Rebuilding from the Ground Up: A Physical Therapist’s Path to Pain-Free Running
Dr. Diana Solares (Owner, Elevate Rehabilitation & Performance)
As a physical therapist, I’ve always been driven by one question: how do we truly fix the body, not just patch symptoms? I didn’t want to be the kind of clinician who only hands out temporary relief—I wanted to solve problems at the root. That curiosity led me deeper into biomechanics, natural movement, and what it means to restore authentic function.
My own journey as a runner drove this lesson home. Every time I trained for a half-marathon, I hit the same wall: plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, or patellar/glute tendinopathy. For years, I searched for answers in new shoes, orthotics, running drills, stretching, and training modifications. Nothing worked long-term.
The breakthrough came when I rebuilt my foundation. By strengthening the small intrinsic muscles of my feet, restoring mobility in my hips and ankles, and retraining how I moved, I finally broke free of the injury cycle.
Today, I live in barefoot shoes for daily life and run comfortably in them for short distances. For longer runs, I still use traditional running shoes—but the difference is that I now run pain-free, because my foundation is strong enough to support me.
Why Foot Intrinsics Matter
Your feet are your foundation. Inside them are tiny muscles—intrinsics—that control your toes, maintain your arch, and allow for smooth force transfer up the chain. When they’re weak, the workload shifts elsewhere: plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, patellar tendon, or glutes.
Once I committed to restoring this foundation, everything changed. Stronger feet created more efficient mechanics, and stronger hips gave me the stability to sustain it.
Simple Drills to Rebuild Foot Strength
These exercises look simple, but done consistently, they build the foundation runners often neglect:
- Toe Yoga – Lift your big toe while pressing the other four toes down, then reverse.
- Toe Drops – Lift all toes, then lower them back one at a time, starting with the pinky.
- Short Foot Exercise – Gently pull the ball of the foot toward the heel without curling the toes.
- Toe Rainbows – Lift the middle three toes while anchoring big and pinky toes.
- Banded Big Toe + Hip External Rotation – Anchor a band around the big toe, resist as you press it down, and pair with hip external rotation to connect foot strength with hip stability.
What This Means for Runners
The takeaway isn’t that everyone should ditch their shoes tomorrow. It’s that true resilience starts from the ground up. Whether barefoot, in barefoot shoes, or in traditional footwear, you need strong and mobile feet to absorb and transmit force effectively.
For me, years of recurring injuries weren’t solved by the latest running shoe—they were solved by rebuilding the foundation my body relied on with every stride.
Natural movement isn’t a trend. It’s a return to what your body was designed to do. Stronger feet. Better mechanics. Healthier runs.
Dr. Diana Solares
DPT, OCS, MTC, Cert. DN
Diana Solares received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2014. She is an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and has certifications in Manual Therapy and Dry Needling. She is a strong advocate for the use of movement as medicine and believes a comprehensive approach is necessary when treating patients to transform them into the best versions of themselves. When not helping others, Diana enjoys strength training, running, attending sporting events, and spending time with her family and friends.
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