Running has, in recent years, become a favorite choice of fitness devotees. It is an inexpensive way to strengthen the heart, toughen the body and ease the mind. However, good health comes at a price. The burden placed on your feet through running can, progressively, impair their utility. Employing improper form, excessive impact against the ground and wearing shoes of poor quality can, each, contribute to the detriment of your long-term foot health.
Apophycitis of the Heel
Characterized by a shooting pain through the rear heel, apophycitis is a condition that affects mainly adolescent runners. Before adulthood, each heel is divided into two bones that merge after puberty. Excessive running before that time may result in a disjoining of these parts. Heel pads placed inside your shoes may help to alleviate the condition, although the bones may not be set right for several months. Also, you can construct a homemade heel strap with common masking tape. To make one, run a strip of tape from the back heel of your shoe, through the center sole, and ending at the toes. Next, run a strip vertically downward from one ankle to the other, going under the heel in between. Continue layering the tape in this way, alternating between bottom and sides, offsetting each strip slightly from the last. Make sure to cover both sides, until the heel and ankle are enveloped in a makeshift cast,
Fallen Arches
Fallen arches, generally known as flat feet, can occur when the fibrous tissues supporting the curve under one's foot are elongated through improper distribution of weight. Fallen arches may also be inherited as a genetic trait. This condition is generally marked by routine soreness beneath the foot, lower back pain, and an arch that seems to disappear when standing. Arch supports that can be worn in shoes are sold commercially that may offer immediate relief. However, fallen arches may take several weeks to mend.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis refers to a reduction of flexibility in the arch. A person with this condition usually feels considerable pain under the foot when attempting to stand following periods of inactivity. You may also notice a pulling or tearing sensation within the arch while walking. You can identify this condition by pressing a thumb in the middle of the bottom of your foot. If doing so is overly painful, plantar fasciitis is a probable cause. Routinely running on stone surfaces, or on uneven ground, can aggravate the condition. Applying ice to the area in 10-minute on/off intervals will reduce swelling of the fascia, string-like tissues that hold the arch in place. Arch supports can be useful as well. However, if the condition becomes chronic, a podiatrist may need to prescribe rehabilitative measures.
Sprains
Sprains are common in the ankles of runners who routinely cross hills and trails. If, when traversing uneven ground, your ankle is forced to turn in a direction opposite your foot, ligaments that provide support for the joint can tear. Of the three ligaments upholding the ankle, most sprains can be attributed to a fractional tearing of no more than two. However, more serious sprains can involve a part to full rupture of all three. Wrapping the ankle in a medical bandage and wearing shoes that provide lower-leg support may suffice in treating minor sprains. However, more serious injuries often require brace underpinning and rehabilitative measures prescribed by a physician to heal.
Tendonitis
A tendon is a strand-like tissue responsible for connecting muscle to bone in a way that makes skeletal movement possible. Common with runners is a condition termed Achilles tendinitis, also known as Achilles heel. The Achiles tendon runs the back of the leg, down from the calf muscles into the heel. Achiles heel is characterized by a sharp pain somewhere between the heel and lower calf. The discomfort may sharpen during activity, reducing to a blunt ache in times of rest.
Like with plantar fasciitis, a regimen of ice along with avoidance of hills and hard surfaces can often restore the heel within several weeks
