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When your feet hurt, you hurt all over

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A primer on foot pain

"When your feet hurt, you hurt all over" is a phrase I hear at least two or three times a day. It would make sense since I am a foot doctor. If I was an ears, nose and throat specialist I probably would never hear it.
Anyway, it is estimated that upwards of 90 percent of the population suffers from some sort of foot or ankle pain in the course of their lives, which makes pain in the lower extremity a fairly common occurrence.
I suspect you are reading this lens because you are presently suffering from some sort of foot problem.
Foot and ankle pain comes in all shapes and sizes just like the shapes of feet. The problems range from the simple to the very serious including life and limb threatening.
What is most interesting about simpler foot problems is that most of them are preventable but people usually do not pay attention to a particular problem until it begins to hurt and then of course, the cure is not so simple.
Our feet were not originally designed to be encased in shoes and certainly not designed to walk on surfaces such as sidewalks and concrete floors, but because of these demands placed on the feet and ankles on a daily basis it is not surprising that so many people suffer from foot pain.
My purpose in creating this lens is to give you some insight into various types of foot, ankle and leg pain and what you can do about your particular problem. I will touch on the more common problems that bring people into my office on a daily basis; if you would like a more thorough discussion please visit: www.foot-pain-explained.com

bone abnormalities in the foot

BUNIONS-The large bony prominence on the big toe joint. There is a congenital component but certainly wearing improper shoes go a long way to aggravating a bunion deformity. The large bump on the outside of the foot is known as a Tailors bunion. Click here for more information on bunion pain.

HAMMERTOES-An arthritic degeneration of the toes where they are no longer straight, but rather become crooked and usually painful in closed shoes. Click here for more information on hammer toe deformity.

METATARSALGIA-Pain in the ball of the foot. Usually associated with other foot conditions. Certain foot types are more prone to this condition and certain shoes will aggravate it. Click here for more complete information on metatarsalgia

ARCH PAIN-Most arch pain is a result of the overstretching of the plantar fascial ligament which is the thick band of tissue that runs from the heel into the ball of your foot. Click here for more information on plantar fasciitis.

HEEL SPUR-A worsening of plantar fasciitis where the ligament calcifies at its attachment into the heel bone. It is important to note that there are other factors that will lead to pain in the heel along with the spur. Click here for more information on heel spurs and other sources of heel pain.

BONE SPURS-Any bony prominence that occurs on the foot (or any other body part for that matter). The most common location is at a joint, (the place where two bones comes together and allow for movement). Sometimes bone spurs can be so painful they will be the reason for a visit to a doctor, other times they can be an incidental finding on an xray. Click here for more information on bone spurs and their causes.

FRACTURES- Like bone spurs, fractures can also occur in other parts of the body, but there are two fractures that are unique to the foot and there are misconceptions associated with them. One is a stress fracture where a bone is broken without any history of trauma. I always marvel at my patient's expression when I tell them their bone is broken but yet they neither fell nor dropped anything on their foot. The other fracture misconception in the foot is the broken toe. Most people think nothing can be done for it; that could not be further from the truth. Click here for complete information on foot fractures.

SESAMOIDITIS-Underneath the big toe joint are two small bones about the size of jelly beans. Because of their relative location, they are subject to a lot of trauma even in everyday walking. Either one of them can become inflamed or even worse, fractured. Once this happens that area of the foot can become very painful. Click here for complete information on sesamoiditis.

MORTON'S NEUROMA-This basically is a "pinched nerve" that occurs in the forefoot just behind the third and fourth toes (but is not limited to just those toes). Patients will complain that they walk a certain distance, get a sharp pain that begins in the ball of the foot and then travels into the toes manifesting itself either as burning, tingling or pain. Click here for further information on Morton's neuroma.

CAPSULITIS-The capsular ligament is a type of leather like tissue that surrounds a joint in order to keep the joint in proper alignment. Capsulitis is inflammation of this ligament usually due to overstretching of the ligament. This is very common on the ball of the foot as the ligaments that align the metatarsal bones to the toe bones are subject to much over-stretching on a daily basis. Click here for complete information on capsulitis.

TARSAL TUNNEL-It is a nerve entrapment occurring in the ankle which can cause symptoms such as burning or tingling on the bottom of the foot. Click here for more tarsal tunnel information.

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Skin and Nail Disorders

ONYCHOMYCOSIS-Are your nails thickened, discolored, breaking apart and have some kind of weird stuff underneath them? There is a good chance you have nail fungus. Keep in mind that not all distorted nails have true fungus. Fortunately, these days there are many good treatment options available to you. Click here for complete information on diseases of the nails.

PARONYCHIA-This is an infected (bacterial) ingrown nail. Ingrown nails can occur from a variety of reasons, many of which are preventable. Once the ingrown nail becomes infected it must be treated otherwise in most cases it will only worsen and can be a potentially dangerous condition in an uncontrolled diabetic or a person with compromised circulation to the feet. Click here for more information on infected ingrown nails.

ECZEMA-Also known as dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin. Although it can certainly occur anywhere on the body, the feet have its own fair share. Aside from the itching and unsightly appearance of eczema they frequently can become secondarily infected with bacteria which can then lead to a more serious problem. Eczema of the foot can be difficult to treat due to the fact that feet are generally encased in shoes and socks all day. Click here for complete information on eczema.

MELANOMA-This is the most dangerous of all skin cancers. Commonly occurring in the BANS area (back, arm, neck and scalp) it can also occur on other body parts including the feet. Unique to the foot is the melanoma that may occur underneath the toe nail. Any suspicious discoloration under the nail should be investigated. Click here for more information on melanoma.

BLISTERS-Too much friction on the skin generally will cause a blister to occur. Feet that perspire are even more prone to blisters. Some medical conditions will also produce blistering. Outside of the tenderness that occurs there is the problem of blisters becoming infected. This can be a real problem in a poorly controlled diabetic. Click here for complete information blisters and their care.

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Athletic Injuries

RUNNER'S KNEE-A condition caused by an abnormality in the function of the feet. The pain will generally start during a run and last until the following morning, only to recur once you run again. Click here for complete information on runner's knee.

TURF TOE-Similar to capsulitis (see above), turf toe is an over extension of the big toe causing pain on the bottom of the big toe. It is exacerbated in athletes who do a lot of pivoting such as a running back in football or a soccer player. Click here for more information on turf toe.

SHIN SPLINTS-A pain that occurs either in the front or back of the lower leg usually after some sort of athletic activity. May also be seen during periods of long walking or walking on very hard surfaces. Click here for complete information on shin splints.

ACHILLES TENDONITIS-Probably the most common area for tendonitis to occur is the achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is the large tendon in the back of the heel. The most common cause of Achilles tendonitis is generally from poor training techniques. Worn out athletic shoes are probably the next most common cause. As you can see, Achilles tendonitis in most cases is highly avoidable. Click here for complete information on Achilles tendonitis.

Diabetes and the Feet

Diabetes can cause major problems in the feet. Along with the heart, eyes, and kidneys, the feet are particularly prone to the negative manifestations of the disease.

Diabetes adversely affects the feet in two ways: one is a diminished blood flow to the feet which occurs over time. Thus, should you develop a cut or step on something while barefoot, the body cannot send enough blood to the area to "heal" the cut and thus the wound will usually worsen. A non-healing wound is always more susceptible to secondary infection which will only make matters worse.

The second consequence of diabetes as it relates to the feet is the fact that over time a person will lose sensation in their feet due to the destruction of the nerves by elevated blood sugars. A condition known as diabetic neuropathy can occur which can range from constant numbness in the feet all the way up to severe pain and burning. When the neuropathy manifests itself as numbness a diabetic runs the risk of stepping on something (like glass) without even knowing it and then of course the area becomes infected and without adequate circulation (see previous paragraph) the wound will not heal and if severe enough instances like this can lead to amputation.

Every diabetic should take their disease very seriously. If your blood sugars are elevated on a regular basis, even though you may feel alright, you are doing destruction to your body on a daily basis. Most of the damage done is irreversible.

As far as the feet are concerned, a diabetic should inspect their feet on a regular basis looking for any sores, or open wounds, or any areas of redness or inflammation. If any questionable areas are found they should be brought to the attention of a foot doctor. Under no terms should a person attempt "bathroom surgery" where they attempt to cut or remove tissue from their feet. In most cases you will only make things worse.

For more information on diabetes and the feet, Click here.

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When your feet hurt, you hurt all over

A primer on foot pain

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Foot Deformities

bone abnormalities in the foot

RSS from www.foot-pain-explained.com

Skin and Nail Disorders

New Amazon Standard

Athletic Injuries

Diabetes and the Feet

Reader Feedback

New Links Plexo

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