Uncompleted Run...
My right feet had been aching since yesdae.. thinking oni a small issue, I turned up for the weekly run at the club... Today will be a hilly run- to Labrador Hill then Mt Faber.... I started off as per normal.. but halfway through Depot road, I start to feel a sharp pain on my heel.. and I started to limped quite badly as I ran... I limped all the way from depot road to Alexandra road.. my right knee was feeling the strain and I knew I can't make it to Labrador Hill.. i will end up hurting my right knee... Hence at the junction of Telok Blangah Way, I signalled to Jimmy Tan and Wong who were waiting for me across the junction that I will head back straight to club... I slowly walk a jog back to the club.. was quite disappointed to miss the hill run... but still thinking how I could have hurt my feet.. :( After the whole run, Anthony told me maybe it is Plantar Fasciitis.. maybe due to the speedwork I had done in tuesday...
Causes of plantar fasciitis
Biomechanical flaws including flat feet, high-arched feet and a tight Achilles tendon can result in considerable stress on the plantar fascia. Weight gain can exacerbate the problem, especially for women who fail to lose extra pounds gained during pregnancy.Other causes: excessive pronation, sudden increases in training mileage, beginning speedwork or switching surfaces (particularly to concrete sidewalks). Also at risk: women who wear high heels all day and then switch into flat running shoes.The good news: in most cases, plantar fascitis can be treated successfully without surgery. The bad news: ultimate success depends on a commodity often in short supply among runners: patience."It may take six weeks to three months to heal, or even longer, and thats hard for runners," says Dr. Thomas Clanton, a foot/ankle orthopedic surgeon who serves as team physician for Rice University in Houston, Texas. "I'm a runner myself, so I understand that completely."
Treatment
Medical experts treat plantar fasciitis with many of the usual approaches: stretching; icing after running; oral anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen; shoe inserts or custom-made orthotics; night splints and even injections of steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as cortisone.Surgery, which involves severing the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel or removing the heel spur, should be considered only when all else fails. Even then, many foot specialists are reluctant to perform it, concerned that it will cause more problems than it will fix.The mainstay of any treatment program for plantar fasciitis is stretching: specifically, Achilles tendon stretches performed first thing in the morning. You can do one effective stretch while you're still lying in bed. Loop a towel around the bottom of the foot and pull your toes toward your nose for 30 seconds, and do three sets, Dr. Laps explains. Then, during the day, do wall pushups with straight legs for one set, then with bent legs. Its best to do the pushups barefoot if possible.Experts also recommend wearing a heel cup or heel cushion in both running and regular shoes. They urge men to wear an oxford tie shoe during the day. Unlike loafers, tie shoes prevent the toes from curling, a habit that can worsen plantar fasciitis. They suggest women either permanently switch from heels to flats or at least try to run in the morning, before putting on heels.Some doctors recommend using a night splint, removed in the morning, to keep the plantar fascia from shortening overnight. "At night everybody sleeps with their feet pointing down, and in that position the Achilles and plantar fascia tighten up," Dr. Clanton explains. "Thats why it kills you when you first get out of bed. The band suddenly stretches, which perpetuates the problem. By putting a splint on and holding the foot more perpendicular to the leg, you can prevent that."If these approaches fail, physicians must investigate other possible causes of heel pain, such as a stress fracture, or arthritis caused by Lyme Disease. "As long as the cause of the heel pain is mechanical, its very easily treatable," Dr. Laps says.
Prevention
In any case, plantar fasciitis is troublesome enough to be worth avoiding, and there are many simple, effective ways to prevent it. Here are the best:
Wear well-cushioned shoes, and make sure the heels do not become significantly worn.
Run on soft surfaces. The best: grass, trails, a good track. Worse: asphalt. And worst: concrete.
Keep your mileage at a relatively consistent level. If you do pick up your training, increase total weekly miles by no more than 10 percent per week.
When beginning speedwork, ease into it gradually with a several-week buildup.
Perform Achilles tendon stretches regularly.
Women: don't wear high heels during the day, then switch to running shoes in the evening. Its probably better to run in the morning and then put on your heels. Or dont wear heels at all.
Causes of plantar fasciitis
Biomechanical flaws including flat feet, high-arched feet and a tight Achilles tendon can result in considerable stress on the plantar fascia. Weight gain can exacerbate the problem, especially for women who fail to lose extra pounds gained during pregnancy.Other causes: excessive pronation, sudden increases in training mileage, beginning speedwork or switching surfaces (particularly to concrete sidewalks). Also at risk: women who wear high heels all day and then switch into flat running shoes.The good news: in most cases, plantar fascitis can be treated successfully without surgery. The bad news: ultimate success depends on a commodity often in short supply among runners: patience."It may take six weeks to three months to heal, or even longer, and thats hard for runners," says Dr. Thomas Clanton, a foot/ankle orthopedic surgeon who serves as team physician for Rice University in Houston, Texas. "I'm a runner myself, so I understand that completely."
Treatment
Medical experts treat plantar fasciitis with many of the usual approaches: stretching; icing after running; oral anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen; shoe inserts or custom-made orthotics; night splints and even injections of steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as cortisone.Surgery, which involves severing the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel or removing the heel spur, should be considered only when all else fails. Even then, many foot specialists are reluctant to perform it, concerned that it will cause more problems than it will fix.The mainstay of any treatment program for plantar fasciitis is stretching: specifically, Achilles tendon stretches performed first thing in the morning. You can do one effective stretch while you're still lying in bed. Loop a towel around the bottom of the foot and pull your toes toward your nose for 30 seconds, and do three sets, Dr. Laps explains. Then, during the day, do wall pushups with straight legs for one set, then with bent legs. Its best to do the pushups barefoot if possible.Experts also recommend wearing a heel cup or heel cushion in both running and regular shoes. They urge men to wear an oxford tie shoe during the day. Unlike loafers, tie shoes prevent the toes from curling, a habit that can worsen plantar fasciitis. They suggest women either permanently switch from heels to flats or at least try to run in the morning, before putting on heels.Some doctors recommend using a night splint, removed in the morning, to keep the plantar fascia from shortening overnight. "At night everybody sleeps with their feet pointing down, and in that position the Achilles and plantar fascia tighten up," Dr. Clanton explains. "Thats why it kills you when you first get out of bed. The band suddenly stretches, which perpetuates the problem. By putting a splint on and holding the foot more perpendicular to the leg, you can prevent that."If these approaches fail, physicians must investigate other possible causes of heel pain, such as a stress fracture, or arthritis caused by Lyme Disease. "As long as the cause of the heel pain is mechanical, its very easily treatable," Dr. Laps says.
Prevention
In any case, plantar fasciitis is troublesome enough to be worth avoiding, and there are many simple, effective ways to prevent it. Here are the best:
Wear well-cushioned shoes, and make sure the heels do not become significantly worn.
Run on soft surfaces. The best: grass, trails, a good track. Worse: asphalt. And worst: concrete.
Keep your mileage at a relatively consistent level. If you do pick up your training, increase total weekly miles by no more than 10 percent per week.
When beginning speedwork, ease into it gradually with a several-week buildup.
Perform Achilles tendon stretches regularly.
Women: don't wear high heels during the day, then switch to running shoes in the evening. Its probably better to run in the morning and then put on your heels. Or dont wear heels at all.
posted by Jaime @ 11:41 PM
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