Tag: foot pain


Feb
2014

Improve Your Running Stride Part III: The Running Shoe

categories: Exercise, foot pain, Health, hip pain, knee pain, Low back pain, running

I have spent a long time looking for a running shoe that has firey blazes shooting from the back that miraculously make me run faster. My search continues to this day. I will not give up.

"Mama says they was magic shoes."
“Mama says they was magic shoes.”

In the meantime, it’s important to find a shoe that fits the shape of your own particular foot, promoting the best and most optimal relationship between your foot and the ground. A fitted shoe has the ability to lower your risk of injury.

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Finding the right running shoe requires an understanding of foot mechanics. To simplify foot mechanics, think of two different foot movements: supination and pronation. Both of these movements are very complex and involve multiple joints, but for the purpose of this post, pronation is when the arch of the foot moves toward the floor and supination is when the arch of the foot is raised.

In a static standing position, you may have a supinated foot defined by a raised arch. This type of foot is classically more rigid.

A pronated foot has a collapsed arch and is classically more flexible.

To decide what type of shoe is best for you, the first step is to figure out if your foot is pronated, supinated, or neutral. To figure this out, I recommend having someone trace your foot while you are standing. Look at the tracing and determine if it is more pronated, supinated, or neutral. It is important that you are standing so the you are fully weight bearing.

This is an example of a pronated foot with a notable rectangular shape:

Dfoot-2

This is an example of a neutral to supinated foot with a larger curve on the inside:

K1

Ideally, the bottom of the ideal shoe should match the shape of your tracing. If your foot is pronated (or flat), the bottom of the running shoe will look more like a rectangle. If your foot it supinated, the inside of the running shoe should curve inward.

It is also very important to consider what happens to the arch of your foot when you move. Some people may stand with a very high arch, but once they walk or run, their arch collapses. If you feel as though you fit in that category, I would recommend finding a local running store that has a good reputation. They should be able to watch you run and recommend a shoe for you.

So as we wait for rocket shoes to be invented, make sure your current running shoe is the right shape for your foot–and if it’s not, be sure to invest in a new pair to prevent injuries.

***The content of www.kayleemay.com is for informational purposes only. The information presented is not to be taken as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are having pain, or seeking medical advice, talk to your health care provider. Do not delay in seeking treatment because of information you have read on www.kayleemay.com. Taking recommendations presented on www.kayleemay.com is solely at your own risk***


Jan
2014

Improve Your Running Stride Part II: The Gluteals

categories: Exercise, foot pain, Health, hip pain, knee pain, Low back pain, running
My favotite beach run ever!
My favotite beach run ever!

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In my previous post Improve Your Running Stride Part I: The IT Band, we discussed how runners typically have stiff IT bands. A stiff IT band has the potential to lead to hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, and back pain. Simply stretching the IT band will not solve the problem; rather, a runner has to change how he uses his muscles when he runs to prevent the IT band from tightening up.

As mentioned in Part I, the key to reducing the use of the IT band lies in increasing the recruitment of the gluteals during runs (a stronger booty!)

Changing your running form can be a daunting task and may require increased energy expenditure at first. But with these three basic tips, you will be using your gluteals—which are some powerful muscles—in no time.

On your next run, practice these three things:

1. Think of yourself as one of two types of runners: a runner who pulls himself forward with each step, or a runner that pushes himself forward with each step. To use your gluteals, you need to be a runner that pushes yourself forward. Give the ground a good push to get to your next step.

2. With respect to number one, make sure your foot hits the ground directly below your body as opposed to reaching ahead of your body. If your foot reaches too far forward, you will likely have to pull yourself to the next step. When you think of placing your foot directly below your body during your next run, you may feel as though you are leaning forward. Strangely enough, that’s okay. Leaning forward a little puts your gluteals in a position in which their contraction will much stronger.

3. As your leg is swinging through, but before it contacts the ground, raise your knee a little higher. Colleagues of mine commonly use the cue, “pretend you’re riding a bike down a hill and your legs are trying to keep up with the pedals.” Raising your knees up will bend the hip more, allowing the gluteals to work through a greater range of motion. Another benefit of bringing your knees higher is that it allows more time in the air and less time on the ground. Research shows that faster runners spend more time airborne than slower runners. Therefore, this little clue may get you to the finish line quicker.

Changing the way you run in even the smallest way will initially make your runs more fatiguing. I encourage you to practice these three things in two minute intervals until you feel like you are getting the hang of it. You’ll feel funny running this way at first, and you will be sore the next day. But no worries; keep practicing, and it will become second nature.

Now you can spend more time running and less time stretching your IT band.

Are you curious about which running shoes are the best for your foot? Part III will discuss how you should go about choosing a running shoe based off the shape of your foot.

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***The content of www.kayleemay.com is for informational purposes only. The information presented is not to be taken as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are having pain, or seeking medical advice, talk to your health care provider. Do not delay in seeking treatment because of information you have read on www.kayleemay.com. Taking recommendations presented on www.kayleemay.com is solely at your own risk***


Jan
2014

Improve Your Running Stride Part I: The IT band

categories: Exercise, foot pain, Health, hip pain, knee pain, Low back pain, running

Are you a runner? Or, in my case, are you an inconsistent light-jogger that moves at a slightly faster pace than speed walkers?

Whatever your speed is, you probably have a stiff IT band and have tried a gazillion stretches to loosen it up. Maybe you have even tried one of those foam rollers that just hurts so good. But after all that, is your IT band still “tight?”

Probably.

Maybe you aren’t sure if your IT band is stiff. In that case, I want you to ask yourself if you have any bothersome pain while running or after running, like knee pain, hip pain, back pain, or foot pain. Your IT band may be contributing to these frustrating symptoms that affect your runs.

So how can you get that annoying band to loosen up?

First, let’s discuss what the IT band is. God is clever, and He didn’t put tissue in our bodies to hang out there. It all serves a purpose.

Image: Netter FH. Iliotibial band friction syndrome. Image Source: http://www.netterimages.com/image/iliotibial-band-friction-syndrome.htm

Image: Netter FH. Iliotibial band friction syndrome.
Image Source: http://www.netterimages.com/image/iliotibial-band-friction-syndrome.htm

IT band stands for iliotibial band. By its name, it is a band of thick fascia that connects the ilium to the tibia. The connection to the ilium, a part of your pelvis, is by way of the tensor fascia latae muscle, aka the muscle that tenses your fascia a-lotta!

When the tensor fascia latae contracts, the IT band tenses. If this happens repeatedly (a lotta!), the IT band gets tight, or as I like to describe it, short or stiff.

So the answer to the age-old question of stiff IT bands across running circles all over the world…

Image source: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/category/children/
Image source: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/category/children/

If you’re a runner whose IT band is stiff, it’s because you contract your tensor fascia latae too much.

Contract a muscle too much? Is it so? Can it be possible? Yes. It is possible to contract a muscle too much if it means you are neglecting the muscle’s counterpart, therefore altering the joint’s balance. In the case of runners and IT bands, a stiff IT band usually signals that the runner does not use his/her gluteals enough. This muscle imbalance commonly leads to pain because it alters hip and knee joint mechanics.

You may think I am going to tell you to do gluteal strengthening exercises and bippity-boppity-boo, you’re healed.

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I wish it were that easy. While strengthening exercises can be useful, I am going to suggest that you change the way you run.

It is incredibly difficult to change your running form, but in my next post, I will give you 3 simple clues to think about when you’re running so you use your gluteals relatively more than you use your tensor fascia latae and IT band. With these 3 tips, you will rely less on your tensor fascia latae and IT band, therefore it won’t get so stiff! And word on the street is, these tips will help you run faster…

***The content of www.kayleemay.com is for informational purposes only. The information presented is not to be taken as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are having pain, or seeking medical advice, talk to your health care provider. Do not delay in seeking treatment because of information you have read on www.kayleemay.com. Taking recommendations presented on www.kayleemay.com is solely at your own risk***