By Tom Tarapacki
The warm weather certainly encourages
us to get outside and get active after what, for many of us, has been a period
of relative inactivity over the winter months. However, before you decide to
rush out and run a few laps around Delaware Park, make sure that your feet are
ready. A quick move into high physical activity before your feet are prepared
for it can cause major injuries to the feet. Remember, the feet are the body’s
shock absorbers.
The American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society
(AOFAS) has some tips that can be invaluable
in keeping your feet healthy:
- Perform warm up exercises such as a short period
of walking and stretching. - Stretch again after exercising.
- Choose footwear that is specific to the sport or
activity. - Perform appropriate training for the specific
sport. - Try cross training with “feet-friendly”
non-impact activities, such as swimming, biking, elliptical trainers, and
steppers. - Before doing this, have your feet checked by an orthopedic
foot and ankle surgeon.
Impact sports such as running will place greater stress on
your feet. Without proper training that builds up your tolerance to impact
activities, stress fractures can occur. But don’t think that a less strenuous
activity like walking the dog down Elmwood Avenue doesn’t stress your feet. The
AOFAS points out that every time you take a step, two to three times your body
weight goes through your feet. Keep in mind that, if you’re active, it’s not
unusual take 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day. That is a lot of cumulative
force going through the sole of the foot and the various tendons that control
the movement of the foot. This repetitive loading can lead to many common
“chronic” foot conditions such as metatarsalgia, tendonitis, and
plantar fasciitis.
Metatarsalgia
is a painful condition involving the forefoot. It occurs when the tissue
in the sole of the forefoot gets irritated and painful from the repetitive
loading, especially if the force is concentrated in a localized area in the
forefoot.
Tendonitis occurs when a tendon gets excessively
overloaded, similar to a rope that is starting to fray. The body responds
to this type of tendon injury by sending inflammatory mediators to the area and
this is what leads to the pain and swelling associated with tendonitis.
Plantar
fasciitis is the most common cause of chronic heel pain. It usually develops
as a result of repetitive micro trauma to the heel. Tearing of the
plantar fascia can occur if you increase the amount of walking you do, walk on hard
surfaces, or gain extra weight. This will lead to heel pain; heel pain the
first thing in the morning is a characteristic sign of plantar fasciitis.
Getting one of these conditions can certainly ruin your
plans for an active summer. If you think you have one of them, be sure to seek
medical advice immediately. Of course, it’s best to avoid getting them in the
first place, if possible. The two keys to that are setting up a proper training
program that’s not excessively aggressive for your experience level and wearing
good shoes that are sport-specific (and replacing them regularly).
For more information about running and
fitness, try visiting the website of the area’s largest running club, www.checkersac.org; or visit www.fleetfeetbuffalo.com, the site of the specialty running and
walking store located on Delaware Avenue near Hertel.
For more information about foot health go
to www.aofas.org.