If you’re an avid runner, you may find yourself experiencing metatarsal pain from running, especially if you’re a heavier or flat-footed runner (or both). The metatarsals are the five long bones in the midsection of your foot (between your toes and your ankle) that make up the arches of your feet and give support to your weight when you run. Read on to learn how to prevent and treat this common running injury to keep your feet happy as you continue to pound the pavement.
One of the biggest reasons people stop running is metatarsal pain from running, which refers to pain in the small bones that make up the ball of your foot. Metatarsal pain from running can be caused by many things, including improper form, worn-out shoes, overtraining and more. The good news is that it’s easy to prevent and treat this common running injury if you know what to look out for. Read on to learn more about how to prevent and treat metatarsal pain from running, so you can stay healthy and active even as you push yourself to new heights as an athlete!
Metatarsal Pain From Running: How to Prevent and Treat It
Why do I get metatarsal pain from running? This is the most common question runners ask when they feel pain in their feet and toes, particularly their third and fourth metatarsals. The symptoms are similar to other foot problems like plantar fasciitis or Morton’s neuroma, so it can be difficult to diagnose which one you have. In order to prevent or treat metatarsal pain from running, it’s important to understand what exactly this injury involves and how you can get rid of it in no time!
What causes metatarsal pain?
There are a few things that can cause metatarsal pain from running. The most common source of metatarsal pain from running is plantar fasciitis, which affects your feet’s arch support system. Another common cause of metatarsal pain from running is overpronation, or how flat your foot rolls when you run. Overpronation puts stress on different parts of your feet than under pronation does; however, both can lead to injuries. (source) When you are looking for shoes for women’s feet, it may be important to look at their pronation because that will affect how a woman runs; there are certain kinds of women’s athletic shoes that have become very popular in recent years.
What are the symptoms of metatarsalgia?
The most common symptom of metatarsalgia is pain or discomfort in your forefoot. You might also feel pain up through your ankle or into your heel when you run since these symptoms could be caused by other conditions such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis. Doctors may refer to a case of forefoot pain that’s due to metatarsalgia as Morton’s neuroma. Since Morton’s neuroma is just a collection of symptoms, there are many possible causes. However, it’s generally safe to assume that if you’re experiencing metatarsal pain from running, Morton’s neuroma is an unlikely cause.
What can I do about it?
If you experience metatarsal pain from running, don’t give up. There are plenty of ways to prevent these kinds of injuries or at least lessen their severity so that you can quickly get back on your feet. The key is knowing what metatarsals are, how they work, and understanding how to spot a potential problem before it leads to something worse. Then, armed with knowledge about what causes metatarsal pain in runners—along with ideas for treatment—you can avoid future injury or speed up recovery time if an injury does occur.
Key takeaways
Anyone who runs knows how important it is to have a proper running form. The proper running form ensures that you use your entire body, not just your legs, for moving forward when you run. When you don’t pay attention to your posture or your alignment while running, it can lead to injuries in other parts of your body. One of these injuries can be metatarsal pain from running. This kind of pain occurs in one or both of the bones in each foot that run parallel along each side of our feet as we run. These bones are called metatarsals because they connect our toes to our heels, which helps keep us balanced as we move.
