Why Do Your Feet Hurt?
By Sara Butler
Your feet are your body’s foundation and they work hard each and every day. In fact, over the average lifetime, your feet will carry you about 110,000 miles. The network of tendons, muscles, bones, joints, and ligaments are amazingly complex, which is why problems with them can mean a lot of pain or discomfort for you. Here are a few of the most common reasons your feet may be hurting and what you can do to keep them healthy.
Plantar Fasciitis
If you suffer from a lot of heel pain, it may be due to a condition called plantar fasciitis. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports it’s the most common cause of heel pain today, worse when getting up first thing in the morning. It’s caused by the inflammation and irritation of the band of tissue that runs the length of your foot, the plantar fascia. It supports your arch and sometimes when you’ve been pushing your feet just a little too far it becomes irritated and inflamed, resulting in heel pain.
The answer to this problem is to wear shoes with good support for your arches since that will help to take pressure off the fascia. You should avoid shoes with no support, such as flats and flip-flops. And if you’re suffering from this condition, limit how much your walk around barefoot.
Toe Pain
The most common reason for pain in the toes is bunions. If you have bunions, you can easily spot them as a bony protrusion at the base of the big toe. They’re caused by problems with the mechanics of the way you walk. Abnormal motion places pressure on the joints, causing the joint of the big toe to tilt in toward the second toe. The bones progressively move out of alignment and then the telltale bump appears.
When you have bunions, you can reduce pain by padding the area and also applying ice at the end of the day. Shoes with a wide toe box are also recommended to help control the pain.
Ingrown Toenails
Any toenail can become an ingrown toenail, but this problem most often impacts the big toe. It’s caused by the nail growing into the surrounding skin. It can become infected too, which makes the problem much more painful.
You should soak your feet in Epsom salts and warm water if you have an ingrown toenail to help reduce inflammation. If there’s redness, pus, swelling, or it becomes very painful, seek medical attention.
Your feet are the literal foundation of everything you do -- so take care of them!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sandy Springs, Ga.