Foot Pain When Running And How To Prevent It

Foot pain has become a common problem these days. Lots of people suffer from this problem every year. Some of the people even suffer from chronic foot pain which might take a long time to go. There are different causes due to which the pain in the foot and heel occur.

It is very important to understand the actual causes so that they can be treated from the root. Lots of people fail to go for the right treatment and hence they suffer from the pain throughout their life. Medical science is quite advanced these days and there are different kinds of treatments available for the pain.

If you are suffering from foot pain for a long time then the best idea is to seek help from a professional. He can suggest you some of the best methods to get rid of the pain. Sometimes players and runners tend to have foot pain.

If you are an athlete and you need to run a lot then pain in your foot can surely be disturbing. It is therefore important to find a solution regarding foot pain when running. You can also find out the ways which can help you prevent this kind of problems when you run. The pain is usually caused due to a lot of stress on your feet.

Causes of Foot Pain While Running

Unless you take good care of your foot it can become difficult to run even a mile. You must know that foot pain and running is directly related and there are certain things that you need to keep in mind before you run as well as when you run to prevent different kinds of injuries in your foot.

First of all, it is important to understand the cause of the pain. When you start running, the tissue called plantar fascia stretches. As the tissue gets overstretched there are small tears in the muscles. This is a common condition especially among runners who have a flat foot.

These people usually do not have the required arch in their foot.

As the tissue experience too much stress the muscle in the foot becomes inflamed and sore. The tears which occur in the muscles usually leads to the formation of the scar tissues and this tend to make the plantar fascia much less flexible that it actually needs to be. This condition needs to be treated as soon as possible.

If this condition is left untreated then the discomfort and the foot pain can worsen. The athletes also complain of a burning sensation along with pain on the upper portion of their foot.

Remedies of Foot Pain

There are lots of things that you can actually do about the foot pain that you have while running.

  • When you are having foot pain while running the first thing that you need to do is check with the shoes that you wear while running. You need to check out whether the shoes are actually working for you or not. It is always better to have an expert with you while you are buying the shoes.
  • When you buy a shoe you should wear it and make somebody check whether the toe is within the shoe. There should be at least half inch space in the toe box of the shoe in front of the largest toe. If you find the toe is getting jammed in the front of the shoe then you need to change the shoe immediately and go for a larger size.
  • If your shoes fit well but still you have pain in your foot then it is time to go for a change in the shoes. Too much old shoes can also be the reason for pain in the foot.
  • Other than checking your shoes you should also check your running technique. Sometimes a wrong technique might lead to the pain in the foot. It is therefore suggested that the running techniques should be learnt from an expert to avoid any kind of mistakes.
  • Often people tend to forget that overdoing anything is not good. Some people keep on running even when their foot does not allow them to do so. It is a fact that practice makes a man perfect but too much practice can destroy everything. So it is important to understand the capability of the foot before running.
  • The other thing that you need to keep in mind while running is that you should not lift your foot too much. This can cause a lot of stress and strain on the muscles of the foot. Therefore it is always a better option to take short leaps while running to prevent foot pain.
  • Maintaining your weight is very much necessary. If you want to run and become a successful athlete then you should always have a healthy weight. Having a healthy weight does not apply much stress on the foot and hence you do not feel any kind of foot pain. On the other hand if you are overweight and you are running then you are actually applying a lot of weight on the foot which is harmful for it.
  • To prevent foot pain while running you can support your foot in a number of ways. You can wear a bandage around the foot or even in the ankle while you run. This can also prevent any kind of damage in the foot while you run.

These simple steps can be of great help when you run. If you are having pain in the foot while running then you can easily solve the problem with these simple steps. But make sure if the pain persists then you need to visit a doctor.

If too much running becomes a problem then keep your foot muscles in rest for a few days.

You must understand that the foot muscles require rest and enough time to heal the wear and tear that is caused due to running.

If enough time is not given to the muscles to repair them then they might create more problems in future.

Painful Arches Of The Feet

The foot is made up of intersecting bones that constitute longitudinal and transverse archs. The shape of these bones is such that they fit into each other and are held by ligaments that hold the arch’s together.

Any discrepancy in this structure of bones causes pain in the foot. If the job routine is such that it requires standing for long hours, it may lead to the arch foot pain. The constant pressure on the network of bones makes these structures weak and hence activities like running and walking become a painful affair due to the deformities of the arch.

Some of the common causes of arch foot pain are discussed here:

  • Plantar Fasciitis: This is a medical condition responsible for the arch foot pain. It is basically the straining of ligaments that support the arch of the foot. The strained ligament imparts a feeling of constant pain in the arch. This condition is caused due to the activities like running regularly on very hard or very soft surfaces. Shoes with very poor absorption quality are also a major cause of plantar fasciitis. Repeated rounds of exercise may also be held responsible for the stress to the foot that may result into micro-traumatic damages.
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: This is the condition of a pinched nerve of the ankle. The pinched nerve sends a sensation of pain towards the arch foot. This arises due to the lack of the space leading to the pinching of tibial nerve in the foot. Apart from the foot, heel and ankle are also victimized due to this syndrome.
  • Osteoarthritis: Repetitive movements of the foot stress the arch of the foot. This stress leads to the condition of arthritis which is basically the stiffening of nerves due to the constant strain.
  • Bone and Muscle Injury: Bones of the foot tend to get injured due to repetitive stress or a powerful blow to them. Repetitive trauma may cause stress fracture. Muscles of the foot may get injured if they are put under constant stress. This muscle injury may arise if hit by a sharp object. It may also arise if the repetitive stress and re-stress causes the sprain in the arch. Overloading, over-stretching and overuse along with the bruises may result into muscle tear resulting into arch foot pain.
  • Traumatic Stress: Direct force trauma, strain in muscles, overuse, stress fractures and sprain in ligaments lead to the arch foot pain. Poor biomechanical composition along with the tightness of joints also gives rise to this condition. The normal function of the arch is to respond to the external pressure and force that is normally imparted while running or carrying load or doing weight-lifting exercises. These forces, if not received properly by the arch of the foot, may result into the pain in the arch.
  • Structural Imbalances:  Some people suffer from the condition of flat foot or thin foot. The fat pad deterioration is one of the causes of pronated foot. The structural imbalance in the foot bone is also responsible for the condition of flat foot. This condition leads to the pain in the arch foot that hinders the normal activities like walking or sometimes even standing.

Arch pain is the common problem of athletes and other sports persons. It is normally observed in these people at the start of the season when the foot is not fully conditioned to withstand continuous pressure. This pain is also responsible for keeping the players away from the playground as negligence towards this condition may permanently harm the foot. Arch pain is normally seen during the conditioning time in sports as the arch gets stresses due to sudden increase in activity. Returning to normal routine is a result of conscious efforts. Jogging and walking regimes are followed to regain the normal arch structure.

Flat feet are the main causes of arch foot pain

This condition of flat feet is the result of following conditions:

  • Congenital abnormality
  • Inflammation of tibial tendon
  • Broken or misaligned bones
  • Nerve disorder
  • Medical conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity and pregnancy

The people suffering from these problems complain about the pain in the arch foot. There are other pains associated with arch foot pain that should be treated on priority. Many people have flat feet but this goes unnoticed as it does not pose any difficulty in carrying out the normal life. The flat feet becomes problematic when it becomes precursor to many other disorders like unexplained tiredness, painful archs and heels, difficulty in foot movement and back and leg pain. All these pains disrupt the normal life activities and thus immediate medical help is sought to bring the normalcy to the life.

Rupture of the posterior tibial tendon is the result of flat foot that makes the walking and standing very difficult. The flat foot exposes the tendons and ligaments to the constant wear and tear making them more prone to rupture in case of frequent flexing in and out of foot. Once the problem of flat foot starts, it keeps on worsening as the protective shield of the arch is completely lost. Stiffness in the joints increases due to the flat feet and the deteriorating condition makes the treatment more and more difficult.

Hyperpronation is another Cause of Arch Foot Pain

Hyperpronation is the condition of fallen archs and rolling ankles. Rolling ankles increase the tension at tendon and ligaments area causing the foot pain. This condition is cured by the use of casts. These casts, however, should be used for smaller periods. The prolonged use of casts hampers the strength of muscles leading to muscular atrophy. Similarly, people who use casts find it very difficult to walk barefoot. Hence, foot should be well-trained before using it for normal walking.

Causes of the arch foot pain are many but the remedy lies in the proper usage of foot. Choosing correct shoes and maintaining a comfortable posture is essential to avoid the problem of arch foot pain.

 

 

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