Pain is your body's signal that it's time to stop doing whatever it is that you're doing before you really hurt yourself. Pain is symptom of some underlying condition, usually an injury. When you engage in a high-impact activity like jogging, you're asking a lot of the delicate bones in your foot, not to mention the nerves, tendons and ligaments that give the remarkable appendage its stability and mobility. You should investigate any pain you feel after jogging --- which could include a doctor visit --- to prevent further injury and treat the problem, not the symptom.
Complexity
The foot is vulnerable to injury in part due to its complexity. The bones are small and numerous, totaling 26 in each foot. There are also 33 distinct joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments holding it all together. Many foot injuries from jogging develop when fluid builds up in the marrow of those small bones, making them susceptible to stress fractures.
Age
Age is the mitigating factor in most foot injuries sustained during or after a run. The shock-absorbing capabilities of the foot depend on the fat pads at the balls of the feet for cushioning, and on the tendons and ligaments for impact resistance. In a young athlete, the tendons and ligaments can easily handle more than twice the body weight, a level that is common in a running stride. Fat pads begin to degenerate in runners older than 30, and ligaments and tendons lose some of their spring.
Types
In addition to stress fractures in the metatarsals, a common jogging injury is called plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the tendon running along the arch of the foot from the heel to the ball. It supports the arch and absorbs the shock of impact. If the plantar fascia is strained, it becomes inflamed, causing mild to severe pain throughout the foot. While the cause of the inflammation is sometimes difficult to pinpoint because the feet take a beating every day, joggers --- particularly older ones --- are susceptible to the injury.
Injury Avoidance
You should never increase your running mileage by more than 10 percent per week, according to the American Council on Exercise. The key to successful jogging is to train your body to respond to the stresses, so start slowly and if you feel pain, rest completely until the soreness is gone. ACE also recommends outfitting yourself with the proper footwear to minimize damage to the arches and ankles.
