The most common cause of heel pain is incorrect foot movement during walking or running. This can place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. An example of incorrect foot movement is excessive pronation – leaning inward as each step is completed.
[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="TREAT"]Treatment of heel pain varies depending on the type, cause, and severity of the condition. Your podiatrist may advise you to cut back on activities that put stress on your foot and/or recommend the use of orthotic devices.
Other treatments include:
insoles
oral or injected anti-inflammatory medication
physical therapy
foot taping
foot exercises
[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="NAIL"]Many nail problems can be prevented by wearing the right shoes and trimming your nails properly. To help avoid infections, keep your feet clean and dry. If you have diabetes, talk with your podiatrist before doing any foot self-care.
[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="TENDONIS"]People, whose feet or legs are not in perfect alignment, often experience pain in other parts of their body. Your feet are your foundation. Orthotics correct the movement of the foot, and that relieves the problems in the legs and hips.
Wearing orthotic devices, also known as orthoses, inside your shoes can help your feet function better as you stand, walk, and run. Your podiatrist can prescribe orthotic devices, based on a specific diagnosis of your foot problem, and then have them individually manufactured from a mold of your feet. Feet are relieved of the chronic stress that results from abnormal movement and are usually relieved of pain, too.
When you use a set of muscles too much, you’re likely to strain the tendons (soft tissues) that connect those muscles to your bones. At first, pain or swelling may come and go quickly. But if you do too much too soon, your muscles may overtire again. The strain may cause a tendon’s outer covering to swell or small fibers in a tendon to pull apart. If you keep pushing your muscles, damage to the tendons adds up and tendonitis develops. Over time, pain and swelling may limit your activities. But with your doctor’s help, tendonitis can be controlled. Both your symptoms and your risk of future problems can be reduced.
Having strong, healthy feet allows your child to walk, run, and play. If your child’s feet form correctly, certain types of back and leg pain can be avoided later in life. Exams of the feet and ankles ensure that your child’s bones are growing correctly. Your doctor can also make sure that your child is walking properly. This helps prevent some future foot problems. And if a problem does arise, it can be handled early – when it is easiest to treat.
People, whose feet or legs are not in perfect alignment, often experience pain in other parts of their body. Your feet are your foundation. Orthotics correct the movement of the foot, and that relieves the problems in the legs and hips.
Wearing orthotic devices, also known as orthoses, inside your shoes can help your feet function better as you stand, walk, and run. Your podiatrist can prescribe orthotic devices, based on a specific diagnosis of your foot problem, and then have them individually manufactured from a mold of your feet. Feet are relieved of the chronic stress that results from abnormal movement and are usually relieved of pain, too.
The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate symptoms, so that you can maintain your normal lifestyle. Although some patients may not receive complete relief, it is expected that the vast majority will gain significant improvement from therapy. Treatment may be surgical or non-surgical. Non-surgical treatment is often attempted before surgical intervention. Your podiatric surgeon will decide the appropriate method of therapy for you. Conservative treatment for an intermetatarsal neuroma usually includes modifying shoes, ultrasound therapy, medication, or orthotics. These conservative therapies may provide complete, partial or no relief of symptoms. The decision to surgically intervene is based on your symptoms, the judgment of your podiatric surgeon and your preference. A neurectomy or surgical removal of a neuroma is performed when conservative treatment proves ineffective.
Corns and calluses are your body’s response to friction or pressure against the skin. If your foot rubs inside your shoe, the affected area of skin thickens. Or if a bone is not in the normal position, skin caught between bone and shoe or bone and ground builds up. In either case, the outer layer of skin thickens to protect the foot from unusual pressure. In many cases, corns and calluses look bad but are not harmful. However, more severe corns and calluses may become infected, destroy healthy tissue, or affect foot movement. But with your doctor’s help, corns and calluses can be controlled.
If your corns and calluses are mild, reducing friction may help. Different shoes, moleskin patches, or soft pads may be all the treatment you need. In more severe cases, treating tissue buildup may require your doctor’s care. Sometimes orthoses (custom-made shoe inserts) are prescribed to reduce friction and pressure.
All of us are likely to have problems with our feet, but diabetics may develop serious problems more quickly and have more complications, especially when circulation or nerves are impaired.
The key for the diabetic is to view all foot problems as potentially dangerous and to prevent them or seek podiatric medical care as soon as they occur. Proper foot care can significantly reduce the risk of limb loss in diabetic patients.
Pressure ulcers are sores that occur when pressure cots off the blood supply to the skin. Stress caused by the body’s weight and the impact of striking the ground place the ball of the foot, the big toe, and the heel at greatest risk. Left untreated, an ulcer may allow infection to enter your body. If infection reaches the bloodstream or bone, your life or limb may be at risk. But with your doctor’s help, your health can be protected. Pressure ulcers can be controlled and even prevented.
A bunion is most often a symptom of faulty mechanics of the foot. The deformity does run in families; however, it is the foot type that is hereditary, not the bunion. People with flat feet or low arches seem more prone to develop the problem than those with higher arches. A fracture or break into the joint may lead to arthritic changes and the development of bunion deformities with limited range of motion.
A hammertoe deformity is a contracture of the toe(s), frequently caused by the imbalance in the tendon or joints of the toes. It is often aggravated by poor-fitting shoes or socks that cramp the toes. Those with rheumatoid arthritis, high arches or a tendency to rotate their feet inward when walking are especially susceptible. Corns and calluses usually form over time as a hammertoe becomes more rigid, making it difficult to wear shoes.
Did you know that signs of arthritis – the symptoms include joint swelling, pain, tenderness, heat, redness, and/or limitation of motion, plus early morning stiffness, and skin rashes – often show up first in the feet? Since arthritis attacks the joints – and each of your feet has 33 joints – it is easy to understand how arthritis can seriously affect foot function. Fortunately, there is much you can do offset these effects on your feet and stay as active as you want to be.
