Congrats Columbus Marathoners! Now, what were those crazy compression socks you saw people wearing & should you get some for your next race?

Fall brings marathon season with Chicago last weekend, New York coming up the first weekend of November and most importantly, the Columbus Marathon this Sunday, October 16^th!  Runners are known to do whatever it takes to reach their goals including forcing down that last Gu, waking up at the crack of dawn to get those miles in, or unfortunately, attempting to continue training through foot pain and injury.  One item that many marathoners and distance runners have been seen wearing as a part of their race day uniform are tall compression socks in black and a rainbow of other colors.  But the real question is: are these socks just successful at intimidating competitors on the line with their cool looks, or do they actually serve a purpose?

Interestingly, while it may seem like compression socks are the ultimate new running necessity aside from proper fitting running shoes, it is not the runner population that tends to know a bit more about the benefits and uses of compression socks.  It is diabetic patients with swelling, or edema that podiatrists regularly prescribe compression stockings, or socks to.  Patients with venous stasis from causes such as improperly functioning, or insufficient valves and varicose veins also can have their condition improved with the use of compression socks.  With normal valves and vessel structure, the calf muscles function to pump blood upwards against gravity to prevent this pooling.  In patients with the conditions mentioned, there is a slowed return of blood via the veins to the heart, resulting in some venous blood pooling.  This pooling can not only result in dermatitis, or a rash, but it can also lead to the formation of dangerous deep vein thrombosis and venous ulcers.  In order to help restore normal venous blood flow, compression stockings are used to gradually increase pressure up the leg, assisting the “calf pump”.  While this has been shown to have positive effects in groups of people with the disease states discussed, the effects of compression sock induced decreased venous pooling, assistance of the skeletal muscle pump and increased deep vein blood speed still require more research before they can be conclusively linked to their claims of performance gains in running.  Many athletes also utilize compression stockings post-exercise in order to decrease lactic acid build-up, but this use also requires more research. 

So while they may look cool, and can be extremely beneficial if you have venous insufficiency in your legs and feet, compression stockings have a ways to go before they can definitely prove themselves as doing more for your race time than just making you LOOK fast.  At this point, if athletic compression socks make you feel better when running, then do what is best for you – just make sure you test them out before your big race and always call your podiatrist if you develop any foot or ankle pain! 

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. To schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio, near Tuttle Crossing Mall, please call 614-885-FEET (3338).

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

This past Wednesday, June 1, National Running Day was celebrating by runners of all levels across the country.  Only a few minutes from the office here at Columbus Podiatry and Surgery, there were meetings in both Worthington and Dublin, Ohio to have an extra celebratory run and train for upcoming races. 

All runners out there know that foot and leg soreness and sometimes pain can go along with running, but when pain becomes an aggravation to the runner, they need to contact their podiatrist to prevent more serious issues from developing.  One of the most common athletic injuries seen in both the foot bones and shin bone, or tibia is a stress fracture.  Stress fractures are a small crack in the surface of the bone caused by overuse.  Running is a common trigger for this type of injury because the repetitive motion of each stride on the foot can allow too much pressure to be absorbed by an area of bone.  This results in a fracture that can often be difficult to conclusively diagnose without taking an x-ray or bone scan.  By obtaining an image of the bone through one of these methods, a stress fracture in the shin can often be differentiated from an even more common, but less serious running injury called a shin splint.   In a shin splint, the bone itself is not damaged, but the area of muscle attachments on the bone has become irritated and painful. 

Runners should take measures, not only on National Running Day, but everyday to try to prevent stress fractures.  Properly fitting, supportive running shoes are a key to prevention.  Gradually building up your training and adding on miles slowly also can help in avoiding both stress fractures and shin splints.  If even with these measures you begin to feel a persistent, localized pain in your foot or leg, a stress fracture could be the culprit.   Taking recovery time from sports and icing the area can often help to lessen or alleviate more minor causes of pains.  If pain continues, it is important to remember that the earlier a stress fracture is diagnosed; the quicker the recovery will be and the better the chances are that it can be treated without surgery.  By taking proper care of feet and visiting a podiatrist at the first signs of injury, runners can limit what they often despise more than anything else: having to take time off from running!!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington, Ohio.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

With the release of Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run" in 2009, the debate over the benefits and drawbacks of barefoot running has been ignited in the running and podiatric communities. The book centers on a tribe of "super runners", the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and their ability to run massive amounts of miles while barefoot. The amazing speed and endurance of the Tarahumara acts as a testament to the success of barefoot running and lures several everyday runners in the book to also attempt the "barefoot" running style by wearing only thin soled coverings on their feet.

The temptation to try going barefoot is definitely there for runners looking to improve their performances; but there are some concerns to think about before tossing the old runner sneakers in the trash and hitting your toes to the pavement. In an article in "Runner's World Magazine", the famous runner Amby Burfoot interviews sports podiatrist-biomechanist and long-time runner Kevin Kirby, D.P.M. and barefoot running advocate "Barefoot Ken Bob" Saxton on the pros and cons of barefoot running (Runner's World Article - "The Barefoot Running Debate"). "Barefoot Ken" agrees with the ideas supported by the Tarahumara runners in "Born to Run" in that he believes that barefoot running feels more natural, naturally strengthens foot and leg muscles and thus prevents injury and improves running speed. Dr. Kirby agrees that occasional "barefoot" running with some type of protective shoes or on a safe surface could be beneficial to some people for strengthening leg and foot muscles and offering a change up while training.

However, both Dr. Kirby, D.P.M. and "Barefoot Ken" agree that runners need to proceed with caution when trying out this trend. In today's world running completely barefoot is often unsafe due to the surfaces most runners travel on. No one wants to take a barefoot jog and accidentally step on a sharp pebble or rusty nail on the sidewalk! Some type of protective covering must be worn over the feet. Several options include the "Vibram FiveFingers" (which are also mentioned in "Born to Run"), or the "Nike Free". Both of these shoes have minimal cushioning and attempt to allow the foot to act as though barefoot while still being somewhat protected from the elements. Runners should also make their transition to barefoot running a gradual or incomplete one. As previously mentioned, Dr. Kirby discussed his support for occasional barefoot running, but making a drastic transition to running barefoot could be dangerous and lead to injury. It is also important to consider that even doing a small amount of barefoot running can be harmful to some runners, as barefoot running may not be for everyone.

Currently, the American Podiatric Medical Association feels that more research is necessary to determine both the short term and long term effects of barefoot running (APMA Position Statement on Barefoot Running). So for now happy running, whether you run with or without shoes, but tread carefully!!

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio in between Westerville, Worthington and Powell.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia