The sight of a jogger bounding around the corner into a glowing sunrise seems to be a picture of health. I many ways it is, but there may also be unhealthy aspects, including overuse injuries of the foot, ankle and lower leg. In such cases, repeated stress typically wears down an area of bone, muscle, tendon and ligament, resulting in a tear or break. Stress fractures of the foot and ankle are particularly common in runners. The first symptoms of such and injury may be mild pain, sometimes described as a tearing feeling.If that signal is ignored and the overuse continues, the stress fracture will worsen, until the person is in pain even when resting. The longer the condition is allowed to progress, the greater the damage may be.
There is no question that running is good for you, but it can put extra demands on your body. When your feet hurt, it is all too common to accept this as due to a hard day at work or play. Healthy feet are not supposed to hurt, and it is our job at Family Foot and Ankle Care to find out why yours do. If being active is a big part of your life, consult your podiatrist about how to prevent as well as treat foot and ankle injuries and conditions.
Dr. Marc Fink
P.S. People who suddenly increase their exercising or begin new running programs may be susceptible to overuse injuries.
