Here’s Why Your Outer Foot Hurts After Running

If your outer foot hurts after running, it could be due to several reasons such as improper footwear, overpronation or underpronation, tightness or inflammation of the peroneal tendons, stress fractures, or blisters.

Foot pain is something all runners dread. However, experiencing foot pain can range in severity and seriousness in injury. If you can pinpoint the area of the pain, it may help you identify the root cause of the issue.

Today, our focus is on pain in the outer portion of your foot during and after the post-run.

9 Common Causes of Pain on the Outer Side of the Foot Post Run

If you are experiencing foot pain, getting it taken care of right away is essential. While no one expects running to be completely pain-free, the discomfort of a long run or challenging workout differs from injury pain.

Some possible causes of foot pain are:

1. Ankle Sprain: A sprain is the stretching or tearing of the ligaments. When your ankle is sprained, you may feel clear ankle pain; however, it can also present on the bottom, top, or sides of the foot.
2. Blisters: Many distance runners suffer from blisters and can appear anywhere, including the outside of the foot. Causes of blisters include shoes that do not fit properly, low-quality or ill-fitting socks, and friction inside the shoe. A product like Aquaphor or Body Glide can help with rubbing.
3. Bunions: A bony bump that often forms at the base of the big toe, bunions can cause pain radiating down the side of your foot. Roomier shoes, ice, and padding can help prevent and treat bunions. In rare cases, they need to be treated surgically.
4. Flat Feet: When you have flat feet, you don’t have arch in the foot. This can lead to pain and foot problems if left untreated. Without the arch, the full force of your body weight is on the bottom of your foot. Insoles with arch support can help with this.
5. High Arches: A common cause of metatarsalgia, high arches can cause painful inflammation on the ball of the foot. Ironically, the same treatment used for flat feet is often successful with high arches. Rest, ice, and insoles can help improve this problem.
6. Morton’s Neuroma: A painful condition that impacts the ball of your foot, Morton’s Neuroma pain can radiate. Often caused by wearing too-tight shoes, women who frequently wear high-heels may find themselves experiencing this pain. A simple fix is wearing shoes with a wider toe box.
7. Peroneal Tendonitis: Irritation or inflammation of tendons on the outside of your ankle and foot. Peroneal tendonitis is usually due to overexertion. If left untreated, it can lead to a tendon tear.
8. Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is a foot injury caused by damage and inflammation to the plantar fascia. This fibrous connective tissue runs along the sole of your foot from the heel to the base of your toes and PF often starts out as sharp heel pain in the morning. You are at risk for PF if you overtrain, increase running volume too quickly, or wear worn-out running shoes.
9. Stress Fracture: Tiny cracks in the bone, stress fractures can be quite painful. Caused by repetitive force and overuse, this injury needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

Effective Treatment Options for Outside Foot Pain

When you have pain on the outside of your foot, there are some easy things you can do to try to alleviate the discomfort.

• Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) reduce inflammation, pain, and fever. The most common examples are ibuprofen and naproxen. Although you can get prescription strength, these are also available over the counter.
• Doctor Visit: Whether you decide to see a podiatrist, sports medicine doctor, or another type of physician, pain that will not go away warrants a doctor visit. You may be referred to a physical therapist for strengthening exercises.
• Ice: Using ice on an injured or sore body part often helps runners spring back.
• Inserts: There are inserts for running shoes ranging from over-the-counter inserts to custom orthotics. The bottom of your foot might need more cushion or arch support could be your solution.
• Massage: Another excellent tactic for runners suffering from discomfort or pain is massage. If you don’t have someone to massage the foot for you there are tools you can purchase. Massagers vary from straightforward devices with wooden beads to expensive massagers with heat functions.
• New Shoes: One reason it is so important to track the miles on your running shoes is because once shoes begin to break down they can cause problems such as foot pain.
• Physical Therapy: There may be exercises and stretches you can do to alleviate your foot pain. Seeing a physical therapist to work through those is often a great option.
• Rest: Often, overuse injuries are best treated with simple rest. Taking a few days off at the front end of an injury can sometimes prevent the injury from becoming much more severe.

Should You Run if Your Foot Hurts?

That depends. Certain types of foot pain (and other pain) will go away if you do a few things before your run.

Does your discomfort improve if you take the time to warm up and stretch your body out properly? A dynamic warm-up, followed by intentionally stretching the sore area, can help alleviate pain.

If you start out running nice and easy does the pain go away? If it does, your body tells you it is okay to move.

What If The Pain Does Not Go Away?