1/ Plantar fasciitis
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Sports doctor Jordan Metzl explains how to keep your ankles, heels and arches strong and healthy?
Pain along the bottom of your heel – that is particularly bad first thing in the morning as you get out of bed.
What's going on?
Excess tension or pulling on the plantar fascia, which runs along the bottom of your foot, causes painful inflammation.
Treat it
- Cross-train
- Stop running if the pain changes your stride
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- If pain persists, see a sports doc, who may recommend a cortisone shot
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- Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network
- Wear shoes with arch support
Prevent it
- Stretch, strengthen and foam roll your calves
- Gradually up your mileage
2/ Ankle tendinitis
Sports doctor Jordan Metzl explains how to keep your ankles, heels and arches strong and healthy?
Pain on the outside of your ankle beneath the bone and toward the back of the joint, which may start out mild but worsens over time with repeated running.
What's going on?
A big bump in mileage can stress the two tendons that run along the outside of your ankle, causing them to become inflamed.
Treat it
- Cross-train
- easy exercises to alleviate hip pain
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- Running Strong: The Sports Doctors Complete Guide to Injury-Free Running for Life
Prevent it
- Do foot eversions and calf raises and foam roll your calves
3/ Stress fracture
Sports doctor Jordan Metzl explains how to keep your ankles, heels and arches strong and healthy?
Pain in your forefoot or heel – that's most pronounced during running and worsens over time.
What's going on?
This develops over time when the demand on the bone exceeds the bone's ability to withstand the force.
Treat it
- See a sports doc. Immediate diagnosis (and rest) reduces recovery time
- Cross-train
Prevent it
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- Stop running if the pain changes your stride
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4/ Morton's neuroma
Sports doctor Jordan Metzl explains how to keep your ankles, heels and arches strong and healthy?
A burning pain in the ball of your foot that radiates toward your toes signals Morton's neuroma. You may also feel tingling or numbness between your second and third toes.
What's going on?
When your forefoot is constricted (by high heels or other pointy shoes), the plantar digital nerve gets squeezed, causing inflammation and pain.
Treat it
- Stop running if the pain changes your stride
- Whats going on
- If pain persists, see a sports doc, who may recommend a cortisone shot
Prevent it
- Choose shoes that allow wiggle room
Adapted from Running Strong: The Sports Doctor's Complete Guide to Injury-Free Running for Life, by Jordan Metzl.
