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Happy New Year! Sincere wishes for a positive start to 2025. For many people, me included, that positive start includes an exercise routine. For some that routine is already well established and being tackled with a sort of post-Holiday vigor. Others find themselves beginning a totally new fitness journey, the most common of which are walking, running, and gym routines. I find myself returning to running in a way that I haven’t attempted to undertake in several years, and my biggest take away is this: My feet hurt.
I know, I know, as a Physical Therapist I am in a prime position to respond to a little ache and pain with the appropriate level of activity modification, rehabilitative exercises, and general stretching that should keep my goals within reach. On the other hand, hitting a roadblock this early is just plain frustrating. If you have had any sort of similar experience, the following breakdown of the What, Why, and How might just help you (and me) stave off that frustration and keep the resolutions going strong.
What exactly hurts? It’s difficult to know without a thorough evaluation (like the kind the clinicians at db Ortho PT pride themselves on), but there are a few likely culprits. Plantar Fasciitis is a term that gets its fair share of the conversation, as it’s practically synonymous with foot pain. There’s also Achilles Tendinitis, which may not affect just the back of the ankle but the heel as well. Somewhat less commonly discussed is what I have been combating, namely Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis, or inflammation of the insertion of a relatively small foot and ankle muscle on the arch of the foot and just behind the ankle bone.
What do we do about it? Regardless of the specific irritation, the result is the same; something hurts. In the presence of pain, the body’s natural reaction is to try to promote healing by sending blood and nutrients to the affected area. This is a good thing, but part of the process typically reduces the flexibility and strength of the muscles in the area to protect them from load and stress. More than just speeding up the arduous process of the body healing itself, stretching and strengthening of the feet and ankles can help build the strength you need to continue your exercise routine without succumbing to this type of overuse injury in the first place.
What, specifically, do we do about it? The following three exercises can be effective, when implemented daily, at building foot strength and improving pain with running and walking.
The Runner’s Stretch – Place your hands on the wall and extend one leg straight backward, bending your front leg, until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg and hold.
Towel Scrunches – Spread out your toes, then scrunch the towel with your toes, and repeat.
Ankle Inversion – Move the foot with the resistance band away from the other foot by rotating your ankle inward, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a great place to start. Depending on the severity of your pain, and the intensity of your exercise, there are more tricks and tools available to us at db OrthoPT to get you back to full health. Because we could all use a helping hand to work off the December snacking.
