Running-related injuries often strike at the inside arch of the foot. They may result from straining muscles and overuse or from abruptly increasing training mileage without enough recovery time.

The medial plantar nerve branches off of the posterior tibial tendon above and behind the ankle and curves underfoot to enter a tunnel in front of the navicular bone. Excessive pressure or bending on this area may cause it to swell up and compress the nerve encasing it and leading to pain in its path.

Causes

Foot pain on the inside of your leg or in the arch of your foot could be due to any number of issues; in order to receive effective treatment for it, it’s vital that you identify its source as soon as possible.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the main sources of medial foot pain when running, caused by overuse. This condition occurs when your plantar fascia – the band of fibrous tissue running from heel to toes – becomes stretched where it joins your heel bone, leading to severe discomfort that prevents running altogether. This can make training impossible due to extreme pain levels experienced when strain occurs between this band of tissue and your heel bone, and therefore should be managed carefully or you may end up stopping altogether!

Shin splints are another common cause of medial foot pain when running, caused by inflammation in your muscles, tendons, and bones in your lower leg. Overuse or wearing inappropriate shoes often contribute to them; symptoms typically worsen as exercise continues but then subside after rest. They can be made worse on hillsy or uneven terrain as well.

Symptoms

An ankle or foot that hurts after running could be suffering from a stress fracture, caused by excessive force or overuse, but can be avoided with proper footwear, rest days and incorporating strength training exercises into your training program.

Tendonitis is a relatively common injury among runners and can often be traced back to overuse or improper footwear. Our feet house multiple tendons which, with overuse, may become inflamed resulting in tendonitis symptoms including pain, swelling and tenderness; stretching exercises or orthotic devices may help manage it effectively.

Peroneal muscles run along the outside of your leg, and when tight they can cause you to roll your foot out excessively while running (excessive supination). This causes tendons to squash together leading to inflammation which manifests itself with stabbing pain in either your arch or ball of foot which extends further into your toes. Symptoms may include stabbing pain under or at the ball of foot that feels as if it extends into toes.

Diagnosis

Runners suffering from pain in the inside arch of their foot should visit a podiatrist immediately, for evaluation of foot posture and range of movement on standing as well as palpation of the navicular bone and nearby tissue to detect tender spots.

If the lateral plantar nerve (LPN) becomes trapped at its point of entry into the foot, runners can experience excruciating neuropathic pain from this. Running and walking with one’s foot planted on the ground exacerbates it further. Physical examination will reveal tenderness over the site of entrapment as well as positive Tinel’s tests results.

Arthritis can develop among runners as the result of repeated trauma to their foot joints and cartilage, leading to stiffness and swollen feet. Treatment options often include taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and orthotic support as well as activity modification to lessen load on the feet such as running on softer surfaces or stretching before and after each run.

Treatment

Medial foot pain running can be treated using various approaches, from resting the affected leg, taking over-the-counter pain relievers or cold/ice packs, stretching exercises for your foot/ankle to custom arch support inserts in some instances.

Sesamoid injuries are less common among runners, yet repetitive pressure from running and walking can cause the joints of the ball of foot to hyperextend under stress, leading to undesirable tissue growth around or pressing against nerves resulting in metatarsalgia (sometimes referred to as Morton’s neuroma or interdigital neuroma) that needs medical treatment.

Medial Plantar Nerve Entrapment Syndrome, more commonly referred to as Jogger’s Foot, is a condition experienced by runners that is marked by pain along the first branch of the plantar nerve as it passes between abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis in the second toe webspace (Figure 1). Tinel’s test typically gives positive results in cases like this one.