Common injuries of the “Weekend Warrior”

You’re ambitious and that’s why we like you. But if you have a tendency to go all out on your weekend work, you may injure yourself.

One step forward, two steps back: what is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the fibrous tissue (plantar fascia) located along the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. It can cause intense heel pain.

Causes

Plantar fasciitis is a common injury resulting from over stressing the muscles of the foot. This pain is often the greatest when waking in the morning, standing after prolonged sitting, and running or walking for extended periods of time.

Risky activities

Plantar fasciitis has many causes. 

“Weekend Warriors” who may pick up running after a long break may be at risk because their foot isn’t ready to handle the strain. This can lead to inflammation at the proximal attachment at the heel which can cause pain as a result.

Plantar fasciitis can also be from poor running shoes or poor running form. Basically when the intrinsic foot muscles are over stretched, you can have increased pain.

But what else? Overall lower body weakness. Why? If the muscles in your hip are weak, there’s a rippling effect where the hip, the knee and the foot are all affected. The hip adducts and internally rotates, the knee becomes knock kneed, the shin bone internally rotates, and pronation occurs at the feet. In addition to plantar fasciitis, you may experience pain in your hip or knee.

Avoiding and treating injury

Ease yourself into new activities. Don’t just dive in cold because you’re asking for an injury.

But what if you’re reading this article far too late and your foot is already feeling all sorts of hurt?

You can should roll your foot with a ball the size of a tennis ball before rising from bed or from sitting. This can help decrease that first spike of pain associated with it.

Adaptive clothes

Orthotics, night splints, and proper shoe wear can help lessen the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Night splints should be worn at bed time and placed the foot in a position where the plantar fascia is relaxed.

Proper footwear is important in decreasing impact and stress on the foot when running or walking and for decreasing faulty foot mechanics.

Stretches and work outs:

Hip strengthening

  • Clamshells

  • Glute bridges

Foot strengthening

  • Towel curls: place a towel on the ground, remove your socks and shoes, and use your toes to curl the towel

  • Dice pick-ups: pour cup of dice or marbles onto the ground and use your toes to pick up the dice or marbles and place them into an empty cup

Stretching

To stretch the great toe, find an object such as a stair, curb, text book, anything that has an edge. Extend the great toe against the object for 30 seconds.

References

Life Habits, StretchingEnFuse Fitness