Foot Care Relief

Foot pain in runners can be excruciating. If you have an active lifestyle, it’s difficult to adjust your routine to limit your physical activity once you encounter heel or arch pain. This makes it important to know the symptoms and treatment methods for some of the most common types of heel pain or arch pain that develop among runners. Understanding the different types of sports injuries is the key to effective treatment of foot pain in runners.

Explaining Plantar Fascitis Pain

When the plantar fascia, a thick, fibrous band of connective tissue in the sole of the foot that supports the arch of the foot is inflamed, it causes plantar fascitis. This tissue connects the ball of the foot to the heel. When the foot is on the ground and supporting all of your body weight, it stretches this tissue. Inflammation occurs when this tissue is stretched too far and tears. A sudden movement or the effects of long-term stress can cause this condition.

Foot Pain In Athletes May Often be Caused by Plantar Fascitis Pain

There are a number of reasons why plantar fascitis causes heel pain in athletes. Runners tend to exercise too long and apply too much stress to the feet and plantar fascia, especially those individuals who suffer from flat feet. Combining shoes that lack proper arch support and running routines that are too extensive puts repetitive stress on the plantar fascia, particularly where it connects to the heel. This causes tears in the fibers and results in inflammation and severe pain.

The most common causes of Plantar Fasciitis include:

• rapid increase in activity such as running or participating in sports
• weight gain
• shoes that do not fit properly and insufficient arch support
• over-pronation of the feet

Where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel is commonly where the pain is felt. Typically, the pain is most severe in the mornings when getting out of bed, because the fascia shortens and tightens while you sleep. When you stand up, your body weight stretches on the tissue that attaches to the heel bone. Mild to severe symptoms of foot pain in runners may occur. The pattern of pain can be very unpredictable over months at a time. Often, the pain goes away for several weeks, but can easily come back after a single workout or change in activity.
Walking may even reduce the pain. Runners often develop Plantar Fasciitis, and along with the causes listed above, may be caused by abrupt increase in your training schedule, or by switching running surfaces. This is evident, mostly when going from a soft surface to a harder one.

How to Avoid Plantar Fascitis Pain

While plantar fasciitis can be treated, it does not heal quickly. foot pain in runners can be avoided in a number of ways. Most sports physiotherapists recommend the following approach to prevent Plantar Fasciitis:

Use Suitable Shoes and Orthotic Arch Supports – Supportive footwear is important. An effective way to improve foot biomechanics is to wear arch support inserts inside the shoes. Avoid walking without shoes or foot protection. Avoid shoes without arch support, and get used to running on a softer surface.

Ice – Applying ice to the heel can help to reduce the inflammation and pain. Set your foot on a frozen bottle of water or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel 3 or 4 times a day for 5 to 10 minutes each time. Never ice more than once an hour to prevent risk of ice burn to desensitized tissue.

Change Your Activity – You don’t have to stop exercising, however consider switching to a non-weight bearing sport like swimming or cycling. When you begin running, begin at a much lower level of intensity and a shorter distance, then you can build up gradually. Reduce the volume or intensity of training, or simply reduce the amount of time spent on your feet.

Perform Stretching Exercises - before, during, and after intenseactivity. Tight hamstring and/or calf muscles (behind the thigh) limit range of motion and put extra strain on the plantar fascia. Stretching as a warm up and as a cool down will help you move easily, keep muscles flexible and relaxed, joints mobile and relieve tension and strain. Performing plantar fasciitis exercises to stretch the plantar fascia is highly recommended.

If the problem persists, talk to a podiatrist or physiotherapist.

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