This past Wednesday, June 1, National Running Day was celebrating by runners of all levels across the country. Only a few minutes from the office here at Columbus Podiatry and Surgery, there were meetings in both Worthington and Dublin, Ohio to have an extra celebratory run and train for upcoming races.

All runners out there know that foot and leg soreness and sometimes pain can go along with running, but when pain becomes an aggravation to the runner, they need to contact their podiatrist to prevent more serious issues from developing. One of the most common athletic injuries seen in both the foot bones and shin bone, or tibia is a stress fracture. Stress fractures are a small crack in the surface of the bone caused by overuse. Running is a common trigger for this type of injury because the repetitive motion of each stride on the foot can allow too much pressure to be absorbed by an area of bone. This results in a fracture that can often be difficult to conclusively diagnose without taking an x-ray or bone scan. By obtaining an image of the bone through one of these methods, a stress fracture in the shin can often be differentiated from an even more common, but less serious running injury called a shin splint. In a shin splint, the bone itself is not damaged, but the area of muscle attachments on the bone has become irritated and painful.

Runners should take measures, not only on National Running Day, but everyday to try to prevent stress fractures. Properly fitting, supportive running shoes are a key to prevention. Gradually building up your training and adding on miles slowly also can help in avoiding both stress fractures and shin splints. If even with these measures you begin to feel a persistent, localized pain in your foot or leg, a stress fracture could be the culprit. Taking recovery time from sports and icing the area can often help to lessen or alleviate more minor causes of pains. If pain continues, it is important to remember that the earlier a stress fracture is diagnosed; the quicker the recovery will be and the better the chances are that it can be treated without surgery. By taking proper care of feet and visiting a podiatrist at the first signs of injury, runners can limit what they often despise more than anything else: having to take time off from running!!

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.