What causes lifting pain while running and how to fix it?

Orthopedic traumatologist, chief podiatrist of the ORTEKA salon network

What causes foot pain while running?

During walking and running, the feet absorb shock loads, protecting the joints and spine from premature wear and tear. At the same time, they experience tremendous stress, which, without proper support, can cause heaviness, pain, and fatigue in the feet. Such symptoms are common not only in runners, but also in those who rarely exercise. Let’s break down why.

Why can lifting hurt?

Flat feet
Flat feet, according to statistics, suffer from more than half of the world’s population. This pathology is the most common cause of pain in the instep. With this disease, the vaults of the foot are reduced, due to which the dynamic and static load falls on the entire plantar part. As a consequence, the biomechanics of gait and running change, and the muscles are significantly overstretched and fatigue faster. This causes unpleasant and painful sensations in the instep of the foot.

Weak muscles
A sedentary lifestyle and lack of regular physical activity also affect the condition of the legs. If a person does not walk much, does not do sports, then the muscles and ligaments of the foot weaken. Each intensive training, for example, jogging, becomes a real stress for the body and causes pain in the instep. Especially often this problem is faced by beginners who have just started training.

Osteoarthritis or arthritis
Pain in the instep can signal a disease of the joints of the foot: osteoarthritis or arthritis. The first is associated with the wear and tear of the articular cartilage, and the second – c inflammatory process in the area of the joints of the bones. These pathologies can cause painful sensations during running, walking or even at rest.

Uncomfortable equipment
Pain can occur due to improperly fitted shoes. Buying sneakers, many people do not take into account the technique of foot placement when running. In beginners, the heel usually takes the shock load. Experienced athletes rely on the middle part of the foot. Professionals use the toe running technique, which means they land on the front of the foot and then transfer the weight to the entire foot. For each running technique, you need to find the right sneakers, which will differ in drop rates (height difference from heel to toe).

Training should be moderate, unnecessarily stressing the body is not worth it. Before any physical activity should always do warm-up, which helps to improve metabolic processes in the body, accelerate blood supply to the muscles and saturate them with oxygen. To train the muscles of the feet, it is recommended to do simple exercises such as alternate walking on the toes and heels, on the inside and outside of the foot, self-massage of the feet.