Podiatrists are in the business of ensuring that your feet and ankles are in healthy condition. Despite the fact that these body parts support all your body weight, not many people take the time to care and maintain their feet. Below are some of the different common foot ailments that you may develop and require medical assistance from a podiatrist.
Plantar Fasciitis
This is also commonly referred to as general heel pain. It is characterised by a stabbing sensation in your foot right as you get up in the morning and put some weight on your feet. The pain will also come about when you have been in a resting position and suddenly get up. There are a number of reasons why people develop plantar fasciitis. One of the more common causes is becoming overweight as your body weight will now be exerting too much pressure on your heel. However, you may also develop plantar fasciitis due to having high arches in your feet, overexertion of your feet during physical activity or having flat feet. It would be prudent to visit a podiatrist so that they can recommend the best course of treatment based on what is causing your plantar fasciitis.
Bunions
Bunions refer to bulging bumps in your feet that will typically grow on your pinky toe or on your big toe. The bunions will also typically be painful, especially when pressure is exerted on them. Leaving the bunions unchecked can lead to you experiencing trouble with moving the toe that is affected. The bunions tend to take up additional space in your shoes, and this can also cause additional corns and calluses to develop due to your toes becoming overlapped. The most common cause of bunions is the consistent wearing of tight or ill-fitting shoes. However, you could also develop bunions if you genetically have a predisposition toward the development of arthritis. It would be ideal to seek medical advice from a podiatrist on how best to eliminate them and prevent them from forming again.
Osteoporosis
With most types of foot ailments, the pain will typically be specific to one area. With osteoporosis, on the other hand, you may not notice any symptoms during early onset. Once the osteoporosis spreads, you begin to experience generalised foot pain rather than being able to pinpoint the exact pain site. Osteoporosis will occur when the bones in your foot begin to break down much faster than you can generate new bones, hence leading to the development of brittle bones in your feet. It would be essential to see a podiatrist to seek measures to remedy or manage this.
Share12 December 2016
Hi, my name is Steve and I’m a keen runner. I’ve been running for fun for years. I love the buzz I get from a long run and the fact that my hobby helps keeps me fit. Last year, I started to experience problems with my feet and ankles. It started with just a few twinges and soreness but ended up getting so bad that I couldn’t run to my usual schedule any longer. I couldn’t work out what was going wrong, so a friend recommended I see a podiatrist. I was a bit sceptical at first; however, my podiatrist immediately identified some issues with my running gait and shoes that were causing my problems. I started this blog to pass on some of the advice I got for any other runners who are suddenly suffering from unexplained discomfort. Hope it helps keep you on the road!
