Getting Help With My Toes

Two Painful Foot Conditions That Can Affect Your Morning Run

20 January 2016

Arianna Nguyen

You're diligent about getting a daily run in before you head off to work. It all goes well until one of these foot conditions suddenly strikes. Either of them could keep you off of the running path. Here is what you need to know about these foot conditions and how to get back on your feet again after being affected by them.

Plantar Fasciitis

A band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. It stabilizes the foot and helps to hold your arch in place. Frequent irritation of this tissue can cause it to become inflamed and painful. Plantar fasciitis can be so painful that you can't put any weight on your foot.

Symptoms Associated with Plantar Fasciitis

People often notice these symptoms as they first get out of bed in the morning.

• A burning sensation along the bottom of the foot.
• Pain when pressing on the bottom of the heel or at the base of the toes.
• Severe pain when putting weight on the foot, which stretches the band of tissue.

Causes of This Painful Condition

There can be a number of reasons why this condition occurs including:

• insufficient warm up techniques before you exercise
• irritation of the bottom of the foot by poorly fitting shoes
• overworked foot muscles

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

For immediate relief from this painful foot problem:

• hold ice on the bottom of the foot to relieve the inflammation
• take anti-inflammatory pain medication, such as ibuprofen

If this occurs frequently, see a podiatrist who can recommend:

• custom orthotics in the shoe to support the foot better
• physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the foot

Bone Spurs

Abnormal bone growth can occur where the tendon attaches to your heel bone. Small outcroppings of bone occur, then get absorbed by the heel again without you noticing. Occasionally, the growth develops a sharp bone spur which irritates the tissue around it. The result is heel pain and inflammation.

Symptoms Associated With Bone Spurs

You may notice symptoms at any time, but they often first appear in the morning when you get up.

• a painful red area along the back or bottom of your heel
• severe pain when you press on your heel

Bone spurs can also irritate the plantar fascia and cause plantar fasciitis.

Causes of This Painful Condition

• overuse of the foot
• poorly fitting shoes
• degenerative bone diseases such as osteoarthritis

Treatment of Bone Spurs

You can gain some immediate relief from a bone spur with anti-inflammatory medications, but until the spur is absorbed by the body, it will continue to irritate your foot. A podiatrist can treat this condition with:

• custom shoe inserts to remove pressure from the heel  
• steroid injections to reduce the pain and inflammation  

For heel pain treatment, contact a podiatrist today. 

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