Foot
Notes
Are you steps away from
injury? Ask your feet
BY SASHA BROWN-WORSHAM
THE OUTSIDE OF Laurence Socha’s
foot had been hurting for
months. But the veteran marathoner kept running. “The pain would
come and go, so I just ignored it,” says Socha, 27, a teacher who lives in Washington, D.C. On a run one night, his sore foot
rolled, and he had to limp home. Turns
out, Socha had been disregarding a hairline fracture, and he had broken his fifth
metatarsal. He needed surgery and was on
crutches for six weeks.
Bad idea to ignore what your feet are
trying to tell you. Obvious pains like Socha’s, or merely visible imperfections like
black toenails or calluses, often indicate
imbalances that can lead to injury. “I like
to compare foot care to the foundation of
a house,” says Roy DeFrancis, D.P.M., president of the New York State Podiatric
Medical Association. “A house without a
strong foundation is likely to crumble.”
TOES TALK
Calluses and bunions
can indicate larger
problems.
The Warning
BLACK TOENAIL
Black toenails, or “runners’ toes,” frequently plague distance runners. A common culprit? Not keeping your toenails
closely clipped, says Dr. DeFrancis. If the
end of the toenail jams into the shoe, the
base of the nail wiggles enough to cause
bleeding just below the surface. Shoes
that are too tight can also cause the problem; try a half size larger or a higher toebox. The discoloration can also be a warning that you’re running too many downhills, so keep your runs confined to flats.
The black part will grow out or fall off
in a few months, but if you’re in pain, a
doctor can relieve the swelling by making
a small hole in the nail plate.
The Warning
CALLUSES
Calluses, areas of thickened skin, form
from repetitive pressure. “Calluses are a
sign that the feet are getting a lot of force
on one spot,” says Leslie Campbell, D. P.M.,
a podiatrist in Dallas.
Overpronators frequently find calluses
on the inside of their big toes or at the
ends of their toes. Severe overpronators
are susceptible to Achilles tendinitis,
runner’s knee, and shinsplints. Calluses
that develop on the fifth toe or anywhere
along the outside of the foot indicate outward rolling, or supination. Over time,
supinators stress the outside of their feet
and ankles, which can lead to sprains,
tendinitis, and stress fractures.
A pair of stability shoes are the first
treatment option for overpronation; cushioned shoes will support a supinator’s
high arch. More extreme cases may need
an orthotic to correct the foot’s motion.
Runners who have one foot that is
more callused than the other may have
Proper shoe fit is
more than length and
width. Some runners need shoes with a FREUENL
deeper toebox to
avoid problems. BBETTTEERR
Consult with an expert
at a running store.
