Your “uncommon” running injuries are more common than you think! At Victoria Foot and Ankle Center, we treat multiple patients who are heavy runners and have seen almost every injury you can imagine. Even the “weird” ones! If you are experiencing pain in your joints, ankles, have issues with your toes, or anything else– don’t let this keep you from staying active. We are able to treat a majority of these types of injuries without performing surgery.
Ankle Sprains
Are you a runner and experiencing what feels like an ankle sprain? Even if you aren’t a runner, movement of your body alone can leave you at risk for sustaining an ankle sprain. Though runners have an elevated risk of experiencing this, anyone’s foot has the potential to land back on the ground at an awkward angle whether walking or running. This injury often leads to pain and swelling and will require rest before continuing at your normal pace of activity.
Achilles Tendinitis
Your Achilles tendon is a connective cord that attaches the bottom of the calf muscle to the heel and is what enables an individual to move their foot up and down. It quite literally plays a major role in every step you take! This condition usually occurs at the onset of an increase in one’s workload and causes the area to feel pain and include stiffness.
Plantar Fasciitis
If you experience a sharp, stabbing pain in your heel while walking, it’s more than likely plantar fasciitis. This condition can be compared to that of a stress fracture and occurs as a common overuse injury– causing the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the length of the foot to become inflamed.
Stress Fractures
Stress fractures sound worse than they actually are. They occur as tiny cracks in the bone tissue that develop over time due to repetitive motions and forces on the body. Your pain will worsen with and during physical activity and often go away after. Rest is necessary to prevent the injury from worsening or becoming more serious.
Running Injury Prevention Tips
If you experience any of these injuries, you shouldn’t fret. At Victoria Foot and Ankle Center, we want to help you heal so that you can continue to remain active in your life the way that you want. We do recommend following the next steps to prevent injuries:
Warm Up Before Running
It’s important to make sure your muscles and tendons are prepared for the work they’re about to endure. Heading out “cold” will only increase your risk of injury and is no help to your muscles.
Use of The Right Attire
Proper running shoes have a lot more to do with just their tread. It’s also important to consider foot structure and running style as well as buy them at the right time of day. Did you know that in the evening or at night, your feet are at their largest? Try both shoes on as opposed to just one when testing them out for fitting.
Practice Right = Run Harder
When you first begin running, your body will be able to better adjust to a mix of running and walking as opposed to just starting out “cold.” You should run with 10% improvement increments until you are able to run comfortably the entire time!
If you have any questions or concerns about problem areas of your feet, ankles, or joints, Victoria Foot and Ankle Center is here to help guide you through healing, as well as prevention of future injuries. Call us at 361-576-3338 to talk about setting up an appointment so we can help you practice right, to run harder.
