Common Foot Ailments

Foot pain or injury may result from a number of conditions and situations, including:

-          Congenital foot abnormalities such as low or high arches.

-          An injury to the foot such as a strain or sprain

-          Faulty posture

-          Improper body mechanics when running, jumping or walking

-          Muscular imbalances in the areas of flexibility and strength

-          Exercising on a non-resilient floor surface

-          Improper daily or exercise footwear

The anatomy of the foot is quite complex. The following injuries and ailments may be sports related:

-          Achilles Tendinitis: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon with pain radiating to the heel, ankle and calf.

-          Heel Pain:  May be due to injury, heel spurs, bursitis, arch strain, or pressure on the nerves from the heel bone.

-          Metatarsalgia: Pain in the ball of the foot caused by bruising of the toe joints.

-          Morton’s Neuroma: Burning and stinging, pain, cramping or numbness and tingling due to a tumour in the nerve of the foot between the third and fourth toe.

-          Plantar Fasciitis: Inflammation of the broad band of tissue running the length of the sole of the foot caused by stretching or tearing.

-          Sprained or Strained Ankle: Stretching or tearing of the muscles, tendons and ligaments due to trauma or overuse.

-          Stress Fracture: Cracks in the bone with pain directly over the affected bone.

The following foot conditions may be exacerbated by certain kinds of exercise:

-          Arthritis: May cause swelling, stiffness, muscle soreness, arch pain.

-          Diabetes: May experience numbness due to a lack of circulation.

-          Flat Feet: May cause arches and fatigue in the feet and calves.

-          Impeded Circulation: May cause numbing and cramping.

-          Pronated Feet: A misalignment causing the inside ankle to roll to the middle when weight is placed on the foot.

-          Supinated Foot: A misalignment causing the outside ankle to roll outwards when weight is placed on the foot.

The health of your feet can often be improved through healthy lifestyle habits including learning proper body mechanics, exercise and healthy eating.

The following guidelines may be used to reduce the risk of injury when exercising, but are no way meant to replace your own physicians (or other health professional) advice.

1. If you are experiencing foot pain or discomfort on any given day, consult with your physician before coming in for a workout.
2. Immediately discontinue any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.
3. Exercise on a resilient floor surface that provides cushion and stability.
4. Select an exercise shoe with good shock absorption, lateral support and stability, flexibility, arch support, width, ventilation and comfort.
5. Maintain proper alignment throughout all movements and exercises.
6. Include a proper warm-up and cool-down. Be sure to include range of motion exercises and stretches for your feet.
7. Increase you activity level gradually to allow your muscles time to adapt to the increase workload.
8. Include stretching exercises for the Achilles Tendon and the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) before and after each workout.
9. Include strengthening exercises for the shin muscles (anterior tibialis)
10. Use low-impact or non-weight-bearing activities to stimulate cardiovascular fitness.
11. Please notify your trainer and your physician if you experience any pain before, during or after your workout.