Running can be taxing on your feet, especially when worn without supportive footwear. Running may even exacerbate injuries like bunions and Morton’s neuroma.
Running pain can stem from many different sources, including muscle and tendon tears and inflammation, shin splints or stress fractures. Most injuries of this nature can usually be treated effectively through rest and physical therapy.
Heel pain
Plantar fasciitis, the inflammation of a thick band of tissue spanning across the bottom of your foot and connecting your heel bone to your toes, is one of the primary sources of heel pain. Running on hard surfaces often puts excessive strain on this ligamentous structure and may contribute to its inflammation – leading to plantar fasciitis in some instances.
Altering the surface on which you run can also cause this type of pain. One runner encountered it after switching up her training route and moving onto streets with greater angles (camber). This increased pronation (rolling inward of feet).
Lack of rest between running and exercise can also contribute to this kind of discomfort, so taking breaks between intense sessions to allow your body time to recover can help alleviate these feelings of soreness. Ice treatment of painful areas and stretching calves are other effective strategies that may ease this type of ache.
Arch pain
Arch pain is a frequent complaint among runners. Our foot’s arch was designed to absorb shock, bear weight and create balance; running stretches and exercises may help strengthen it further; orthotics can also provide beneficial results.
Structural problems such as flat feet can aggravate or cause arch pain, and may result from injury or overuse. Left untreated, unflatten feet could eventually progress into plantar fasciitis.
Extrinsic factors that can aggravate arch pain include your running shoes, frequency and terrain of runs and stretch sessions. Running on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt increases foot stress with each step; switching to cushioned terrain such as soft grass can lessen impact and thus help ease arch pain. Stretching and massaging before and after runs may increase flexibility by loosening tight muscles while an ice pack may also help with inflammation reduction and reduce pain levels; for persistent issues it’s advisable to consult a podiatrist.
Ball of the foot pain
The ball of your foot contains many bones, joints and soft tissue structures like muscles, tendons, ligaments and bursae that connect it with muscles, tendons, ligaments and bursa. When these tissues become inflamed or irritated it may become painful to bear weight on it – the pain often manifests under metatarsal heads present under toes – this could indicate arthritis, plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma or stress fracture in one of your mid-tarsal bones.
Running with ball of foot pain increases your risk of injury and slows recovery time, particularly for novice runners who may find it hard to distinguish between regular soreness and an injury; they may continue running despite discomfort, which could cause further damage. Wearing proper footwear with wide toe boxes, icing the feet regularly after running sessions and including post-run foot stretches with elevation will help avoid ball of foot discomfort; additionally a podiatrist may assess what’s causing it and provide effective treatments.
Toe pain
Blisters occur from friction between your skin and footwear or socks, and running shoes that are too small can exacerbate this problem. Wearing proper socks and checking your sizing regularly may help to alleviate this condition. Black toenails occur when your big toe repeatedly strikes the front of your shoe causing pressure-induced damage to its nail bed that leads to blood build-up within its nail bed; wearing properly fitting shoes as well as keeping toenails trimmed short may reduce this condition’s chances.
Running requires considerable foot flexion, which can irritate the retrocalcaneal bursa – a fluid-filled sac between your heel bone and Achilles tendon – leading to pain, swelling and redness on the outside of your foot. A metatarsal pad or shoe with wider toe boxes may reduce these symptoms. If they persist however it would be prudent to seek medical advice.
