While a runner’s feet problems may seem like a curse, they could be doing you a big favor in alerting you to health issues elsewhere in your body. Furthermore, because your feet take the weight of your whole body, foot problems can quickly lead to discomfort and affect the way you run. This can in turn cause knee, hip and back pain.

If you suffer from sudden foot cramping, you may be dehydrated or exercising too hard. Chronic foot cramping can be caused by a nutritional deficiency of calcium (milk, cheese), magnesium (dark leafy greens), or potassium (bananas, potatoes, fish).

Dry, flaky skin can indicate the fungal infection known as Athlete’s Foot, which often manifests itself as itchy skin between the first two toes and then worsens to inflammation and blisters. Keeping your feet, socks, and shoes clean and dry helps prevent Athlete’s Foot. If these measures and using a moisturizer do not help, this could be a sign of a problem with the thyroid, which is the gland in the neck that helps regulate the body’s blood pressure, metabolic rate, tissue growth, nervous system, and skeletal development. If you think this could be your issue, see your doctor to have your thyroid levels checked.

Discoloration of the toes can be triggered by ill-fitting running shoes that cause your toes to slam against the front of the shoe each time your foot hits the ground. If your toes appear white, blue, or red, you may have Raynaud’s disease (reduced blood flow). See your doctor for an evaluation if you are concerned about this issue.