Two Reasons You’re Experiencing Foot Pain While Running
Most people are well aware of the fact that running offers numerous health issues, but like most things, it can also cause significant stress on certain parts of the body, such as the feet. For instance, if you enjoy running trails frequently, you will experience changing terrain, and this can cause stress on the plantar fascia as well as the arch. However, any time that you are experiencing pain in the arch or elsewhere in your feet, it needs to be addressed immediately. Keep reading to learn two of the most common reasons that you may be experiencing pain in your foot's arch and what can be done about it.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue that is located on the bottom of the foot. As a general rule, the pain that you experience from this condition will usually occur in the heel, but you may also experience it in the arch due to the fact that the tissue runs along the entire foot. If you notice that you have pain in your foot after extended periods of rest, such as after sleeping all night, then plantar fasciitis may be the cause.
You will want to stretch and massage the calf muscle first. You can also roll a frozen bottle of water or a ball underneath the foot. Do-it-yourself treatments like this can often take care of the problem. However, if they do not, your condition may be more serious, and you may require professional treatment or surgery. While running, you will want to ensure that you stretch your calf muscles and avoid increasing the length of your runs too much at a time to avoid placing additional stress on the foot.
Stress Fracture
Continued stress can result in small breaks in the bone, which are referred to as stress fractures. The bones in the front section of your arch are common places to get stress fractures. The pain associated with stress fractures starts off mild, but if left untreated, it can become severe.
It can take several weeks for a stress fracture to heal, and it will require you to get lots of rest, elevate your foot, and treat it with ice. While elevation and ice are important, rest is absolutely necessary. If you try to put weight on your foot before your doctor has approved it, you could cause more harm and find yourself in bed even longer. You may even be given a walking boot to help remove some of the weight off of the affected area. If you do not take proper care of the stress fracture, there is a serious risk of it turning into a complete break.
For more information, reach out to a sports medicine doctor in your area to learn more about injury prevention tips or treatment options if you believe you have been injured.
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