Learn how to run properly to prevent injury and how to effectively deal with heel pain. Sometimes novice athletes are faced with the problem of pain in the heel. This is not surprising, because most people are convinced that to run, you just need to move your legs quickly. In practice, everything is completely different and the running technique has been honed over the years. Today you will find out if your heels hurt after running what to do.
Incorrect running technique
Very often, a similar problem arises precisely because of violations of running technique, or rather, with errors in placing the foot on the ground. While running, most people focus on the heel and at the same time actively wave their hands, believing that this will help to increase the running speed. However, in most cases, they do not get any positive results from these actions.
Admittedly, sports shoe manufacturers are now trying to increase the thickness of the sole and as a result, the heel becomes thicker. As a result - a breakdown and depression after the end of the lesson. You must understand that no sole is able to protect the heel from the loads that fall on its share during running. Although the thickened sole somewhat softens the impact of the foot on the ground, pain can still appear, and not only in the heels, but also in the entire foot.
It is quite understandable that often novice athletes are interested in what to do if their heels hurt after running. Scientists have done a lot of research on running technique, and never a heel was used during this time. Here are some tips to help you avoid heel pain:
- When running, the leg should move forward so that it lands on the toe.
- The foot should only land on the forefoot.
- If the running technique is observed, then the speed of movement and range increase, since the legs are in the air for more time and at this moment they have the opportunity to rest.
- To accelerate, you do not need to scatter your legs to the sides, but gradually increase the speed of movement.
Other possible causes of heel pain after running
If you follow the technique, but the question is, if your heels hurt after running, what to do is relevant - the reason for the appearance of pain is different. To begin with, if pains appear, then they cannot be ignored, since serious complications are possible. In such a situation, you need to immediately pay attention to your shoes used for training. For example, in women, with the constant use of high-heeled shoes, the load on the foot increases sharply, which can cause pain.
We recommend that you only buy running shoes from well-known manufacturers in trusted stores. If everything is fine with your shoes, and the running technique is not violated, then the cause of the pain is probably some kind of disease. Very often, pain is caused by arthritis, in which pain occurs throughout the foot. Gradually, the pain sensations intensify, especially in the morning and late evening. To improve the situation, it is necessary to correctly dose physical activity, as well as to carry out therapeutic massage.
Another common disease is plantar fasciitis, which most often develops with uncomfortable shoes. We will talk about it a little later in more detail. When pain occurs during movement, Achilles inflammation probably develops and in such a situation it is necessary to correctly localize the pain. When you are wondering what to do if your heels hurt after running, the reason may lie in the development of reactive infectious diseases. In addition, a whole group of diseases can be distinguished that can cause discomfort while driving. We do not recommend self-medication, but we advise you to seek help from a specialist.
Plantar fasciitis causes and symptoms
First, you need to say a few words about what this disease is - the inflammatory processes that develop in the plantar fascia (tissue or ligaments) that connects the midfoot and the heel bone. The plantar fascia is intended to support the arch of the foot and to improve the shock absorption of the foot.
The main reason for the development of plantar fasciitis is frequent mechanical damage to the fascia, which is not necessarily accompanied by inflammatory processes. Most often, these microcracks appear at the attachment point of the fascia to the heel bone. At night, they heal, which leads to a decrease in the length of the fascia itself. As soon as a person woke up and took the first few steps, the ligaments stretch again and new microdamages appear. The most common causes of plantar fasciitis are:
- Staying on your feet for a long time without proper practice.
- Start training on an unfamiliar surface, for example, after jogging on the ground in a park, you started to train on asphalt paths.
- Being overweight puts additional strain on your legs.
- With strong stretching, which may appear due to inadequate dosage of loads.
- With limited mobility of the Achilles tendon.
We have already said that plantar fasciitis is not a rare disease and that is why, today we will devote enough time to it. Very often the answer to the question, do heels hurt after running, what to do, is the development of this disease and to solve the problem it is necessary to cure it.
In addition to athletes, women who often use high-heeled shoes are at risk. According to statistics, plantar fasciitis is observed in every tenth person. Here are the main symptoms of this disease:
- Pain in the lower heel.
- The pain often comes on immediately after waking up after taking a few steps.
Note that sometimes people believe that if they do not step on the heel, then the pain will go away. However, in practice, walking on tiptoes can only aggravate the situation, since the fascia is actively stretched, and new microcracks appear on it.
How can plantar fasciitis be cured?
Let's find out if your heels hurt after running what to do with plantar fasciitis. Most often, the painful sensations go away on their own after reducing the load and using aids. However, this may take more than a month. To speed up the process of treating a disease, you need to take a holistic approach.
- Rest your feet. Rest your legs for as long as possible. You must avoid strenuous exercise. It is likely that you will have to pause running in order not to aggravate the situation.
- Pick the right shoes. This must be done not only for walking or jogging, but it is also not recommended to walk barefoot at home. Shoes should be comfortable with good insteps and soft heels. Whenever possible, try to use athletic shoes rather than open sandals. To reduce the stress on the heel of the foot, you need to buy soft insoles. Your job is to raise your heel one centimeter. If there is a very sensitive spot on the heel, a hole should be made in the insole.
- Use pain relievers. If the pain is strong enough, then special medications will help you, for example, paracetamol or, in the presence of inflammatory processes in the fascia, ibuprofen. Moreover, we still recommend using the second drug, since it has the ability to relieve pain and at the same time eliminates inflammation.
- Do specific exercises. Stretching the Achilles tendon can be recommended for pain relief. This will relieve tension from the fascia that occurs when it is stretched while walking. As a rule, athletes need to recover in a short time and all the methods described above do not give a tangible result. In such a situation, it is necessary to start treatment for plantar fasciitis. Now we will talk about the possible types of therapy, but it is difficult to say which one is more effective. When choosing a method of treatment for this disease, much depends on the specific situation.
- Shockwave therapy. For this type of therapy, special ultrasound equipment is used. It should be noted that even scientists cannot yet say for sure how this method of treatment can help. However, people who have undergone shock sound therapy speak of its high efficiency and the absence of recurrence of the disease in the future. We also note that the procedure is completely safe and has no contraindications.
- Radiation therapy. It should be said right away that this method of treating plantar fasciitis is not common, but at the same time it brings good results.
- Use of a special tire. In some situations, a special splint is a very effective means of combating this disease. It is applied at bedtime and stays on all night. This keeps the Achilles and fascia stretched.
Also, as a last resort, you have to resort to surgical intervention. Plantar fasciitis can also be treated with corticosteroid injections. However, with the help of this group of drugs, in most cases the pain is simply relieved, and the disease itself is not cured.
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