Foot pain affects us all at some time or other. Whether as a sports injury or just a case of over-doing things, pain in the foot can arise from several causes. Here are some common conditions that you should be aware of as you exercise your way to health and happiness !!
Bulging, painful big toe joint
- How it feels: Painful !! Especially after using certain fashionably-shaped shoes or standing for a long time or taking part in sports that have sideways movements. The pain is felt over the inner part of the joint at the base of your big toe, and there may also be swelling and redness when this joint is irritated. What it is: This is called a bunion, and is something that you have probably noticed for some time. It may affect the big toe on one foot more than the other, and you notice that your Mom or Dad has this condition as well. It is more common if you have a slightly crooked big toe, also known as hallux valgus. The pain, redness and swelling are signs of inflammation of the joint after too much pressure has been applied against the joint or you have moved the joint too much. So this may be a sports injury or just related to non-sports footwear.
- Treatment: The treatment of an angrily inflamed toe joint means a trip to your sports doctor. Medication to quell the stormy toe joint is a good start, and you may have to alter your shoes and exercise for a week or so. But injury prevention is much better than cure. This may mean more careful choice of shoes, ones with enough space in the front part of the foot to allow for the bunion and not place undue pressure on it. Oh-oh. This may mean less fashionable shoes… (click here to read more about choosing and buying your next sports shoes) link to article on 7 essential tips to buying running shoes. Other things to look out for are whether insoles will help you manage and prevent further toe pain (link to article on insoles). And your doctor may also want to check to see if this may possibly be gout.
Pain under the middle of your foot
- How it feels: The arch is that curved space on the inner side of each foot. The arch varies in height and when it is very low, it is called a “flat foot.” (read more about foot arches here) link to choosing running shoes article. Pain can occur in the foot arch and this may range from being an ache from standing too long or exercising to a burning, fiery feeling of something over-stretching. The ache may be worse when you are bare-footed on hard surfaces such as tiled flooring.
- What it is: The pain you feel is due to inflammation of the ligaments, tendons and joints that support the arches. Commonly called arch strain, this sports injury may arise from using the wrong type of shoes, excessive exercise, or not correcting conditions such as pronation or flat feet.
- Treatment: Have your sports doctor or foot specialist check your feet carefully. You can then get started on managing and preventing recurrence of this condition What can you expect? Well, the arches may need more support and this can come from a range of things such as insoles for your shoes as well as choosing shoes with more arch support to begin with (link to insoles article). For runners, such shoes are commonly known as motion control or stability shoes. The sorts of insoles that may be used range from rigid orthotics (the most expensive option) to semi-rigid sports insoles, and finally, to softer arch supports. There are also some exercises and stretches that you can do too. So go have this checked out for enduring relief from ache.
Numbness in your foot & toes
- How it feels: This is usually felt over the top of the foot, and sometimes around the toes and sides of the feet. The numbness may come on only after you start exercising (eg. after 30 minutes of hard cycling) and disappear after the you rest. Or it may persist and even affect you when you are not exercising (eg. after a trekking or hiking trip).
- What it is: Most commonly, the numbness is due to pressure being applied to the nerves just under the skin of your feet. This pressure may be due to shoes or boots which have been tied too tightly, or as a result of your feet swelling as you exercise. The shape of your foot may play a part : people with high arches or flat feet or with very wide feet may place greater pressure on the skin of the foot where it touches the shoe/boot
- Treatment: Relieve the pressure on your feet by loosening some laces or lacing our shoes in such a way that the laces don’t cross over the foot or cause tightening of the shoe against the area that is numb. For soccer or rugby players and those who use hiking boots, you might want to try using an additional layer of padding under the tongue of your shoes/boots – some closed cell foam which is found in packing materials – as this may help to reduce the pressure on the skin and nerves. Inside tight cycling shoes, try moving your toes around after a hill climb or long sustained period of hard cranking. If all else fails, see your sports doctor who may also want to check if the numbness is related to other conditions (eg. diabetes).
Pain near the top of your foot
- How it feels: Pain over the top, especially when you are pushing off as in sprinting or going up the stairs. Or you may have pain that feels a little deeper, as if it is in the middle of the foot. This pain arises after you have run a certain distance or when jumping but is relieved by rest. Gradually, the pain seems appear earlier on in your exercise, and may take longer to go away.
- What it is: There are 2 sports injuries to be aware of that give rise to such pain. The first condition is a tendon inflammation. You can see these tendons become prominent over the top of your foot when you raise your toes towards your body. This usually arises after you have increased the level of your exercise too suddenly (eg. more jumping drills, introducing sprint drills). The second condition is more serious: a stress fracture of the bones in your foot. This could have been caused by too much exercise in too short a period of time, not allowing the foot bones to adapt to the training load. Or it may be related to shoes which are too hard or in which the cushioning is wearing out.
- Treatment: You really should see your sports doctor if you start to get this kind of foot pain. The earlier the condition can be seen and properly diagnosed, the faster your recovery and return to exercise or sports. An X-ray may be needed if there is a suspicion that there is a stress fracture, and medication with footwear changes may be needed too.
Hoping this had helped to ease the pain in those hard-working feet !!