Foot Pain Treatment

The foot is one of the most complex and intricate areas of the entire human body. It’s made up of 26 bones, which form a network that also includes ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Your feet and ankles may be strong enough to bear your body weight, but that doesn’t exempt your feet from experiencing pain and injury.

Foot pain is a common issue among people of all ages. Because the feet are used every single day and take a lot of abuse from many basic activities like walking, running, climbing, and jumping, it’s only natural that they are prone to different types of issues that cause pain.

If you’re currently dealing with foot and ankle pain, or have experienced it in the past, you are probably aware of how disruptive and debilitating foot pain can be to your everyday life. Depending on the severity of the pain you feel, your mobility can be severely limited, you may be unable to complete basic tasks or chores, and you may need to miss work or school in order to heal.

There are many reasons why your feet may hurt, ranging from overuse and fatigue to severe injury and medical conditions. The mildest cause of foot pain is wearing improper shoes for an extended period of time. Wearing shoes that don’t fit properly, wearing high heels, tying your shoelaces too tightly, or wearing the wrong shoes for a specific activity (such as non-sport shoes for running) can cause short-term issues like blisters, bruising, and soreness, as well as long-term effects like bunions, corns, calluses, nerve and joint irritation, and misalignment of the toes.

Diseases can also be a source of foot and heel pain, including diabetes, lupus, and arthritis –specifically rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, reactive arthritis, and gout. Joint inflammation, plantar fasciitis, extensor tendonitis, and heel spurs are also common causes of foot pain.

Moreover, there are a number of injuries that can occur, leaving you with foot pain that can be temporary or chronic, depending on the severity of the injury. Ligament sprains, muscle strains, and bone bruises or fractures often happen suddenly when there is a lot of stress on the foot.

It’s easy to sprain your foot by overstretching or overusing the ligaments in your foot, causing them to stretch too far and tear. It is also possible to get in some kind of accident and seriously injure your foot by fracturing or even breaking the bones in your foot or toes with a single blow or twist.

Aside from the pain you feel, there are other indicators that you may have injured your foot or that something else is medically wrong. If your foot is swelling, or if there is obvious redness, bruising, numbness, or shooting pains, the area is injured and a problem should be diagnosed.

A lack of mobility or ability to put weight on your foot is also a clear sign of distress. If you are still able to walk on your foot despite the pain, notice how you walk – an injured foot can cause your walking motion to change, therefore, putting extra stress on your other foot, your ankles, or your knees.

While some illnesses and diseases cause foot pain that is unavoidable, there are some types of foot pain that are completely avoidable with the right preventative measures. Choosing shoes that are comfortable and fit properly, practicing good foot hygiene, wearing shoes to protect your feet from the elements when outdoors, and stretching and properly warming up before exercising can help you avoid chronic foot pain.

Foot pain can be a result of being overweight or obese as well, so another way to reduce the risk of pain in your feet is to maintain a healthy body weight. Extra weight can add undue stress to the feet, so ensuring your body weight is at a good level can lessen the amount of pain you feel in your feet.

Foot pain is common but it certainly is not a normal part of everyday life. You can mitigate the pain with some at-home treatment options, including icing the affected area, using an over-the-counter pain reliever, and resting your feet as much as possible when they’re sore or in pain.

However, if your at-home remedies do not make the pain go away after a week, it is important to see a doctor and get proper medical treatment. Left unchecked, even mild pain on the top of the foot or bottom of foot pain can escalate to something much more severe and long-term.

See a doctor if you are experiencing the following:

• A sharp pain in the foot
• You have had a recent injury
• You cannot place any weight on your foo
• You have an open wound in the area
• The painful area is inflamed, swollen, or red
• You have a fever

If you’re suffering from foot pain, call the team at Icon Medical Centers to start your path to healing and pain relief. Our dedicated physicians, specialists, and therapists can diagnose your injury and get you the right physical therapy treatment you need to feel yourself again and get back to your life. Please do not hesitate to call and book your appointment.