Sole Soreness or Arch pain is a common injury that many athletes experience. This affects the everyday mobility of a person. In athletes, it can cause pain while running, walking, or stretching. The pain can be so severe at times and requires the athlete to rest for a few weeks till there is better mobility to the feet.
The Arch of the foot stretches from the toes to the heels. A prolonged pain or injury to the sole can lead to pain in the heels, ankles, knees, and joints of the leg.
The Arches of Foot (Source: Teach me Anatomy)
An injury to the Arch can cause the following:
1. Loss of balance to the body
2. Pain while walking as the Arch bears the weight of the body
3. The Arch absorbs shock but the injury will cause it to distribute the shock to the ankles leading to injury in other parts of the leg
4. The ability to provide balance in various terrains will not be possible
The above-stated imbalance will cause an athlete to not function at the highest. Though an injury to the Arch or sole of the feet is minor and tends to go away fast, the pain and irritability during the injury can be painful.
There are many causes to Sole Soreness but since we are diving into the injuries that athletes face, we will focus only on specifics to an athlete.
1. External Stress: When an external force causing the muscles to contract strikes the foot, there can be stiffness to the foot. In athletes, this is prevalent as contact with other athletes or to uneven terrain causing the foot to re-adjust to the surface.
2. Nerve Damage: When the stress on the foot is beyond the normal, the nerves tend to swell up causing excruciating pain. This will restrict the mobility of the toes by causing contraction to different parts of the foot.
3. Broken Toes: It is natural for Arch pain in the foot when there is a broken toe or tearing of the muscle due to unnatural levels of stretching.
Treatment of Sole Soreness:
1. REST: One of the simplest ways to treat it is to rest the foot for a few days with as little mobility as possible.
2. STRETCH: Make sure to stretch the foot every day. This can be done by standing with hands against the wall and elevating the body using the toes or have someone massage the foot.
3. BALL ROLLS: A lot of athletes go to foam rollers, balls, or ice bottles by placing the foot on the object and move the foot in forward-backward motion. This is particularly useful but what many athletes forget is that this should not be done right when the pain is felt. There must be some time given for the foot to relax before resorting to using this method.
4. MEDICATION: In case of inflammation or swelling it is advisable to take drugs prescribed by a doctor. Some tablets that can be taken care Naproxen, Advil, and Motrin, to name a few.
5. PHYSICAL THERAPY: Depending on the level of pain and injury, it is advisable to visit your physiotherapist.
6. BANDAGE WRAP: To help with pain or shock absorption it is good to use medical wrapping tapes to keep it from moving and absorbing pressure while moving around.
Prevention of Sole Soreness:
1. Wear Comfortable shoes with good cushion lining on the sole and the sides of the inner shoe.
2. Make sure to stretch your foot every day when waking up and before doing any kind of exercise.
3. Avoid wearing shoes with high heels or narrow toes.
4. Make sure to take keep a healthy weight
5. Relax the foot after every workout or training before jumping into another routine.
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