Most of us have experienced foot pain at some point in our lives. When your feet, ankles or knees are in pain or simply don’t work properly, it can really slow you down - causing a lot of stress in your daily life. Foot pain can be caused from a number of issues ranging from direct injury to on-going and persistent stress to the area. The best way to get a proper diagnosis is through your local podiatrist where a comprehensive assessment can be done to determine the exact nature of your foot pain.
Let’s explore some of the main causes of foot pain…
Stress fractures
If your feet bones are pre-disposed to conditions like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, it can put extra pressure on your feet causing unpleasant stress fractures. Unfortunately, the pain may not be noticeable right away, giving you the illusion that everything is ok. You may not realise you have a fracture until weeks later when the pain increasingly gets worse. A visit to your local podiatrist is a must at this point.
Bunions & footwear
Do you wear shoes that are too tight? Is your footwear putting pressure on your toes and causing a bit of a squeeze? This is often the leading cause of bunions, causing painful bumps to occur near the joint of the big toe - affecting the way you walk on a daily basis. A simple solution is to wear looser fitting shoes to help reduce some of the foot pain or alternatively book an appointment to see a podiatrist to get immediate treatment. Richmond podiatry customers and those in South Yarra and other areas can also make appointments as we arent too far away from you!
Osteoarthritis & weight gain
Our body goes through many changes as we age. Sometimes due to weight gain, osteoarthritis can affect your ability to move, inadvertently putting extra pressure on your feet. Incorporating a few simple lifestyle changes like more exercise and better eating habits can dramatically improve general foot pain. If the pain isn’t getting better, please seek help from a podiatrist for a comprehensive assessment of your situation.
Achilles tendonitis
Being so close to the foot, it’s not uncommon to experience heel pain with Achilles Tendonitis. This condition is also associated with runners and joggers. If you’re more sports inclined and generally over use this area, there’s a higher chance of developing Achilles Tendonitis. This seems to be more prevalent as we get older, putting extra strain on this part of the body. Changing to lower impact exercise may help improve this condition significantly. Seek help from a professional for further guidance.
Heel pain (Plantar Fascitis)
The plantar ligament connects your heel to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot and keeps you healthy and mobile. When you’ve injured or strained it, you will feel quite a bit of pain, inflammation and stiffness, weakening your ability to walk. This can effectively be treated with orthotics and doing specific foot exercises into your daily care regime.
Hammertoe
When the middle joint of your toe(s) curl in a crooked manner, rather than pointing straight out. What's happening in this case is the muscles are contracting constantly which means that your toe can start to curl up. This can become painful and may require surgery so get your podiatrist to look at this sooner rather than later.
Achieving healthy feet is important to living a happy and active lifestyle. TVP can assess, treat and heal a variety of foot pain issues in a professional, safe and friendly environment.Dont forget that we dont just serve customers in the local area, a lot of our customers make the effort to travel from Richmond, South Yarra and other areas to make sure that their feet are in our hands.