Run Well *** Finish Strong

Often sports injuries are not a result of strength, flexibility or endurance. More often than not, sprains and strains have to do with balance. Proprioception, to be exact. The term proprioception refers to a sense of joint position or, according to Dictionary.com, as "awareness of the position of one's body." Proprioception training is common in rehabilitation of injured athletes. It can also be used to prevent injury. Even a strong ankle can sprain when running on uneven ground if the runner has not trained the neuromuscular system to react appropriately. Another excellent site regarding proprioception and function training.

Foot pain has stopped me from running for about two months. Gout! Do you know what that is? It is a type of arthritis...specifically, an excess of uric acid in your system. The excess usually settles in the knuckles of your toe, often big toe. The uric acid crystalizes. The area swells and feels like needles stabbing. Very painful. This problem has occurred with me occasionally, only lasting a week or so. This time is has lasted a long time and has been much more painful. If you suffer this problem, read this Mayo Clinic site for more information including causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Plantar fasciitis (PT), formerly called "a dog's heel" in the United Kingdom, (gotta love those Brits--they see things in a perspective us Yanks miss) is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia that supports the arch or by biomechanical faults that cause abnormal pronation.

Causes include activity overload (PT is common in distance runners), faulty foot mechanics (such as being flat footed like me), arthritis, diabetes, and improper shoes. This Mayo Clinic site provides a good basic explanation of PT including causes, treatment, prevention, and risk factors. This 41 second Google Video illustrates a runner's foot action and shows the plantar fasciitis as the foot pushes off. This site of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests some simple treatment exercises. Here is a long, but interesting paper in a pdf file regarding sports injuries including PT and other foot/shin pain. It was found on a Kendo site, written by Kosi Gramatikoff, PhD, and goes into various treatments including acupuncture and magnets.

Click For Large View of Reported Areas of Pain.