QuestionI run 4x a week - 15 miles total and use a foam roller mainly on my IT Band area of my legs twice a day along with a stretching routine. Recently I noticed some discomfort in my feet so I removed a few stretches I had been doing to my arches and plantar. It seemed not to have an affect on my feet. Is it possible that rolling of the outer leg from hip to knee could affect the feet?
AnswerHello there, Len!
Generally postural and kinesthetic dysfunction travels up the body from the feet rather than down, as each joint towards the ground has to support more weight. So further up the body usually means less force applied to those joints, but of course there are other factors to consider like activity type and intensity, medical history, etc.
I would think those stretches for your feet would be more helpful and cause less problems higher up. Just make sure you are doing them correctly. When someone comes to me with discomfort in their feet and the run or walk a lot I always ask about road surface and shoes first. Have you been running on a harder surface than than normal? When did you last get new shoes? Are they the right type for running?
Also, even if it's muscle, have you gained weight? It's still more force on your feet either way. Have you tried getting them massaged? Not just Swedish but something deeper? Does the discomfort start when you step out of bed and then improve throughout the day? Could be plantar fasciitis in that case. Are your calves very tight and stiff? They could putting tension into your Achilles tendon (an exception to that rule about problems traveling upwards).
As you can see there are lots of things to consider. I hope this puts you on the right path to happier feet!
