The majority of people complain of foot pain! It is estimated that 75% of us have foot pain. What does it mean, though? Well, to overcome foot pain we must first understand where the pain is coming from. Is the reason plantar fasciitis, bunions, heel spurs, heel pain, ball of foot pain, hammer toes, nail deformity, athlete’s foot, Achilles Tendinitis, ankle weakness, Morton’s Neuroma, calluses and corns, shin splints? There are so many reasons for our feet to hurt!
I learned through my research that each person who has foot pain can have a different cause for that pain. Also, the way that person handles that pain will be different. Doctors can describe a pain by saying it is “Plantar Fasciitis” but that does not mean the treatment for one person will be the same as for another person. So foot pain management needs to be focused to the individual with foot pain.
The root cause of the pain in our feet is not a single cause but rather a group of causes such as inappropriate footwear, our gait (the way we walk), our activities, and our genetic make-up. Ultimately to manage the foot pain you must first know what you are doing to actually create the pain in the first place.
These primary factors actually cause discomfort in our lower extremities such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, heel spurs, heel pain, ball of foot pain, hammer toes, nail deformity, athlete’s foot, Achilles Tendonitis, ankle weakness, Morton’s Neuroma , calluses and corns, shin splints! With so many conditions, foot pain management needs to be customized to each person
Extreme changes occur as we age and our feet are affect by age. Like everything else with our bodies, our feet change with age. As a baby, there is not much need for our feet to hold our weight, so they are small in comparison to our body. As a child, our feet are more flexible. They can handle jumping and running with little or no support. When we are adults our weight is a major factor on how our feet feel. Then we subject them to activities that are contrary to our feet’s needs.
Besides age, activities such as hiking, running, and lifting weights our feet manage each activity differently. If you ever noticed a baby’s foot; it is small and round with curled toes, and when a baby walks the toes spread out and flatten; when you take that same baby’s foot and put it in a shoe it holds that foot in place and the baby needs to walk differently with that shoe on its foot. The same is true when a foot runs, hikes or lifts weight.
Depending on whether you are barefoot or wearing heels, you will walk differently. As said before, your feet are susceptible to the environment you put them in. So pay attention to how you walk when your feet are in different shoes. Is there pain? Are you walking “funny”?
After you have paid attention and noticed when your pain occurs, try something new! Get seen by a reputable doctor or podiatrist. Get an x-ray of your feet to see where your metatarsal bones are relative to a “pain free foot”. Don’t be talked into surgery! You may not need it! Please check into all alternatives such as orthotics, comfort shoe supports, exercise and natural remedies. Though surgery can benefit some people it is not necessarily the best option. If you do decide on surgery get a second or third opinion.
Finally, there is really no such thing as normal feet! The reality is that you have the opportunity to change how your feet feel if you put some effort into changing the environment you put your feet in; take charge of some simple techniques to strengthen your feet and, most importantly, give them the attention they deserve!
Want to find out more about foot pain, then visit Mary Markee’s site on how to choose the best bunions for your needs.
Republished by Blog Post Promoter