Cree Farnes (11) couldn’t bear the pain and stopped at mile 350. In an attempt to train for the upcoming cross country season, he ran; ignoring the throbbing in his feet for most of the summer.

“It hurt off and on and then literally, one day, it hurt so bad I couldn’t walk,” Farnes said. “When it got to that point, I decided it was time to see a doctor.”

Just before school, he decided to visit a doctor where he found that he developed Plantar Fasciitis; a disposition of the feet’s soles. Foot Specialist, Dr. Jerry Sanders said that this common inflammation affects the arch of the foot; leading to intense pain and temporary disability.

“If your feet hurt, you can’t walk - and if you can’t walk, your quality of life is severely impacted,” Sanders said. “A lot of athletes experience plantar fasciitis, which is pain typically in the arch. Unfortunately, people oftentimes neglect their feet with the common thought that pain will eventually go away.”

As high school athletes endure seasons of rigorous daily practices, various amounts of pressure begin to weaken the feet.

“Soreness or cramping is not that uncommon, as long as the symptoms don’t persist,” Sanders said. “The average person walks some 250,000 miles in their lifetime and occasional issues are bound to arise, but they should not last. If pain persists, then it’s time to have it checked out. Persistent foot, knee or ankle pain is not normal. With 26 bones in each foot a lot can go wrong.”

Dr. Sanders said that it is imperative for athletes to maintain healthy feet because in most cases, a foot injury can be indirectly responsible for other physical mishaps.

“Many foot problems don’t get better and they can lead to other injuries,” Sanders said. “When walking if they repeatedly roll their foot away from the pain, they can change the pull on the Achilles tendon, causing Achilles tendonitis.”

With the start of cross country season, Farnes’ doctor instructed him to fit his shoes with orthotics, in order to raise the arch of his feet. Farnes said that the orthotics are designed to reduce pain in the sole and prevent a biomechanical chain reaction.

Athletic Trainer Monica Abler said that this biomechanical reaction affects the entire body.

“Your feet are set that up so that the way your foot hits the ground depicts the forces that are going to be placed on your knees and hips and everything else above the foot,” she said.

Girls lacrosse player, Kimmi Fischer (11) indirectly developed shin-splints during tryouts for the 2008 season last February, as she ran on her toes excessively; placing her feet in an unnatural position.

“What the doctor basically told me is that I am putting most of my weight on my toes, so when I am running, [the pressure] automatically goes to my shins,” Fischer said. “I need to learn to transfer my weight differently.”

After battling through pain during practice, Fischer consulted a physical therapist one month later. She continues to visit the therapist during the season in order to recover through various leg exercises.

“[During therapy] I transfer my weight onto my thighs more than my knees and my shins,” Fischer said. “I basically do different running drills such as squats and lunges.”

Like Fischer, Farnes said that his therapy and use of the shoe inserts has aided his recovery and allowed him to continue his sport.