The Most Common Foot Injuries from Running

October 15, 2020 • • foot carefoot painsports injuries

Running is a great way to stay fit, but if you aren’t careful, it can lead to some serious foot injuries.  Running offers a huge number of health benefits in addition to being a great way to get outside and stay in shape. However, running does present some risks to the bones, muscles, and joints, especially with the wrong shoes or a sharp increase in mileage.  Fortunately, you can prevent many serious running injuries by recognizing their early signs and symptoms. That way, you can stop running and get to a doctor before the injury advances.

Most Common Foot Injuries from Running

Plantar Fasciitis  The plantar fascia tendon — which runs lengthwise across the bottom of the foot — is familiar to almost every runner. If you suddenly start experiencing foot pain when you first step out of bed in the morning or when you’ve been resting for awhile, you likely have plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury, typically caused by increasing training intensity or volume too quickly or by using improper running shoes. tIt results in inflammation of the plantar fascia, which will likely cause pain in your heel, though the pain can also occur in the arch.  Treating plantar fasciitis requires taking time off from running and doing some simple foot exercises and stretches. Once you go back to running, you should make sure you’re using the right shoes and that you increase your mileage and intensity gradually (not more than 10% a week). You should also stretch your calves before running to reduce the stress you put on your foot and fascia.  Stress Fracture The repeated stress on your feet from running can cause a tiny break in the bone, also known as a stress fracture. These fractures can occur in any bone in the foot, but they most frequently occur in the metatarsal bones, which make up the front part of the arch. Unfortunately, stress fractures are often slow-building, meaning that you may not realize you have a fracture at first and make it worse unintentionally. You may only notice the fracture when it reaches a point where you experience a sharp pain seemingly out of the blue.  Stress fractures are usually caused by rapid increases in training volume or intensity. However, you can also cause one if you accidentally step awkwardly on a root, rock, or pothole. Treating a stress fracture means taking time away from running. It usually takes around six weeks of non-weight bearing activity for the bone to heal completely. Luckily, unlike tendon issues, it is unlikely that stress fractures will cause any further pain once they are healed.  Tendonitis Your tendons run across the top of your foot, extend down from the muscle in the front of the shin, and split off into each toe. These tendons work to straighten each toe, pull each toe up, and even to help move the entire foot. Tendonitis occurs when these tendons become inflamed. You might feel an aching or burning feeling along your arch either after or during a run. You might also notice swelling or experience pain that extends up to your ankle.  Tendonitis is typically caused by either weak or tight calf muscles, a tight Achilles tendon, or improper shoes. Treating tendonitis involves icing the tendons to decrease inflammation and making sure you’re wearing the right shoes. This can mean getting a specialized pair or finding an insert that helps them fit better. 

Treating Common Running Foot Injuries

All of these common injuries can be very serious and have long-lasting effects if they aren’t taken seriously. If you suspect that you might have a foot injury as a result of running, you should make an appointment to see a podiatry specialist as soon as possible. The specialists at Alamitos-Seal Beach Podiatry Group will help you diagnose and treat your foot pain so you can get back to running as soon as possible!

Request an Appointment

Fill out the form below to reach Alamitos – Seal Beach Podiatry Group, or call Los Alamitos: (562) 203-6151 or Seal Beach: (562) 242-1559 for immediate assistance.











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