immediately.
- If pain or swelling are still present after a few days, check with a foot & ankle specialist for x-rays and diagnosis.
