Common Running Injuries to the Feet and Ankles

/
37952608_S_marathon_runners_sneakers_feet_legs_.jpg

Running injuries to the feet are ubiquitous, which is just a fancy word to mean that they happen all the time!  Let’s say you’re a serious runner. Even if you train smartly, your individual foot structure - or just simple bad luck - can cause foot or ankle problems. Here are a few common running injuries we treat here at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center in Monmouth County, New Jersey and what you can do about them:  

  • Plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the thick ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot and helps form your foot’s arch. Irritation or tightness of the plantar fascia is called plantar fasciitis. Get relief by resting your feet. Treat your plantar fascia to ice baths, rolling the bottom of your foot against a frozen water bottle, and calf-stretching exercises. Lay off of running until the inflammation goes away. If it doesn’t, visit us for further treatments such as shockwave therapy.

  • Tendinitis. There are several tendons that connect the muscles in your lower leg to your feet. Pain, tenderness, and swelling on the inside of your ankle could be caused by inflammation of the posterior tibial tendon. Symptoms on the outside of your ankle or behind your heel mean that some other tendon is inflamed. Custom orthotic inserts can fix pronation problems that contribute to tendinitis. Rest, icing, and new shoes can also help.

  • Morton’s neuroma. When a nerve gets inflamed, usually between the third and fourth toes, you feel an aching or burning sensation in the ball of your foot. Your toes feel numb. You may think you’ve got a pebble in your shoe or a bunched-up sock problem. We help relieve neuroma pain with orthotics, toe strapping, and injection therapies. 

Runners experience so much more - stress fractures, blisters, shin splints, black toenails, and ankle sprains, to name a few. Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, and Dr. Joseph Saka understand the variety of problems that runners face. We treat you and your feet with everything from conservative therapies to expert foot and ankle surgery. Call us at (732) 905-1110 for an appointment in our Howell or Jackson, New Jersey office or click here to make an appointment online.