Richard Marks, MD, FACS, FAOA is an orthopaedic surgeon at Southeastern Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice. He specializes in treating foot and ankle problems.
Dr. Marks was a recent guest on WLTX to talk about common injuries he sees when people are jogging or running.
The most common running injuries Dr. Marks sees are achilles tendon injuries and plantar fasciitis.
Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the achilles tendon, which is the end portion of the muscle structure of the calf. This condition occurs with overuse injuries or structural abnormalities. Treatment involves rest, stretching and physical therapy.
Plantar fasciitis is a common problem for both runners and non-runners. Symptoms are pain under the heel typically when you stand up in the morning or after sitting for awhile. Dr. Marks often prescribes rest and an organized stretching program.
The doctor offers a lot of good advice for runners training for a race:
- Set reasonable goals. Don’t do too much too soon.
- Have a training regimen. Running with a partner, hiring a coach or joining a running club are good ideas.
- Wear the right shoes. Go to a running store and be properly fitted for the best shoe for your foot. Employees at these stores can watch you walk and sometimes do a gait analysis to find the right shoe for your kind of race and training.
Dr. Marks is accepting new patients. Visit SEOrthopaedic.com.
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