Multisport: Rubbed the Wrong Way

Runner’s Blisters and the CTS Method for their Care and Treatment

By Steve Harp, CTS Expert Coach

If you’re a runner, try as you might, you’re going to face an angry and painful blister on your foot somewhere down the road. It could be from a new pair of shoes, or simply from logging lots of miles in preparation for a marathon or Ironman triathlon. The common blister is caused by friction burns from shoes or clothing rubbing against the skin. As the outer layer of skin separates from the inner layers, the space between them fills with fluid and then swells into the raised bump known as the blister. Blisters can make anyone’s training or racing a pain, but the aggravation doesn’t have to last. Here are some tips to treat and aid in the quick healing of that inflamed skin.

Leave Most Blisters Alone

It is best to leave most small blisters that are smaller than a dime alone. They should be kept clean and covered with an antibiotic ointment and a bandage and allowed to drain by themselves. The overlying skin is a natural protective layer and should be left in place until it is very dry and the underlying skin has become tough and no longer hurts to touch. Until then slathering petroleum jelly around the blister and the part of a shoe that caused the irritation will reduce the friction by some measure—enough to make it possible for you to continue. After the blister has dried, peel off the outer layer of dead skin.

Protect it

You can protect a blister with moleskin, a raised bandage which surrounds the blister and reduces the amount of friction on it. Cut a “donut hole” in a piece of moleskin with a bigger circumference than the blister and place the moleskin around the sore spot. Then cover everything with a bandage foot so the "donut hole" is over the blister. Then cover the moleskin with a bandage. Look for moleskin next to where bandages are sold in the drugstore.

Drain Big Blisters When Necessary

Large blisters may need to be drained, and it’s important to do this in a way that doesn’t cause an infection. Always use a sterilized needle to drain a blister. The needle should be sterilized by heating it with a flame until it glows red and then allowing it to cool, or by drenching it in rubbing alcohol. Once the needle’s sterilized, puncture the edge of the blister. Apply gentle pressure to drain the fluid and then cover the area with antibiotic ointment such as Brave Soldier’s Healing Ointment and a bandage. Change the bandage daily and watch for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, increased pain, and pus. If the blister becomes infected, you’ll need to see a doctor, who may prescribe a topical antibiotic to ward off the infection.

Steve Harp is an Expert Coach for Carmichael Training Systems, Inc., and an experienced distance runner who has finished in the top two percent of the field in the Boston Marathon. To find out what CTS can do for you, or to sign up for our free newsletters, visit www.trainright.com

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© 2005, Carmichael Training Systems, Inc.