Senior Housing and Assisted Living

Most people complain of foot pain. An estimate of 75% of all people have foot pain. So what does this mean for us? Well, this means that with so many people affected by foot pain we must learn where the pain is coming from. Ask whether is is bunions, ball of foot pain, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, hammer toes, athlete’s foot, nail deformity, Achilles Tendonitis, calluses and corns, Morton’s Neuroma, shin splints or ankle weakness. As you can see there are many possible reasons for our feet to be in pain!

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.

Furthermore, to manage foot care, we need to understand the most common conditions created by the previously mentioned factors that cause pain and discomfort in our lower extremities. They are 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! Again, each of these will be managed differently for each person affected by them.

Our feet go through extreme changes as we age. As our whole body changes our feet are affected by those changes. 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.

As we do various activities such as running, hiking and lifting our feet manage each situation differently. Have 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.

Think about how you walk when you walk barefoot versus in a shoe. You walk differently. Remember, your feet are susceptible to the environment you put them in. If you are barefoot you will create issues that are different than when you have high heels on.

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!

Whenever people think of foot pain the look for Foot Pain Solutions to overcome their pain. There are many causes to foot pain but the solutions can be very simple. When Foot Pain Solutions allude you, go back to the basics of foot care and take care of your feet!