Foot injuries can be devastating. Foot pain can take away your ability to balance and live an active lifestyle without compromise. Since our feet are so important to keep us active and mobile, any injury to them can affect the way we work, exercise, and enjoy hobbies.
Many people, including myself, may have posture, balance, high arches, or flat feet that affect their everyday movement.
Many foot injuries can occur at different stages in your life and depending on what hobbies you participate in.
What are Common Foot Injuries?
Some common foot problems and injuries we see in our clinic are arthritis, bunions, Achilles tendon injuries, fractures, and flat feet conditions.
- Flat Feet Conditions: Flat feet is when the arches are flattened, which allows the soles of your feet to touch the ground when you stand up. Most are born with flat feet and other times it develops. Having flat feet usually does not come with pain but having flat feet can cause issues in which pain can occur.
- Foot Arthritis: Arthritis is when cartilage deteriorates leading to a restricted range of movement after completing numerous motions or tasks over time. You can develop arthritis in many joints such as your wrists, ankles, and toes.
- Bunions: Bunions are normal bones that eventually shifted out of alignment and are not protruding on the outside of your toe. Bunions are normally caused by genetics. Typically if the bunion is causing you pain you will have to get surgery so they can shave down the bone. If the bunion is not hurting you there is no harm in leaving it alone.
- Achilles Tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is the overuse of the Achilles tendon. This is the band of tissue that connects your calf muscle all the way down your lower leg to your heel bones. This injury is most commonly seen in runners and middle-aged people who play sports such as pickleball, tennis, or basketball.
- Plantar Fasciitis: commonly occurs in women more than men who have high arches and tight calves. The plantar fasica is a thick connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the balls of the feet. This foot injury can produce pain anywhere along the bottom of the foot but mostly at the heel.
If you’re having Achilles pain ready why you shouldn’t IGNORE the pain: https://preferredptaz.com/achilles-pain-why-you-cant-ignore-it/
What Is The Most Common Foot Injury?
One of the most common foot and ankle injuries is plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis involves the fascia band in the arch of the foot that becomes inflamed that causes sharp pain in the heel. Some treatments are massaging your feet, using an ice pack, stretching, using toe separators, or trying cupping for your feet and ankles.
Plantar fasciitis occurs when repetitive motion or anything that puts a lot of pressure on your foot. Some activities that may cause this are running, jogging, and long periods of standing.
To read more about plantar fasciitis and how to limit it read this blog.
Treatment Options For Foot Injuries
Many non-surgical options are an option when it comes to these foot injuries. When having flat feet, having arch support for your shoes or supportive shoes, in general, will be very beneficial in having little to no pain when being active. Arch strengthening exercises can be very beneficial as well.
Watch this video for a foot strengthening exercise.
Limiting inflammation and having a brace can be helpful when dealing with arthritis.
Remember arthritis can not be fixed but it can be treated. If you are experiencing a lot of pain with your arthritis injections can be used but trying nonsurgical measures first is always recommended.
When dealing with Achilles tendonitis you want to be very gentle and do some simple stretching. Elevate your foot if you are experiencing swelling and reduce your physical activity.
Icing the area when in pain can help inflammation and pain. Do not put the ice pack directly on your skin, leave the pack on until your leg feels numb/cold, and then take the ice pack off. Sometimes the pain may not improve and surgery will be necessary.
Conclusion
All of these conditions can be helped by also performing physical therapy. Physical therapy offers you increased mobility, balance, strengthening, and muscle manipulation to help recover. At Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, Arizona we are not like other clinics.
We work one-on-one with our patients to provide personalized care. You will receive hands-on treatment along with exercises specific to your needs.
Our providers help you through the exercises to make sure you get the most out of your visits and know what to expect when you do them at home as well. Unlike other places that may not listen to your needs and just follow a very original plan.
We get to the root cause of your pain and continue treatment for the root cause so your problem does not return in a month or two. You will be evaluated to determine where your foot pain is coming from.
If you feel pain from your hip you may actually be experiencing problems in your back and the hip pain is just a factor in that back pain.
If you’re suffering from ankle, foot, or other pain, mobility issues, weakness, or any other muscle irregularities then inquire about our cost and talk to one of our specialists.
Dr, Nick’s greatest passion is seeing his patients recover from injury and return to their activities that bring them joy.
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