Foot Pain When Running: What Helps?
Running-related foot pain is one of the most common injuries or niggles for runners. From the high-end athlete to the Sunday morning parkrun, almost everyone has suffered some sort of foot-related pain. The question is: how do you alleviate it?
There can be many reasons why your feet can be in pain: weak musculature, ligament damage, bruising, bone damage and many more. In this article we look at the most important alleviating factor… the calf stretch.
The calf stretch sounds simple because it is simple. But the benefits are such that it is not only the calf that gets stretched, but a number of different structures:
The Achilles tendon: the thick band of tissue you can feel on the back of your foot towards the heel. This tendon connects the strong calf muscle to the rest of the foot; without it we would not be able to move our feet up and down. It is important to stretch the tendon and not allow it to get too stiff, as this limits ankle mobility and will cause foot pain.
Tibialis posterior and peroneals: these muscles lie on the outside of the calf and under the main calf tissue. They are responsible for rotation of the foot and ankle stability. If they are stiff, they can cause bad cramping both in the foot and around the ankle.
The plantar structures: many muscles sit on the base of the foot, controlling the flexion (curling) of the feet and toes. If these muscles are not stretched, the foot becomes cramped, the toes curl and the pain begins - this is the territory of the plantar fascia. Keep stretching these structures to keep the base of the foot as relaxed as you can.
This is why the calf stretch is such an important mobility tool in a runner’s armoury: you are getting so much more than a stretch in the calf, and you are improving your performance by increasing your chance of staying pain-free.
How to complete it: find a 45-degree angle or anything you can drop one foot off (kerb, step, stairs). Drop the heel of one foot over the edge, with the other foot standing next to it for balance. Stay upright, gently squeeze your abs and glutes as you stretch, and hold for 2 minutes before swapping sides. Do this after every run if possible, no matter the distance.
Struggling with foot pain when running? NRG Sports Therapy is a sports injury clinic in Bloomsbury, Central London. Book an injury assessment and we will build you a plan to get you moving pain-free.
