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Our
feet and ankles bear the brunt of every step we take. Women in particular
wear uncomfortable, jarring yet fashionable shoes that can do damage to
the structure of the foot over time.
Athletes
are at risk of foot problems from traumatic injury, joint, tendon, or
ligament problems.
New Mexico Orthopaedics has physicians who specialize in foot and treat
a variety of surgical and nonsurgical problems, a team of therapists,
and a prosthetic center for foot orthotics.
The
most common foot problems are:
- Foot
and ankle trauma/fractures
- Ligament
sprains/tendonitis
- Achilles
tendon problems
-
Heel pain/plantar fasciitis
- Bunions,
hammertoes or claw toes
- Ankle
or foot arthritis
- Flat
feet deformities
What causes foot pain?
The causes of foot pain can relate
to traumatic injury, problems with shoes, weight, or other disease processes.
The fact is, the feet take a lot of abuse. Here are some of the common
causes of foot problems:
Corns
are hardened, painful and raised calluses, most often on the side of the
little toe, usually caused by shoes that cramp the toes. A foot specialist
can remove them if necessary.
Ingrown
toenails can be extremely painful. These may need the attention
of a foot specialist.
Plantar
warts are caused by a virus and can make walking painful when
they appear on the bottom of the foot. The foot specialist can remove
these by freezing them off.
Achilles
tendon can be a source of pain behind the ankle. A
foot specialist can help correct the strain.
Heel
Pain
When
walking, the heel absorbs the brunt of our body weight in each step.
That is 60 tons for every mile walked! It should come as no surprise
then that it is the most common type of foot injury. Those who experience
heel pain should stop the offending activity immediately and schedule
and appointment with a physician since when left untreated, heel pain
can become chronic.
Pain
on the back of the foot
When pain surfaces behind the heel, it is usually caused by shoes that
fit too snuggly in the back. Sometimes it is from running in shoes that
are too tight in the heel and can also develop from walking around in
everyday shoes that are too tight. The best thing to do to treat this
type of injury is to use anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil,
to ice the heel and to do exercises prescribed by your doctor to stretch
out the muscles and ligaments that are in pain.
Pain
on bottom of the foot
The three most common heel injuries at the bottom of the foot are stone
bruises, plantar fasciitis, and heel spurs.
A stone bruise usually develops from stepping on a hard object and is
literally a bruise just like you would find anywhere else on the body.
However, unlike a bruise on the arm where it is easier to keep it protected,
unless you are planning on riding around in a wheelchair, the foot will
be irritated with each step. The best treatment for a stone bruise is
to curtail as much walking as possible until the injury heals.
Planter fasciitis is usually the result of overuse, either from running
too long without rest or jumping on the heel too much. Again, the best
treatment for planter fasciitis is rest. Also, your physician may be
able to show you some stretches and exercises for the injury as well
as prescribe heel pads to wear while walking.
If planter fasciitis is left untreated for too long, a calcium deposit
called a heel spur may grow on the heel. These very painful growths are
treated the same way planter fasciitis is treated.
Hammer
toe and Claw Toe
Unfortunately,
all those years of wearing high-heeled, fashionable shoes can catch up
with you. Hammer toe or claw toe can develop in people for a variety
of reasons, but generally, hammer toe stems from years of wearing confining
shoes and a muscle imbalance while claw toe can be caused by confining
foot wear, alcoholism, or diabetes. Hammertoes are when a toe bends up
permanently at the middle joint.
So, what then qualifies as a confining shoe? Shoes that provide a narrow
space for the toes to squeeze into. A shoe that fits this description
could be a high heel shoe that allows the toe to slide to close to the
front of the shoe, a shoe that is a size too small or too narrow at the
toe.
In its early stages, hammer toe can be treated nonsurgically. Usually
by only wearing shoes that provide plenty of space in the toes and by
doing certain toe stretches symptoms can be alleviated. In more severe
cases, surgery may be necessary.
For claw tow, similar stretches will be prescribed. In more severe cases,
those with claw toe will need to find a shoe repair place to add more
room in the toe or buy shoes that are made with toe pockets. Also, sometimes
pads for feet are placed in the shoe to help alleviate pressure on the
toe.
Bunions
Bunions
are tender lumps near joints around the toes, especially the big toe.
A bunion or osteophyte can be removed surgically to relieve pain and
restore joint motion. They are
caused by improper foot wear and heredity, are quite common and it is
estimated that more than 50 percent of women have them. Adolescents
can
also suffer from bunions. A bunion occurs when the bones that comprise
the big toe of the foot begin to bend outwards. If left untreated, it
can be very painful and can lead to arthritis. There are several ways
to treat a bunion nonsurgically including through the use of special
padding and shoe inserts to alleviate pain. Loose fitting shoes may also
help for comfort and anti-inflammatory medication can cause swelling
to
go down. Also, soaking the foot in warm water can temporarily lessen
the pain. Sometimes surgery is necessary and following surgery, the
foot will
be able to fit into any size shoe comfortably.
Preventive
care for the feet: It starts with shoes
The
fashion-savvy will find it disheartening to hear that when it comes to
foot health, function, not fashion, is key.
Looks
can be deceiving, and what may seem like an attractive shoe could in
the long run cause an array of musculoskeletal problems including foot,
ankle, knee, hip, and spine injuries.
One of the best ways to evade
a foot injury is by wearing proper foot gear designed specifically for
whatever activity you participate in with regularity. Runners should
buy running shoes, basketball players (even weekend warriors) should
buy basketball shoes, and the employee who constantly walks around for
work should wear proper walking shoes. There is a shoe for virtually
any activity.
Once you have decided it is time for a new shoe, there
are several things to take into consideration to make sure you get the
proper fit. For one thing, buy shoes at the end of the day. This is because
the feet get larger the longer we stand on them, so at the end of the
day, our feet will be larger than when we wake up in the morning. For
athletes, the best thing to have the sales person watch you walk and
run in several shoes to see which provides proper support. A proper athletic
shoe should leave enough room that there is a half-inch gap between the
longest toe and the edge of the shoe. When in doubt, go up half a size.
Shoes should NEVER feel too tight when you try them on. A proper shoe
should not stretch out with wear.
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