If you have just started running and your foot hurts along the bottom, you need to stop running until you determine what is causing the pain. One thing that may be wrong is your foot has plantar fasciitis. There is a ligament in the arch of your foot, which is known as the plantar fascia. When you run and your foot hits the pavement this ligament pulls and then tightens. Doing this over and over causes irritation to the ligament. All of this results in deep pain in the arch area of your foot.  Below are some causes of plantar fasciitis, as well as treatment options so you can get back to running again.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

This is often caused by not wearing the proper running shoes. This is because running shoes provide the support that is needed along the arch of your feet.

Running too much can also cause this irritation. If you are a new runner, you may be doing too much too soon. Instead, you need to start out slowly to help your feet get used to this new workout. Running on uneven surfaces can also cause plantar fasciitis.

The muscles in your feet may not be strong enough to support your foot while you are running.

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

To help with this problem first take a break from running until you no longer feel pain. As long as you purchased the right shoes start out running slowly. For example, do not run as long as you normally do in the beginning to see if the pain comes back.

Plantar fasciitis is also a repetitive motion problem so running on different types of surfaces can help. For example, you could switch to the grass or a different grade.

See your doctor if the pain continues. They can do tests to check the ligament to see how damaged it is. The doctor may suggest physical therapy as the first course of treatment. During the therapy the physical therapist will show you exercises to do to strengthen the muscles in your feet. The physical therapist can also show you how to use ice therapy to help with the pain.

You should see a podiatrist for plantar fasciitis. This type of doctor specializes in problems with the feet and can better help you when compared to a traditional doctor. This will get you back up and running again much quicker. This will also ensure the problem is taken care of, so it does not become much worse. Visit a site like http://www.advancedfootclinic.org for more information.