Here is a preview of the Multisport Magazine article written by Shoes Feet Gear Brisbane podiatrist Peter Charles. Peter is a columnist for Multisport Magazine
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Good pain vs bad pain.
With increased training for half ironman events and marathons, runners expect to experience some sort of pain during and after training. Some pains are good pains that are normal with training and others are bad pains that should never be ignored. Picking the difference is the key to preventing serious injury.
The five most common pains that our Shoes Feet Gear podiatrists see that should never be ignored are:
1. Pain under the heel or arch (click for more info).
Deep pain under the heel, first step out of bed pain and arch pain are consistent with the large ligament called the plantar fascia tearing under the arch or tearing away from it's attachment to the heel bone.
2. Back of the heel or Achilles pain (click for more info).
Pain at the back of the heel or above this is commonly caused by the fibers of the Achilles tendon tearing or the attachment of the Achilles tendon tearing away from the heel bone.
3. Shin splints (click for more info).
Pain along the inside edge of the shinbone or down the front of the shinbone are caused by the muscles of the lower leg working too hard to control the foot. The small attachments of these muscles into the bone cause the lining of the shinbone to become inflamed.
4. Knee pain (click for more info).
The knee collapsing inwards causes the kneecap to get pulled to the side of its groove and track incorrectly. This causes inflammation and pain under or around the edges of the kneecap. Feet that roll in or poor hip stability (from weak gluets or poor run technique) causes the knee to collapse inwards
5. Illiotibial band (ITB) pain (click for more info).
The tight illiotibial band rubs on the outside of the knee and causes pain and inflammation on the outside of the knee. The ITB compensates for poor hip stability (weak gluets or poor run technique) and also tries to reduce excessive internal knee rotation (feet that roll in too much).
These lower limb pains should never be ignored as they commonly develop into serious and difficult injuries. These problems only get worse with increased training intensity and volume. The sooner they are treated by a Podiatrist and other health providers, then the faster the recovery and smaller the impact on training.