Foot pain is a very common problem. At any given time, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men, suffers from foot pain. One in 10 people have foot pain so severe that it is disabling.
"Most adults will suffer from foot pain at some point during their life," says John Malik, consultant podiatric surgeon at BMI Healthcare, Edgbaston hospital. "The severity differs, but severe foot pain can have a significant effect on a person's quality of life."
Foot pain can stop you exercising or simply walking about, which can have a negative effect on your general health. It can increase your risk of having a fall and being in constant pain can have a negative effect on your mood.
Foot pain can also cause problems elsewhere in your body, says Mr Malik. Because it alters the way you walk (your gait) it can end up causing knee, hip or back pain.
Don't ignore it
According to foot specialists (podiatrists and chiropodists), people usually seek help when their foot pain is so bothersome that it affects their lifestyle or work.
However, don't ignore your foot pain for too long, "The earlier we see you, the quicker the treatment," he says. "A lot of people come to see us a couple of years after the pain started, and then it can be a real problem to try and get on top of it."
Heel pain
The foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, so there's a lot that can go wrong. But when it comes to heel pain, there is usually one culprit: plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is a type of repetitive strain injury, one that is common with people who do a lot of walking or standing for long periods of time. Shop workers, factory workers and athletes are particularly susceptible to this condition.
Pain in the ball of the foot ( metatarsalgia) is often caused by excess pressure on this part of the foot, and footwear is often to blame. High heel shoes are the chief culprit. They tip the bodyweight onto a small area of the foot and, to make matters worse, they constrict the front of the foot so the weight can't spread evenly over the ball of the foot.
Flatfoot (Pes Planus)
• You have this condition when your sole makes complete or near-complete contact with the ground. You can get it after an injury or because of a health problem, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Most people don't have symptoms, although weight gain, ill-fitting shoes, or standing a lot may cause pain in your feet and legs. Foot-strengthening exercises and shoes with good arch support or orthotics can help.
Calcaneal spur
• A calcaneal spur (or heel spur) is a small osteophyte (bone spur) located on the calcaneus (heel bone). Calcaneal spurs are typically detected by a radiological examination (X-ray).
• When a foot bone is exposed to constant stress, calcium deposits build up on the bottom of the heel bone. Generally, this has no effect on a person's daily life. However, repeated damage can cause these deposits to pile up on each other, causing a spur-shaped deformity, called a calcaneal (or heel) spur. Obese people, flatfooted people, and people who often wear high-heeled shoes are most susceptible to heel spurs.
• Although heel spurs are often painless, they can cause heel pain. They are frequently associated with plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of the fibrous band of connective tissue (plantar fascia) that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the ball of the foot.
• Treatments for heel spurs and associated conditions include exercise, custom-made orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and cortisone injections.
Corns:
A corn is a build-up of hard skin near a bony area of a toe or between toes. Corns may be the result of pressure from shoes that rub against the toes or cause friction between the toes. Proper care is necessary if you have a corn. After your bath or shower, use a pumice stone to gently remove the build-up of tissue. Do not use over-the-counter remedies to dissolve corns. DO NOT try to cut the corn or remove it with a sharp object. Calluses and corns can result from ill-fitting shoes. Treat these early or they can become ulcers.
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