Balancing Western Medicine and Alternative Methods

Everything A Runner Needs To Know About Plantar Fasciitis

Running has a huge number of health benefits. You can build up your stamina, lose some calories, strengthen your muscles, strengthen your bones, and you can even experience mental health benefits by running too. And while running is mostly a good thing, it can feel like exactly the opposite when you experience a running injury. A common injury that occurs among runners is something called plantar fasciitis. This strange name is just a technical way of describing a kind of heel pain that is commonly associated with running.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

You can better understand how to look after your feet if you have an understanding of the cause of this condition. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that stretches out from your heel to the middle of your foot. This band of tissue acts as a shock absorber and it supports your foot when it arches. plantar fasciitis is caused when repeated small injuries to the plantar fascia occur. Of course, the reason why this is a more common ailment among runners is because runners are placing greater amounts of pressure on their feet through their running routines.

Runners might also find that even without increasing the mileage of their regular runs, they experience this kind of foot pain, and this could be because the runner has switched to running on a different surface, such as concrete, that forces a greater impact on the plantar fascia.

How Can Plantar Fasciitis Be Treated?

It's a point of frustration for many runners, but unsurprisingly, one of the best things that you can do to allow plantar fasciitis to heal is simply to rest your feet and not run for a while. For a runner who is used to getting out on the track or the treadmill every day, this can seem like torture, but the pain in your feet will only get worse if you don't let the tissue heal properly before running again.

Fortunately, while you rest there are some things you can do to encourage the repair of your injury. To help the inflammation of your heel subside, you can take anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, or if you would prefer not to take pills, simply put your feet on ice when you are watching the television or sitting at your desk.

It is unlikely that you'll be able to kick back all day, however, and you'll still have to do some walking around in your healing period. At this time, make sure that your feet are cushioned by supportive soles, and it could be useful to purchase insoles for this purpose.

If you continue to experience heel pain for an extended period of time (more than two weeks) while trying these treatments, you should consult with a podiatrist like Essendon Foot Clinic who will be able to examine your feet thoroughly and identify the best course of action to get you running once again.

Hitting The Track Again

When you did hit the track again, there are some things you can do to discourage plantar fasciitis from returning. First of all, upgrade your running shoes to ensure your shoes are absorbing the shock of the impact when you run, and not your feet. Try not to run on very hard ground such as concrete as this can also increase the amount of shock that your heels experience. And if you are keen on increasing your running time for something like a marathon, do it steadily. Listen to your body and your feet and only increase your running times in short increments, and when you feel ready to increase them.


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