Walking aches and running pains. Injuries of the foot and ankle

Running is enjoyed by approximately 30 million people in the United States, 10 million on a regular basis. It is common to encounter a patient who runs and expects his or her primary physician to have a degree of expertise in injuries caused by running. The primary care clinician also may experience the frustration of motivating a patient to exercise, only to have him or her return with complaints of foot or ankle pain. Running injuries occur from an overload on the muscles, tendons, bones, or joints. The knee, foot, and ankle are the most common sites of injury.