Feet Killing You? 5 Reasons You May Have Foot Pain
Feet provide essential support for the body. Your feet bear roughly half your body's mass when standing, your entire body weight when walking, and two to five times your body weight when running. Thus, foot pain can immobilize you.
Foot pain is a common podiatric problem. A survey of 1000 adults by the American Podiatrist Medical Association (APMA) found that 77 percent of the people interviewed reported having experienced foot pain.
Surveys on foot pain associate this condition with various factors, including age, level of physical activity, higher body mass index, and choice of footwear. Explore five common causes of foot pain below.
1. Arthritis
The foot has multiple joints, and you can suffer arthritic pain in any of them. But the pain is common in the joint in the big toe. Arthritis occurs when the cartilage between your joints wears down, causing inflammation in your joints.
Athletes who train rigorously without taking breaks between seasons to give their bodies time to recuperate often suffer arthritis pain. Age and former sports injuries that caused the cartilage to wear may also result in arthritic pain.
2. Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a symptom of overuse that manifests as sharp stabbing heel pain. The pain occurs when the plantar fascia, a thick ligament that runs from the bottom part of the front toe to the heel, gets inflamed.
The inflammation of the plantar fascia usually occurs when you overdo a high-impact activity like running or wear shoes that cause stress on the heel.
Younger people heal quickly from stress and tension on the heel. Thus, you rarely see a young person at the podiatrist for plantar fasciitis. The condition is common in older, more active adults.
If you suffer from heel pain, avoid shoes with high arches and wear wider, more supportive shoes.
3. Morton's Neuroma
If you love wearing high heels, you have probably experienced this pain. Morton's neuroma is a pain at the ball of your foot caused by tissue inflammation around the nerves between the toes. The inflammation results from wearing tight, narrow, high heels that compress and rub on your foot.
You feel your toes go numb or experience stinging pain when you walk or stand in ill-fitting high heels for some time. You may also experience a burning pain in the balls of your feet. Replacing your narrow shoes with wider and more supportive ones can ease the irritation on your nerve.
4. Flatfoot
Flatfoot is a condition where the foot lacks an arch, and thus all of it touches the floor when you stand. Most people are born with flat feet, but others develop the condition due to stress on the posterior tibial tendon, which attaches the calf muscles to the bones inside the foot.
The latter cause of flat feet is common in people who do high-intensity sports. If you are an athlete, wear supportive shoes to avoid causing trauma to the posterior tibial tendon. If you have flat feet, your doctor may recommend wearing orthodontics to help you walk with an arch.
5. Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendon, which typically results from overuse. You may experience tendonitis after running on a hard surface and wearing high heels. The pain manifests as a dull ache you experience after doing the mentioned activities.
Rest and ice compressions are effective remedies for Achilles tendonitis. As soon as you know which activities aggravate your pain, avoid them until the pain subsides. If your pain persists, consider booking an appointment with your doctor for a check-up.
Foot pain can be debilitating, but you can find relief with the appropriate remedy. Wearing supportive shoes and avoiding activities that stress your feet can help prevent foot pain. But if it's already too late for that, Advanced Foot Clinic has solutions to your pain. Contact us today to book an appointment with our podiatrists in Salem and Tualatin.
