Foot And Ankle Injuries – Why And How to Prevent Them

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art – Leonardo da Vinci

The intricate structure of the foot is fascinating, each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles which means total one-fourth of all bones of the body is in our feet. With 2,50,000 sweat glands, the feet has a large concentration of sweat glands producing 500-600 ml of sweat every day.  This amazing biomechanical structure adapts to different surfaces and environments keeping us connected with the ground and helping us to move from place to place. The two feet carry the whole body weight and take the maximum pressure when we are standing, walking or running.

General strengthening of full body along with specific strengthening of legs are very important.

Good Running Practices (GRP)

Like a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), GRP is defined as Good Running Practices. A runner has to integrate Good Running Practices into his running and for that a runner should know about his body and how it works during the entire process of running. In the previous article, we discussed about running as an adapted skill, to achieve GRP, it is important to understand and correct our running practices. How to inculcate Good Running Practices will be dealt in a separate article, but here are some key points one needs to consider:

• A Running Cycle has four phases: Toe Off – Swing – Strike – Support. One should get a running gait analysis done through video filming in slow-motion from different angles and check interplay of body, its biomechanics, pressure points in different phases of running. One should know his/her running style and areas of improvement, so as to avoid stress, strain or injury. Take the help of a qualified professional or coach.

• Everyone should know about his/her pronation – neutral, under or over pronation – strike pattern forefoot, mid-foot or heel strike and support phase stability for optimum propulsion and running.

• Except for barefoot runners, selection of the right shoe is always a top priority. You can follow a principle of 3F – Fit, Feel and Function for selecting running shoes. Shoes should fit properly without any unwanted pressure, it should not be too big or too small, one should feel comfortable wearing shoes and most importantly it should be able to function properly. Some of the important functionalities include, toe box width, flexibility at toe area, volume of shoe vis-à-vis foot and shoe should be as per the surface one planned to run on as shoes differ depending on the running environment like track, train, road etc. Also during run, feet works more resulting in additional blood flow in the legs, this leads to expansion of feet. So buy shoes always in the evening and a half size bigger to ensure they will not be constricting the feet during long runs.

• Check the arch of feet, are they high, normal or flat. It’s an important indicator in case one requires orthotic support to achieve optimum running form.

• Apart from above points, one has to maintain healthy feet by regularly cutting toenails to prevent runner’s toe, moisturising feet every day to prevent dry, cracked skin or calluses and regularly massage the feet to relieve tension and keep up the mobility thereby reducing the risk of injury.

Once you know about your body, how your feet moves during different phases of running, where all you need a corrective action, you have set the stage for a satisfying and rewarding running life. Every good thing takes time so stick to the plan to achieve your best running version.