Monday, June 20, 2011

Injuries: Plantar Fasciitis

It would seem that running should be perfectly natural - something that we're born to do. But unfortunately, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. When done the wrong way, injuries are not only possible, but absolutely likely. This post is the first in a series on common injuries for beginner runners - especially those that are particularly likely for over-weight runners.

So, quick anatomy lesson. Plantar: the bottom surface of your foot. Fascia: a very thick, rubbery, tendon. So then, your plantar fascia is the thick tendon that runs along the bottom of your foot - from the bottom of your heel bone, to the base of each toe to be exact.


It turns out that your plantar fascia is a critical bit of anatomy. This tough tendon is responsible for maintaining your arch. Without that tendon, your foot would splat against the ground with no tone, and would not be able to function. Each time you take a step, it is stretched as your foot touches the ground, and springs back as you lift your foot - much like a rubber band.

Understandably then, injury to the fascia can be excruciating. Most often, plantar fasciitis is felt as pain on the bottom of the foot, directly under the heel bone. And the news gets worse: plantar fasciitis is very slow to heal, with average healing time being 9-18 months. The thing is, fascia are very thick and rubbery - as such, they don't get much fresh blood, which is essential for healing.

Plantar fasciitis is particularly common in over-weight people and runners. So, what about over-weight runners? Well, lets not take our chances, shall we?

So, if you find yourself with plantar fasciitis, what can you do? First of all, stretches. The pain is generally only felt when standing and walking, and is worst first thing in the morning, or after sitting for an hour or more. So firstly, stretch before standing. With your leg stretched out in front of you, grab your toes and gently pull toward yourself. If you can't reach your toes, use a hand towel looped under your foot and pull the ends toward yourself. Next, keep your calves and achilles tendon loose at all times. Also of great help will be very supportive shoes. I know, you just shuddered at the image of those awful nude colored orthotic things your grandmother wore. Worry not, it doesn't need to be that bad. For any old shoe, you can get heel caps to add extra stability. Also, many shoe manufacturers make high-stability shoes. New Balance makes a nice hiking shoe, as well as a couple of different athletic shoes with built-in motion stability.

How will this impact your running? Not much, if you're careful. Just before your run, heat your foot on a heating pad for ~10 minutes. This will get the blood flowing and loosen up the fascia before the run. Second, you absolutely must have a full 24 hour recovery period between runs. Since the fascia is so slow to heal, this CANNOT be missed.

Above all, don't let it get you down! You wouldn't stop going to concerts just because you need a little ibuprofen afterward, would you?

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