Are you dealing with foot pain? For those who are suffering with pain in their feet, getting answers and an accurate diagnosis is critical to finding a solution. There are many potential causes for foot pain, and thankfully many available treatments. This pain is often in the toes, arch, or heel and can vary from a mild pain that will heal quickly on its own, to conditions that may require minimally invasive surgery. The following are a few common types of foot pain and their accompanying symptoms and treatments.
Plantar Fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. This occurs when the Plantar Fascia tissue band in the heel becomes inflamed and painful. It usually feels like a stabbing pain that often occurs with your very first steps in the morning. Plantar Fasciitis can be due to being overweight, wearing shoes with little arch support, or having legs of uneven lengths. When treating this ailment, physical therapy and orthotics are common, but there is a new procedure called HyProCure® that may be your best option.
Bone spurs are another cause of pain in the foot, and are generally a result of osteoarthritis or past injury to the joint. Heel spurs cause local foot pain, tenderness, and sometimes swelling. Often these spurs will not have accompanying pain, but it has been stated by WebMD that about 1 in 20 people will experience painful symptoms due to bone spurs. Some conservative treatments have to do with wearing supportive and comfortable shoes and simply getting rest.
A hammertoe occurs when one of the toes becomes stiff in a bent position and is not flexible enough to move back to a normal position. This can often be painful and cause issues when wearing certain types of shoes. The most common cause of a hammertoe is wearing short, narrow shoes like high heels that are too tight and force the toe into a bent position. Muscles and tendons in the toe tighten and become shorter. If treated early, hammertoes are considered “flexible” and can be treated with non-invasive measures. If the condition is more advanced, it is referred to as a “rigid” hammertoe and can be corrected.
Metatarsalgia is a condition that occurs when there is pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot. Metatarsalgia is not considered an injury according to the American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine. This condition is common in runners and is often due to the stress placed on the foot running long distances. It can additionally be caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes. Treatments can be as simple as rest, using ice, and wearing more supportive shoes. In fact, Runner’s World Magazine states that “preventing Metatarsalgia is often as simple as wearing the right shoes.”
These are a few common causes of foot pain that you don’t always hear a lot about. If you are experiencing foot pain symptoms, it is always wise to talk to a doctor in order to get an accurate diagnosis. Contact a New York podiatrist at Adler Footcare today! We believe feet shouldn’t hurt and neither should their treatment.
The good news is there are a variety of treatment methods available for common foot problems. Learn more about them in the free download below.