Welcome to my blog! My name is Geoff. I have always been a sporty kind of chap. I love to go long distance running and I also play football and rugby. One day after a long run, I had a terrible pain in my foot. I thought I had just been overdoing it a little bit, so I decided to rest up. A week later, it was no better. I was still in a lot of pain and had to drop out of a couple of football matches. My doctor sent me to see a podiatrist who examined my foot and explained I had damaged a ligament. The podiatrist helped me to get back to full health. I decided to start this blog to explain the importance of good foot care.
Most people who run on a regular basis will eventually sustain some type of leg or foot injury. Here are two running injuries that can be treated by a podiatrist.
Shin splints
'Shin splints' is a condition that causes pain and inflammation in a person's shinbone (or tibia, as it is more formally known). This issue tends to occur most frequently in those who often run on uneven ground or those who run in shoes that do not have a lot of cushioning in their soles.
The dull, aching pain associated with shin splints tends to come and go; it is usually at its worst after a bout of exercise and will then fade after a prolonged period of inactivity.
If a person is found to have this condition, their podiatrist may recommend that they take anti-inflammatory medication (known as NSAIDs) to reduce the severity of the inflammation in their shinbones.
Following this, they may provide their patient with a pair of orthotics. These can help to reduce the amount of strain that is placed on the person's shinbones each time they walk or run.
Additionally, if the podiatrist believes that the patient may have other foot issues that are contributing to their condition (fallen arches, for example, can worsen shin splints), they might also offer to treat these issues, too, with specific stretches, exercises or (in the case of the aforementioned fallen arches) elasticated arch support sleeves.
Achilles tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is another very common running injury. As its name suggests, this condition affects the Achilles tendon, which connects the heel bone to the calf muscle.
The symptoms of this condition include pain, swelling and inflammation in the heel area. Some sufferers may also find that the calf of the affected leg feels very tight and that they cannot fully flex their foot.
Runners who attempt to increase their distances too quickly or who do not take regular rest days are highly susceptible to Achilles tendonitis.
A podiatrist who has been tasked with treating this condition may offer corticosteroid injections to reduce the pain. Following this, they may provide heel-raising shoe inserts; these can take the pressure off the affected heel and thus allow the person to walk without experiencing pain or making the tendon more inflamed.
Lastly, the podiatrist may instruct their patient to perform specific calf-stretching exercises on a daily basis in order to release any tension in this area, as tight calf muscles can place additional stress on the Achilles tendon.
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