Foot pain is extremely common among recreational and professional runners alike and indicates that your feet have sustained some damage. It’s therefore extremely important to see a podiatrist whenever your feet hurt, especially if the pain is severe and/or persistent. This will help you to prevent further damage and get back to running sooner.
Many of our London podiatry patients love running because it’s exhilarating, doesn’t require special equipment (just suitable running shoes) and gives them a real sense of achievement. There are numerous running clubs such as London City Runners and races including the Canary Wharf 5k.
However, running demands a lot from your body, especially your feet. As pain relief brand Nurofen points out, the force a runner’s foot is subjected to when striking the ground can be twice the person’s weight. ‘This might explain why foot injuries account for up to 40% of all running injuries’, adds the brand.
Foot pain from running can come on slowly or suddenly. It might be sharp or dull. You might notice it during a run or shortly after. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned runner with foot pain, the skilled podiatry team at our Canary Wharf clinic and other London locations can help you. We successfully treat painful foot problems and support patients’ fitness goals.
Why Runners Are Prone to Foot Pain
- Running is a repetitive, high-impact activity – it puts your feet at risk of overuse injuries (such as tendon damage), especially if you skip warming up/cooling down, overtrain, run on hard surfaces or don’t rest properly between runs.
- Untreated biomechanical issues prevent feet moving efficiently. Common examples include overpronation (feet roll inwards excessively so are forced out of alignment with ankles) and unstable, hypermobile joints. Such issues contribute to poor running technique and impair feet’s ability to cope with pressure.
- Poorly designed running shoes don’t protect feet – they may lack arch support or cushioning, provide insufficient grip or fail to fasten securely, for instance.
- Uneven/slippery surfaces can lead to accidents – you could lose your balance when running down a wet pavement and sprain a ligament, say.
Painful Running-Related Foot Problems
Common causes of runners’ foot pain include:
- Infected blisters – friction acting on sweaty skin creates sores that are easily invaded by bacteria.
- Black toenails – trauma caused by toes hitting the front of loose running shoes leads to blood collecting under nails.
- Ingrown toenails – linked to narrow running shoes squeezing toes together.
- Turf toe – the big toe can become sprained when pushing off hard ground.
- Metatarsalgia – pressure leads to pain in the ball of the foot.
- Morton’s neuroma – a nerve gets trapped (often between the third and fourth toes) and becomes inflamed.
- Arch pain – frequently affects runners with weak arches.
- Tendonitis – inflamed, damaged tendons are often found in the midfoot/forefoot.
- Plantar fasciitis – the shock-absorbing plantar fascia tissue along your sole sustains damage, causing heel pain.
- Stress fractures – small cracks in bones (such as the delicate metatarsals connected to the toes).
Runners are also susceptible to other painful lower limb issues, such as shin splints (the area around the shin bone becomes inflamed and sore) and runner’s knee (caused by cartilage erosion).
Is it Safe to Run with Foot Pain?
You love running, so the last thing you want is to give it up for a while. But as London podiatry specialists, we know that running with foot pain is unsafe. You could aggravate the problem, trigger worse pain, do more damage and face a longer road to recovery.
If your feet are painful when running or after a run, you should rest and see a podiatrist. This is an urgent priority if any of the following points apply:
- You’ve had foot pain for several days
- It’s getting worse
- You have other troubling symptoms, such as a change in foot shape
- You struggle to put weight on your foot
You need a podiatrist’s help to find out exactly what’s wrong and put it right. The sooner you book an appointment, the sooner you can get back to running.
Overcome Runners’ Foot Pain at London Podiatry Clinics
Rest assured that we’re experts in foot care for runners.
At our London podiatry clinics, we use biomechanical assessments, gait analysis and imaging tests to check for and diagnose foot/lower limb problems. We then create effective treatment plans to relieve pain.
Those plans often include prescription orthotics (designed to correct abnormalities, support feet and boost performance), foot-strengthening exercises and advanced nail and skin surgery for ingrown toenails and other issues.
If foot pain from running has stopped you in your tracks, book an appointment with Feet By Pody today for expert support.