Running is wonderful for overall fitness but the extra stress on the feet can lead to injuries from minor strains and pains to fractures. Since sports demand a lot of your feet, you need to take special care of them. You can prevent most sports injuries by wearing the correct shoes designed for your sport and perhaps orthoses, doing stretching exercises and conditioning yourself gradually. Orthotics are contoured foot appliances custom made individually to fit into your shoes. These are designed for your special type of sports related foot problem.

Stretching and conditioning are vital components in any sport. A good conditioning program develops strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, agility and faster reaction time. It is very important for the athlete to be properly conditioned in order to maintain his/her health and well being. This includes the prevention of injury.

When people have conditioned themselves properly and still have an inherent structural weakness, what can they do? They can attempt to support weakened areas and balance unbalanced structures with the use of protective and supportive devices - for the feet.

Structural variations in the foot, leg or hip may function quite well in everyday life, however, problems often arise when these structures are required to deal with the enormous stresses from physical sporting activities. Problems such as shin splints and tendonitis can now be treated successfully with the help of a podiatrist.

Shin splints are caused by overuse of the leg muscles; pain and swelling are found where tendon meets bone, often in the front or inside of the lower leg. Doing too much too soon often brings on Achilles tendonitis. The area around the Achilles tendon inflames acutely and pain radiates to the heel, ankle and calf. Overuse or twisting can over stretch or tear the muscles, ligaments and tendons of an ankle, causing extreme pain in the form of a sprained ankle. Treatment may involve ice and strapping. Heel pain is often associated with the condition known as heel spurs. The pain is due to bone irritation when a ligament (the plantar fascia) is pulled from the heel bone.

Orthoses are often employed as part of the treatment program for these conditions and others that may occur from an imbalance within the foot. Orthoses realign and control all the joints in the feet so that the best functional position is achieved and maintained. Painful conditions such as those described above can be prevented if an inherent structural weakness within the feet is detected early.