Why Strengthening Your Feet Can Be the Missing Link in Running-Related Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Whether you’re an injured marathoner, gym goer, or commuter, have you ever thought that your foot health could be playing a key role in why you got injured in the first place? Let’s face it, foot strength isn’t the first deficit you look to address with injury prevention or injury rehabilitation, but it could be the missing link. Let’s discuss why and how each comprehensive evaluation from one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy will involve taking a close look at foot strength, stability, and mechanics.
Our Body’s Foundation
Constantly throughout the day, we are alternating putting our weight through a single limb during each step we take. Not only with every step we take while walking, but with every stair we negotiate, every stride of our run, our feet greet the ground first. Let us take a closer look at the impact of these forces produced during a run. Running studies have shown that the ground reaction forces produced during heel strike running are 3-4x that individual’s body weight. In jumping, ground reaction forces can reach up to 7x that individual's body weight. For example, a 150lb runner produces around 600 lbs of pressure on impact with each heel strike of their run, and with around 800-1000 strides averaged per mile of running, that’s an enormous amount of pressure up the chain.
Common Running-Related Injuries and Risk Factors
Runners are particularly prone to developing overuse injuries. Some of the most common running-related injuries include: medial tibial stress syndrome, Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, patellar tendinopathy, iliotibial band syndrome, tibial stress fractures, and patellofemoral pain syndrome. See below some of the common risk factors that we look for during our comprehensive running analyses.
Here we can clearly see that if the foot is not stable and in control during impact, the rest of the limb can easily lose control and fall out of proper alignment.
Where Foot Strength Comes In
With this being said, why not let your body’s first point of impact with the ground be with a strong and sturdy base of support that can better control and disperse the forces throughout the ankle, knee, hip and trunk. In a 2020 randomized control trial, recreational runners who participated in a foot strengthening protocol had a 2.42-fold lower rate of running-related injuries when compared to the group who did not participate in the foot strengthening protocol.
Improving strength of the intrinsic muscles (muscles located within the foot) helps to control fine movements and maintenance of the foot’s arches. Improving strength of the extrinsic muscles (muscles located outside the foot and extending into it) helps to improve power and control during movement.
How We Can Help
Everyone presenting with a running-related injury will go through a comprehensive gait and running analysis during their plan of care with us. This will help us break down and educate our clients on both risk factors and mechanical issues that could be attributed to their cause of injury. Weakness/instability will also be examined through: manual muscle testing, single leg stability testing, joint mobility testing, and soft tissue extensibility testing.
Now that we’ve established the importance of foot strength and how it can be the missing link to your running-related injury, the good news is that after working with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy in Brooklyn, we can determine exactly what your imbalances are and address them. Call us at 347-560-6920 for a physical therapy appointment.
References:
Determan, Jeremy & Frederick, Edward & Cox, Joseph & Nevitt, Matthew. (2010). High impact forces in skateboarding landings affected by landing outcome. Footwear Science. 2. 159-170. 10.1080/19424280.2010.525534.
Robertson, Douglas & Caldwell, Graham & Hamill, Joseph & Kamen, Gary & Whittlesey, Saunders. (2013). Research Methods in Biomechanics: Second edition (eBook).
Matias, Alessandra & Taddei, Ulisses & Duarte, Marcos & Sacco, Isabel. (2016). Protocol for evaluating the effects of a therapeutic foot exercise program on injury incidence, foot functionality and biomechanics in long-distance runners: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 17. 10.1186/s12891-016-1016-9.
Kozinc, Žiga & Sarabon, Nejc. (2017). Common Running Overuse Injuries and Prevention. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 6. 67-74. 10.26773/mjssm.2017.09.009.
