Understanding the Sources of Foot Pain

Foot pain can affect all areas of the foot in a number of ways.  Hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, and even Athlete’s Foot can have a negative impact on your ability to walk or stand comfortably.  There are dozens of potential issues that can occur with your feet but many result from the same few sources.  Understanding those sources will help you understand how to prevent possible problems.

Improper Footwear

This is one of the biggest sources of preventable foot problems.  Always wear a shoe that fits right the first time you put it on and creates no undue stress on your toes and lets your feet breathe.  Simply by wearing properly fitting footwear you can fend off a dozen foot problems from hammertoes and bunions all the way to plantar fasciitis.

Infection

Most common foot infections tend to be fungal in nature such as athlete’s foot or fungal nails.  By keeping your bare feet out of publicly used water like showers or puddles you can minimize your chance of fungal infection.

Wear and Tear

Whether due to intense training or simply years of use your feet can break down due to wear and tear.  Flatfeet can occur when your arch drops over time and Achilles tendinitis can flair up as the Achilles tendon weakens with age.  Taking good care of your feet can help with these kinds of issues but eventually time and use will catch up with all of us and you’ll need to consult a podiatrist to fix them.

Predisposition

Sometimes you might have a genetic or physiological predisposition to foot ailments.  Pronation which can cause other issues is often due to an improper gait you might be born with.  Not walking correctly can cause further issues making it a risk factor for plantar fasciitis and other problems.

Other Illness

There are a number of other health problems that can impact or create problems with your feet.  Diabetes especially comes with its own issues like neuropathy which can damage nerve fibres and make injury or infection hard to detect.  Osteoarthritis also can cause issues like bone spurs and a loss of flexibility.  If you have an illness like these make sure to take extra care of your feet so that you don’t end up with even more complications.

The sources of foot pain are varied but the right application of a little knowledge can help you prevent a lot of it from happening.  If you have any of the above problems you should see someone who can help.  Contact Sheldon H. Nadal D. P. M. at his Toronto podiatry clinic today.