Foot Pain

"Foot pain"

by James Nsien2

A person with foot pain has discomfort in the foot below the ankle. Pain may be caused by inflammation, infection or injury. Pain or discomfort can be felt anywhere in the foot, including the heel, toes, arch, instep, sole, or ankles.

Common names:

• Foot Pain

• Foot Pain (sole)

• Heel Pain

• Pain in the Foot

• Pain in the Heel

• Pain in the Sole of the Foot

• Painful Foot

• Painful Heel

• Sole Pain (foot)

• Sore Foot

Symptoms that may occur with foot pain include:

· Skin redness

· Skin swelling

· Foot bruise

· Foot tenderness:

· May occur over the bones

· Foot swelling (unilateral)

· Foot stiffness

· Foot weakness (unilateral)

· Foot numbness (unilateral)

· Toe numbness

· Foot or toe deformity

· Difficulty walking

Foot pain is very common. About 75% of people in the United States have foot pain at some time in their lives. Most foot pain is caused by shoes that do not fit properly or that force the feet into unnatural shapes (such as pointed-toe, high-heeled shoes).

The foot is a complex structure of 26 bones and 33 joints, layered with an intertwining web of more than 120 muscles, ligaments, and nerves.

It serves the following functions:

• Supports weight

• Acts as a shock absorber

• Serves as a lever to propel the leg forward

• Helps maintain balance by adjusting the body to

uneven surfaces

Because the feet are very small compared with the rest of the body, the impact of each step exerts tremendous force upon them. This force is about 50% greater than the person's body weight. During a typical day, people spend about 4 hours on their feet and take 8,000 - 10,000 steps. This means that the feet support a combined force equivalent to several hundred tons every day.

Causes:

Prolonged standing, over pronation and the pressures that this places on the joints, muscles and ligaments of the foot are major causes of foot pain. There are many occupations that require long periods of static standing such as the health, retail, fashion and construction industries. Standing for long periods of time causes the muscles of the lower limb to become fatigued and overworked. Blood pooling due to decreased venous return also increases discomfort in the lower limb. The overall result of this being tired aching legs.

Ill fitted shoes and wearing high heels can also contribute to foot pain. High heels make women to look smart and taller, however they can become very uncomfortable if they wear these for long periods or during inappropriate activities. High heels increase the pressure on the ball of the foot and toe region above what the foot is designed to withstand. This overloads the structures of the forefoot leading to ball of foot pain and discomfort.

Aging, being overweight and many other systemic diseases such as diabetes, gout, arthritis all increase the likelihood of foot problems. Generally these systemic (whole body) diseases affect the function and structure (depending on the disease) of the foot. This changes the function of the foot and often leads to foot pain.

Certain age groups also suffer foot pain at different times of their lives. Children suffer from aches and pains during their growth and development. This was traditionally called growing pains, however today we know that there is treatment for these aches and pains. The two most common children’s pains are, Severs disease (pain at the heel) and Osgoodschlatters Syndrome (pain at the knee). These are both growing related problems that are aggravated by over use and poor mechanics.

The elderly are another group that often suffer foot pain. This is largely due to over use from a life time of wear and tear. Although wear and tear are not reversible, there are still treatment options available for this group of patients, to make walking pain free.

Home Care

• Apply ice to reduce pain and swelling. Do this just

after an activity that aggravates your pain.

• Elevate your painful foot as much as possible.

• Reduce activity until the problem improves.

• Wear foot pads in areas of friction or pressure. This

will prevent rubbing and irritation.

• Take over-the-counter pain medicine, like ibuprofen or

acetaminophen. Try this for 2 to 3 weeks (unless you

have a history of an ulcer, liver disease, or other

condition that does not allow you to take one of these

drugs).