Running - Training for a Marathon Part #1

Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaSo have you decided that you want to run a marathon?  Well we at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates want to help you along the way.  To do this, we’re going to be writing about how to go about training for a marathon for some blogs.  So whatever your motivation, we want you to train correctly and avoid injuries. 

So first, before you get going out, there are some things you need to consider.  First of all is that you need to consider the equipment you have.  This doesn’t mean that you need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars getting all the best running gear, but you need also to make sure that the gear you have isn’t going to keep you from enjoying this new hobby.  Mostly you need to make sure that your shoes are up for the extreme punishment that you are about to put them through.  The constant pounding of your feet to the ground means that your shoes need to be supportive, durable, and comfortable.  Your get the supportive part from sole of the shoe.  Make sure to get shoes that match your foot arch and that the shoe is sturdy even that it doesn’t bend in the middle.  The durability of a shoe depends on how sturdy the sole is on the outside of the shoe.  Make sure that you get a running shoe that can take on payment, grass, and whatever else.  Lastly, the comfortability of the shoe comes from the insole of the shoe.  Again, make sure to get an insole that fits your foot arch.  Also make sure to have get a shoe with a nice cushion to help protect your feet.

You can get other equipment for running, but the shoes are the most important piece, kind of like a helmet is for a football player.  If you have any questions, please contact us as we would love to help you get into running.  Make sure to watch for more tips on training for a marathon and get going!

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Achilles Tendonitis - One of the Most Common Injuries

Image via WikipediaDid you know that your Achilles tendon is the biggest tendon you have in your body?  Did you know that it can take a force of one thousand pounds of pressure?  Or did you know that it is also the most common tendon to rupture?

When an Achilles tendon is inflamed, causing pain, it is called Achilles Tendonitis.  The Achilles tendons is located on the back of your legs, connecting the calf muscle to your heel bone.  This tendon has forces placed upon it every time you walk, run, stand up, climb stairs, basically any time your leg moves.  So it is obviously an important tendon  that you don’t ever want to have injured.  The problem is that it is usually one of the most common places to get an injury, just because so much force is place on it.  You know if you have Achilles tendonitis because it usually begins with a mild pain after extreme amounts of work like exercising.  That pain then continues to get worse.  Other things to watch out for are pain located along the tendon after a couple hours of exercising, swelling in your leg, pain or tenderness in the morning an inch and a half above your heel, or if your leg is more fatigued then normal. 

To treat Achilles tendonitis, apply the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation).  You can also take anti-inflammatory medication to help, along with the ice, to reduce swelling and pain.  Make sure you stretch before and after exercising to insure that this tendon is warm and cooled down so that the tendon will not be pushed to the extreme before it is ready.  Even if you are just a weekend warrior, make sure you stretch before working on your house!

If you have any questions regarding Achilles tendonitis or any other sports related injuries, please contact Dr. Adam Teichman at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates.

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Physical Therapy and Running

Image by roger_mommaerts via FlickrIf you have ever had a sports injury, you’ve probably have gone through some physical therapy.  Podiatrists, like many doctors who deal with injuries, work very closely with physical therapists.  As with any injury to the body, physical therapists work with people who have a range of injuries to their feet and ankles. 

Doing physical therapy will often help pain and swelling to subside, allowing the injury to heal faster, better and with less stress to you since the pain level will be reduced.  Physical therapists strive to also help you restore or increase the range of motion to the injured part of the foot.  That way the joints will not stiffen up, preventing a full recovery from the injury.  Another way a physical therapist helps with an injury to the foot or ankle is to help you rebuild and strengthen muscle around the injury and make sure that the foot and ankle line up properly.  With all that they do for an injury, as long as a patient follows their directions and does their physical therapy, that injury will soon be a thing of the past.

Physical therapy isn’t just for sports injuries though.  There is physical therapy for many other foot problems too.  Problems like plantar fasciitis, bunions, and Achilles issues all respond well to physical therapy.  So if you have a foot issue, contact your podiatrist and ask them to recommend what type of physical therapy you need to help relieve your pain and fix the problem.

If you need a podiatrist, Dr. Adam Teichman at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates would like to be your podiatrist.  Contact us on our website (www.eastpennfoot.com).  If you are in need of a physical therapist, Dr. Teichman recommends Robbins Rehabilitation.  He has partnered with Robbins and has found that they are extremely reliable and will help you get over your injury and back to health.  Check out Robbins difference of why you should choose them.

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Spartan Races = Cure for the Common Runners’ Boredom

Image by Edwin Martinez1 via FlickrHave you ever gotten into a rut with your running?  Have you wished you could change it up and try something different than a regular marathon?  You should check out the Spartan Race.   A Spartan Race is one that combines running and an obstacle course.  It’s like when you were a kid and racing on the playground but to a much tougher level.

Spartan Races occur all over the United States and there are some events in Canada and the United Kingdom.  To find out where and when the nearest event to you will be, click on events. 

Why in the world wound people do this?  Because it’s hard, it’s challenging, it pushes you to your limits, but at the same time, it’s fun!  These are events for runners who want to go to the next level, who want to be challenged again.  They’re for runners who have lost motivation and are bored with just running.

One look at the Spartan Mission and you’ll know the reason why these events were created, to get more people to choose a healthy lifestyle and push themselves to places they never thought possible.  There are different levels of events too.  Watch the tutorial to get a better understanding of these levels.  You can even challenge all of your coworkers to do the Phalanx Challenge and build some teamwork.

If you have been looking for a new challenge, are bored with regular marathons and/or want to push yourself even further, check out the Spartan Race.  We at East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates love the Spartan Race and their mission to push people off the couch and to start living a healthy lifestyle!

If you have any questions, East Penn Foot & Ankle Associates would love to help you find answers.  Give us a call at (610)432-9593 or contact us on our website at www.eastpennfoot.com/.

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Protect Your Ankles While You Run

            Have you ever sprained your ankle?  You know if you did or not, there is a panicking feeling when you have to put weight on it again.  The feeling of having your ankle bend sideways beyond what it should ever normally bend is very painful.  And while the pain is kind of a quick sting at first, when you try to move or put weight on that foot, you’ll know right away - it isn’t going to feel good.

            What happens when you sprain your ankle is that weight is placed on the outside edge of your foot, and then your foot shifts sideways, making you place all you weight on the foot, while it is sideways.  This stretches and/or tears the ligaments in your ankle.  As you would know, or imagine, this doesn’t feel pleasant at all.  Your ankle, especially if you take your shoe off, will swell up to the size of a softball, or baseball, depending on how big your ankle was before.  The best thing you can do is to not try and fight through the pain and continue running or continuing doing whatever it was you were doing.  Instead, get somewhere where you can rest and ice your ankle, elevating your ankle.  However, it would be recommended to see a podiatrist to make sure that you haven’t torn any of the ligaments, which will take surgery to fix.

            When you're not running, this is also another reason why you shouldn’t be wearing ridiculously tall high heels.  If you get the heel caught or walk on a slippery sidewalk, chances are that your high heel will slip sideways, making your foot go sideways, and all your weight will land right on the side of your foot, thus spraining your ankle.

            To learn more about ankle sprains check out http://www.eastpennfoot.com/anklesprains or for other sports related injuries, check out http://www.eastpennfoot.com/sportsinjuries.  Make sure to check back every once and a while to see the additions to the sports injuries page, as we are adding more content.  If you have suffered an ankle sprain, we’d love to help get you back on top of your game.  Contact us at http://www.eastpennfoot.com/contact-east-penn-foot or by phone at 610-432-9593 to schedule an appointment.

Running - it’s something to work up to.

 Have you ever tried to just start up some crazy exercising routine after a long period of not exercising regularly?   Many people have tried it and faced the consequences of sports related injuries.  If you want to get into better shape, great for you!  But please, do yourself a favor and take it slow.  Your body needs to build itself up to the challenge of a exercising routine.  If you want to take up running, great, but make sure your body is up to the challenge.  If you don’t, you could be pushing yourself right into an injury. 

  

After you have decided to get into better shape, design a plan for yourself and stick to it.  Don’t start by running three miles, maybe try one to begin with.  See how your body handles the wear and tear.  Make sure you stretch before and after your runs.  This will help your body warm up and cool down respectively, thus helping you avoid being sidelined by an injury for weeks on end.  Make sure you wear proper equipment by getting a good pair of running shoes.  You don’t have to blow the bank account, but make sure they are supportive, sturdy and have cushion to absorb the shock of your pounding feet. 

            Now, if you haven’t ran in a long time, it might be better to take it really slow.  Ways you could build up your body to prepare to run would be to do things like ride your bike to work, if you don’t live to far from your job, and go for walks.  This way you are building muscle and getting your body into better shape before you venture out on a run, which is hard on the body, especially the feet and knees with continuous pounding with each step.  If you want to run for the long term, you have to make sure your body can handle it.  If you are wondering if it a good idea for you to pick up the running habit, Dr. Teichman would love to talk about it with you and help you make decide if running is for you or if another exercise program would be better.  Visit the website and make appointment today!

Running – where do you start? With proper form and techniques!

You may be wondering why a podiatrist would be talking about proper running techniques, but think about it, your feet start it all.  Your feet are just the start though, because the way you hold your whole body matters.  From your head to your toes, everything can be adjusted to help you run better, faster and feel better afterwards.  

Starting with your feet, make sure you run light footed, not stomping as you run.  Your should land on your heel to your mid foot and then quickly rolling forward to and pushing off on your toes.  With your legs, you should focus on having a good stride length.  This is accomplished by making sure your feet land right underneath you and that your knees don’t twist in or out when your foot is behind you.  Your torso and hips should be straight, pointing your pelvis and stomach straight in front of you.  Make sure you don’t bend forward or backwards, but keep yourself straight, standing tall.  Your arms and hands have a say in form too.  Make sure you don’t clinch your hands, but rather let them close lightly with just the fingertips barely touching the inside of your hands.  Your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle at the elbow, and swing them only forward and back, not across your body.  The shoulders should not be pulled up, but rather let them be low and relaxed.  Lastly, your head - you should make sure you keep your eyes focused at a normal eye level in front of you, not looking down at your feet, behind you or up in the sky.  By doing that, your head will be more relaxed, and help keep your back and neck straight.

By following all these techniques in your running form, you’ll run better, faster and feel better afterwards.  Also, keeping a great running posture will definitely help in keeping your body from breaking down and injuring itself.  If you’re not injured, you don’t have to sit out, unless you need the rest of course.

For more information on sports related injuries and how to maintain your health while you participate in sports – see our website at www.eastpennfoot.com

Barefoot Running

One thing that seems to have blown up on the internet is the idea of barefoot running.  Is barefoot running really better than running with shoes?  Probarefooters say that running without shoes causes you to gain more strength and balance, but is the dangers worth the risks?  “What risks could there be?” you might ask.  This blog is here to cover some of those risks.

First of all, we don’t live in a world full of soft fields of cushy grass.  If you run on the street or sidewalk, that’s a very hard surface to be bounding your feet on over and over and over again.  If you don’t believe that, go outside barefoot and just stomp your foot on the sidewalk a couple of times.  It won’t take more than one time to realize that it hurts.  Some of you might be thinking that, “People don’t stomp their feet when they run.”  At least most people don’t, but you do hit your feet harder than when you walk just because you’re going faster.   Even most grassy areas have hard ground underneath them.  

Secondly, without shoes on, your feet are open to any attack the world has to offer.  Nails, rocks, twigs, pebbles, stray toothpicks, dirt, crazed dogs, you name it, it’s out there.  While calluses can be built up, they aren’t going to stop most of what your feet might happen to step on.  If you get a cut on your foot, that could put a damper on your training.  Especially if that cut were to become inflected.

In short, you might get a little more strength and balance, but it isn’t really worth the risks.  Nothing cuts your training off faster than an injury, particularly a foot injury.  Check out the news coming out of Boston from the American Podiatric Medical Association Annual Scientific Meeting, which was July 28-31.  One of the main topics was barefoot running.