Running is one of the most popular recreational sports and hobbies in the country. Thousands of people of all ages, fitness levels, and life backgrounds hit the ground running pretty much every day. It’s an easy sport to access and is great for the body: it doesn’t require any fancy equipment to get started, while it boots cardiovascular health, burns fat, and builds strength. Unfortunately, like every other sport, it still comes with risks. Many common running injuries can keep you from the hobby you love—but with the right treatment, you can get back to the trails easily.
The Stress of Running
When you run, your lower limbs are supporting the pressure of both your bodyweight and the pressure of the ground beneath you. Your feet have to be able to absorb the shock and impact of striking the ground and pushing off again. Over time, this can wear on your lower limbs. Issues like overtraining, overuse, poor conditioning, faulty biomechanics, and bad shoes can contribute to painful injuries that can keep you from the sport you love.
Common Injuries
Because of the stress running puts on the feet and ankles, some injuries are particularly common among runners:
- Achilles tendinitis – Strain and pressure on your Achilles can lead to irritation, swelling, and even degeneration in the tendon. This makes pushing off the ground painful.
- Ankle sprains – A sudden twist of your ankle can overstretch the stabilizing ligaments. This is both painful and makes your joint unstable.
- Blisters – Friction on your skin can damage it and cause the top layers to separate from the lower layers. This little sore can be incredibly tender to the touch.
- Black toenails – Repetitive trauma to the toes can cause bleeding under your nails, staining the hard keratin a dark color.
- Plantar fasciitis – Strain and overuse on the feet can overstretch and irritate the plantar fascia band. This create intense heel pain that can make running difficult.
- Shin splints – An overuse injury can aggravate the tissues in the lower legs, particularly around the shins. This can make your shins burn with every stride.
- Stress fractures – Repetitive hard impacts can crack foot bones over time, if your feet are not conditioned to handle the stress. This can make running excruciatingly painful for the long term.
Treating Your Feet Right
Exactly what treatments your feet need depends entirely on your condition. The good news is that a good percent of runners injuries can be treated using conservative methods. Our team at Absolute Foot Care Specialists will carefully examine your lower limbs to diagnose the problem. Then we’ll help you with a targeted treatment plan to eliminate pain and increase injury prevention.
In most cases, you will need to rest and either scale back or take a break from your running. After that, common treatments include icing, compressing, and elevating your foot to deal with any swelling. You might need more support for your lower limbs, either by changing shoes or using orthotics. Once the problem has been resolved, you’ll most likely need physical therapy to recondition your lower limbs for the run, as well as prevent future issues.
Running injuries can force you to take a break from your regular workout or hobby. No runner enjoys having to take time off. Taking the time to treat your feet right, however, is always worth it. Don’t risk serious running issues later by ignoring problems now. Let our team at Absolute Foot Care Specialists in Las Vegas help you today. Call (702) 839-2010 or use our online forms to connect with us for more information or to request a consultation.