•  How to Buy the Right Athletic Shoes •  How to Buy the Right Walking Shoes •  How to Choose Running Shoes •  Sports Injuries

Whether you're jogging down the street or charging down the basketball court, running puts an enormous amount of stress on your feet. The most important thing you can do to protect them is to wear shoes that fit correctly and provide adequate support. If you plan to run more than a few miles a week, buy your footwear at a running-shoe store where knowledgeable salespeople can help you find the right pair. For high arches, you'll need flexibility with lots of cushioning and arch support. If your feet are flat, go for a stiffer sole. Allow plenty of wiggle room in the front of the shoe for your toes, but make sure your heel is secure. You probably already know about the blisters and blackened toenails that come from running too far in ill-fitting shoes. But there are other ways running can lead to foot injuries. See which of the following explains why your dogs are barking.

You're probably putting too much stress on your arches, either because your feet tend to roll inward when you run or because you don't have enough arch support in your shoes. This kind of stress causes your plantar fascia, the thick, fibrous tendon that connects to the heel bone and supports the arch, to become inflamed and painful. To treat the problem, you'll need to stay off your feet for a week or so and take ibuprofen or aspirin. Roll your feet over cans of frozen juice a few times a day to reduce the pain and swelling. Before you start running again, buy yourself a new pair of shoes with better arch support and flexible soles. You might also want to insert quarter-inch heel pads or heel cups for extra cushioning. If the pain returns, you may need orthotics, customized arch supports that you can get from a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon. It can be as much as a year before the pain goes away. In a severe case, your doctor may give you cortisone injections to stop the inflammation. Some people have found acupuncture an effective treatment.

That's your Achilles tendon acting up. The impact of running on hard surfaces in inadequate shoes can cause your calf muscles to contract, putting a great strain on this tough, elastic tissue that connects them to the heel. Some runners are especially prone to the condition because the shape of their feet causes their heels to turn as they hit the ground. Once the pain, called tendinitis, becomes chronic, it can be very hard to treat. So stop running at the first sign of trouble, take aspirin or ibuprofen, and ice your tendons twice a day for a week or two. After that you'll need to stretch the tendon and calf muscles regularly. Stand about four feet from a wall and lean against it, supporting your weight with your hands. Keeping your heels on the ground, bend your elbows and slowly lean closer. Hold for a count of ten and repeat ten times. When you start running again, be sure to wear shoes that provide enough stability and shock absorption for your heel.

If you've recently started running a lot more and the pain has come on gradually, you may have cracked a metatarsal, one of the long foot bones that lead to your toes. This kind of break is called a stress fracture. Your second or third metatarsals (those are the ones next to the big toe, which is too strong to be affected) are the likeliest to yield to the stress of sudden heavy use. Putting the foot in a cast won't speed healing and may even cause other problems. The only treatment is to stop your training and stay off your foot for a while. You may need to rely on crutches for a week or so. The fracture can take six weeks to three months to heal completely. Remember to start off slowly when you start running again, gradually increasing your mileage to give your feet time to adjust. Stop if the pain recurs.

-- Kate Lee is a former associate editor at Consumer Health Interactive and researcher at Time Inc. Health. She is currently a senior editor at BabyCenter.

Further Resources

American Podiatric Medical Association

http://www.apma.org

References

Publicado por primera vez 01 de marzo de 1999
Actualizado por última vez 27 de octubre de 2008
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive and OneBody, Inc.

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