DIAGNOSIS
The plantar fascia is the ligament-like tissue on the bottom of your foot that runs from the heel to the toes. It helps you to walk and run by supporting the arch of your foot and absorbing the impact of your foot hitting the floor.
When you experience pain in your heel or on the bottom of your foot after running, it is likely that the plantar fascia is irritated or inflamed. In most cases, the pain will usually occur after running or exercise, rather than during it.
CAuse
In general terms, pregnant women, those with a high BMI, and people whose jobs involve walking on hard surfaces are at an increased risk of experiencing plantar fascia pain. However it is also very common among the general running population.
Pain in the feet after running can also be caused by:
- Increased foot pronation — Pronation occurs when the foot rolls inwards toward the centre of the body, which places strain on the arch of the foot.
- Increased training load (speed or volume) — Foot pain can occur when you start running more regularly, further, or faster, rather than increasing the load slowly and gradually.
- A change in foot striking pattern — A foot strike pattern refers to which part of your foot lands first when running. Changing this can be beneficial, but it can also result in pain on the bottom of the foot.
- Inappropriate footwear — Wearing shoes that aren’t designed for running, or that don’t fit your feet, can result in plantar fascia pain.
- Limited range of big toe or ankle movement — Limited movement in the big toe (including hallux rigidus, the name given to arthritis of the big toe) or ankle increases pressure on the plantar fascia when running, causing irritation or inflammation.
Treatment
If your foot pain is down to a high BMI, losing weight and reducing your BMI will ease the strain on your plantar fascia. In terms of rehabilitation, there are a variety of options:
- Strength training — Carrying out training exercises focused on increasing the strength of your hips, knees, and feet.
- Orthotics — Placing an orthotic insert inside your footwear to support the bottom of your foot while running. Our Footscan service can help you with custom made insoles.
- Corrective footwear — Using shoes that are specially designed to provide more support for your plantar fascia.
- NSAIDS — Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce the inflammation of your plantar fascia, which eases the strain on the ligament during exercise.
- Shockwave therapy — This highly effective treatment can be used to reduce the discomfort of plantar fascia pain.
- Steroid injections and exercise — Combining the use of steroid injections with exercise has proven to be more effective in alleviating foot pain than exercise alone.
- Running gait re-education — Your running gait is the way your foot strikes and leaves the floor with each stride. This can be changed to reduce strain on your foot and prevent damage from excessive foot pronation.
HERE TO HELP
We’d be happy to help, so if you’re in pain after running and want expert advice, get in touch with us today
