Summer is almost here! Is your footwear causing your foot and ankle pain?

We are well and truly coming into thong wearing weather which also means you may be taking advantage of this warmer weather and ramping your weekly running volume! A double whammy for your poor feet!

If you are feeling pain over the mid-portion of your Achilles, particularly in the morning or more so the day after increased activity, you may be experiencing symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy. So what’s the link between Achilles tendinopathy and wearing thongs and/ or quickly ramping up your running volumes?

Firstly, let’s touch base on your summer shoes… thongs! Coming out of Winter you may have been wearing supportive closed in shoes for the most part. Now wanting to enjoy this warmer weather you switch to thongs which have no support causing the bones, ligaments and muscles of the foot to work under stress that it is not used to. Unhappy Feet!

As seen in the picture, the two main calf muscles combine at the Achilles (Achilles tendon) which then inserts into the back of the calcaneus (heel bone). Spending lots of time in unsupportive shoes, with no support around the heel can place strain on this tendon.

Secondly, your running volume can also often be the culprit. If you have had a recent sudden increase in your running durations and frequency (i.e. more than the recommended 10% per week) rather than a gradual exposure to longer/more frequent runs, then your Achilles tendons may become quickly overloaded. Yes, this occurs because we have not given the chance for tendon adaptation to occur. However, in most cases it is not as simple as this and once we have the acute tendinopathy symptoms under control we need to look further at running gait and biomechanical patterns to address any imbalances to prevent the tendinopathy from returning.

Pain UNDER the arch of the foot is most commonly Plantar Fasciitis which left untreated can be quite debilitating.

If you are experiencing pain in the feet pop in and see us for a thorough assessment and HAPPY FEET :)

For suitable, comfortable footwear head over to our friends at PACE Athletic for a thorough and friendly shoe fitting! (located opposite the Studio on Darling Street, Rozelle).