Each foot has approximately 26 bones, 36 ligaments, 33 joints and 20 muscles so when the feet hit the ground it can add up to a whole lot of misery when they are mistreated. Walking, running, standing, working out, dancing are just a few of the things we use our feet for and they take a beating over a life time because of it! Add in the fact that some of us have flat feet and others have high arches it makes for a complicated dynamic structure to take care of day in and day out. Podiatrists are highly trained doctors that are foot specialists and all they do is treat foot pain and other related foot problems whether they are dermatological, neurological, vascular or orthopedic.
One question that is always asked is, “do shoes cause foot problems” The answer is that shoes can trigger foot problems if the shoes are too tight, too small, too big or does not adequate arch support. Everyone is born with a predisposition for foot problems and it is brought out due to overuse. If someone has a bunion problem that is because the joints of their feet excessively pronate and it can cause the great toe joint to eventually dislocate over time forming a bunion. Wearing shoes that are too tight without proper arch support can trigger bunion pain.
Many of my patients exercise and develop foot, leg and back pain. The reason this happens is because the foot pronates and the muscles, tendons and joints are more susceptible to injury. The term of repetitive overuse comes into play and it is the act of repeating that one movement over a prolonged period of time. The result of this is soft tissue breakdown and ultimately foot pain. The solution to solving these types of foot problems that resulted in foot pain in your heel, ball of the foot, plantar surface of your foot or joints of your foot are devices called orthotics. Orthotics devices are made from a slipper cast of your foot and will reflect your foot problem. The orthotic is made out of plastic and it will support your foot, placing it in the corrected position in your exercise shoe. These devices will help reduce the impact load from the ground when performing your favorite sport.
Often times patients toe nails are thick and yellow. This can be due to toenail fungus or trauma to the nail plate. Toenail fungus comes from walking barefoot in locker rooms, public showers and sometimes from pedicurist salons. Toenail trauma is due to someone stepping on your toes or dropping a heavy object on your toes. So pay attention to where you are and what you were doing if you begin to notice your toenails getting yellow and thick.
Whether you are a runner, golfer, tennis player, or an avid exerciser you may experience at some point foot pain during those activities and in all likely hood it will be from overuse.