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Three Common Leg And Foot Injuries You Might Encounter If You're An Avid Runner
Tessa Jean
If you're an avid runner, then you are going to end up dealing with foot and leg problems. It's an unavoidable part of being an athlete who runs long distances. It doesn't matter if you run on a soft track, cross-country hills, or hit the treadmill, you often can't escape these problems. These injuries are often stress related, not serious problems such as broken bones. They occur because of overuse and improper stretching. Here's an example of three of the common problems you will have to deal with.
Shin Splints
Shin splints occurs in runners quite frequently. It happens when there is stress to the legs from prolonged running. The technical name for the injury isn't "shin splints," it's medial tibial stress syndrome. While it might feel like the shin bone is injured, the injury really has to do with the tendons, ligaments and muscles surrounding the shin. The pain can be very severe, and there are even runners who will have swelling in their lower legs.
For this reason, it's very important to visit a doctor and have them examine the leg. You want to be clear that you don't have a stress fracture. A stress fracture can feel very similar, but it actually can be dangerous if you keep running on it. Once the doctor rules out a stress fracture, they will give you some instructions about how to care for the leg. This often includes staying off it and some stretching techniques to make sure the ligaments are not too tight.
IT Band Syndrome
Pain in your knee after running can often be scary. You might think that there is something wrong with your joint, which might signal a major knee problem. However, it is often a case of IT band syndrome. What happens is that the Iliotibial band in your leg (which runs from your pelvis down your thigh, past your knee, and to your shin) ends up getting too tight. This tightness can cause a form of redirected pain in your knee. The solution is to do a series of stretches (including side bends) that stretch out and loosen the IT band.
Plantar Fasciitis
This problem is a really annoying one for runners. It is caused when the planter fascia gets tight from excessive running without proper stretching. This fascia runs from the bottom of your foot, across your heel and ties into the back of your foot. The pain can be felt in the back of your heel, or, as is more often the case, the bottom of the foot.
The pain can be very intense, almost feeling like a needle is in your foot. Many people take pain killers, but this will only mask the pain, it won't fix the problem with the fascia. The solution is to visit a foot and ankle specialist and have them diagnose the problem and design a program to deal with it. They can often show you stretching techniques that can fix the problem and also prescribed special footwear to wear until your pain is gone.
For more information, visit websites like http://www.elmhurstpodiatry.com.
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Growing up, I was never very interested in buying a large quantity of shoes to pair with my outfits. I rarely owned more than five or six pairs of shoes at any given time. I usually wore either my favorite pair of sneakers, boots, flats, or heels everywhere I went. When I married my amazing husband ten years ago, my shoe closet expanded. My generous spouse encouraged me to buy some several pairs of cute shoes to match my clothing. After shopping for new shoes, I was hooked. Now, I rarely wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Thankfully, I’ve learned that wearing a different type of shoe each day is good for my foot health. On this blog, you will discover the most important benefits of wearing a different kind of shoe every day of the week.