Foot pain can be an inconvenience, but when it causes an interruption in your running schedule, it may be a sign of a more serious condition. Understanding what causes your foot pain will help you avoid further damage and speed your recovery time.
Plantar Fasciitis
If your pain from running travels across the bottom of your foot, you may be experiencing plantar fasciitis. This condition describes pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes, called the plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of stabbing heel pain. Once your foot loosens up, plantar fasciitis pain normally decreases, only to return when you overuse your feet or remain stagnant for too long. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that runners regularly endure, as well as people who are obese or pregnant or people with inadequate footwear.
Sesamoiditis
Sesamoiditis is another condition that can cause pain when running. Sesamoids are bones that are not connected to any other bone but instead are connected to tendons or are embedded in muscle. Two small sesamoids are in the underside of the forefoot near the big toe, one on the outside of the foot and one close to the middle of the foot. Sesamoids provide a smooth surface to allow the tendons to slide, which increases the tendons' ability to transmit muscle forces. Sesamoiditis occurs when tendons around sesamoids are inflamed and is a type of tendinitis, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Stress Fractures
You may have developed a stress fracture from running if the top of your foot is the source of pain when you run. This area of your foot consists of five metatarsal bones. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a break or rupture in one or more of the metatarsal bones is the source of most stress fractures of the foot. Runners are at risk of obtaining stress fracture due to repeated striking of the ground and overuse of their feet. The first metatarsal bone is the densest and least likely to fracture, but if you fracture it, the injury is serious, as it causes changes in walking and bearing weight.
Flatfeet
The Mayo Clinic describes flatfeet as a condition that causes feet to lack an arch. You may experience severe foot pain when running with flatfeet. A test that you can perform at home to see if you have flatfeet is to stand up straight and check which part of your feet hit the floor. If your entire foot touches the floor when you stand, you have flatfeet. Reasons for this condition include a lack of arch development during childhood, response to an injury or age deterioration.
