Ingrown Toenail. The sides or corners of the toenail usually curve down and put pressure on the skin. Sometimes the toenail pierces the skin and then continues to grow into the skin. This may cause redness, swelling, pain and sometimes infection. Plantar Fascitis. A thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating on the bottom surface of the calcaneus (heel bone) and extending along the sole of the foot towards the five toes It has been reported that plantar fasciitis occurs in two million Americans a year and 10% of the population over a lifetime.
Neither calluses nor corns have roots under the skin; they are simply thick layers of dead skin cells. However, the pressure of this hard mass on sensitive nerves in the skin can be painful. A bunion is a deformity at the big toe joint. It occurs when the big toe slants outward at an angle and becomes swollen or tender. Bunions can be inherited, or caused by wearing shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot. Sometimes bunions are a sign of developing arthritis in older people. Blisters – Wearing shoes that do not fit properly or wearing shoes without socks can cause blisters, which can become infected.
Your feet are in shoes most of the time and people often don’t look after them, seeing them as something at the end of their legs,” says Edinburgh podiatrist, Anne Sibbald of Natural Therapies, a foot doctor for more than 20 years. “What we forget is that, as we’re walking, our feet hit the ground at an approximate acceleration rate of 30mph and that’s why it’s so painful if you stub your toe. Why? Because unless they remind us they’re there, they’re taken for granted and, if something goes wrong, everything stops. There’s little worse than sore feet.”
Dry skin may occur because of a reduction of oils in the skin. Rather than moisturizing feet as one might suspect, hot baths and soaking often remove oils in the skin and lead to dryness. Going barefoot or wearing certain shoes without socks may result in friction that removes oil from the skin and also leads to dryness. Painful cracks (fissures) may result on the bottom of the feet or at the back of the heels. These fissures may become inflamed or infected. To prevent this from developing, avoid hot baths, avoid soaking feet and apply moisturizers to feet, particularly after bathing. The greasier the better.
Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus. Painful itching between toes, cracked or scaly skin, small blisters and red, irritated skin patches are usually signs of athlete’s foot or other fungal or bacterial conditions. The best way to help prevent athlete’s foot infection is to keep feet clean and dry with a daily washing. Be especially careful to dry between toes. Use a foot powder to help feet stay drier through the day. Feb. 24, 2011 – Bunions – deformities at the base of the big toe that can cause pain and disability – are common and can really slow a person down, a new study shows.
A fracture is another name for a broken bone. A fracture can occur due to a specific traumatic event such as twisting one’s ankle or falling from a ladder. However, they may also occur as a result of fatigue and overuse. This type of fracture is known as a A common example of this is a fracture of a metatarsal bone following excessive walking. People with osteoporosis are at a greater risk of developing stress fractures due to the resultant weakening of bone associated with osteoporosis. Symptoms of stress fractures include redness, swelling and pain.
Orthotics, custom orthopedic foot supports, can help with mild hammer toes and bunions. They aren’t a cure, but orthotics can make certain types of shoes more comfortable. Orthotics may slow down or perhaps prevent the progression of bunions and hammer toes. However, once the hammer toes and bunions become too large or severe an orthotic becomes just another thing occupying space in a crowded shoe. How does the nursery rhyme go? There was an old lady living in a shoe with so many hammer toes and bunions she didn’t know what to do.