Have you ever felt that searing jolting pain feeling in your feet, but you just don’t know which part exactly it’s coming from? The foot is one of the most important and crucial parts of the body and it is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments which become the pillar of your body for an entire lifetime. However, it is one of the most sensitive.
If you feel a lot of pain while walking, running or even just after standing up, then there’s probably something wrong with your feet. There are various causes to this sort of pain, sometimes it could be because of your shoes. Sometimes foot pain could be a symptom of other diseases or conditions such as a twisted ankle, broken bones, arthritis or diabetes, and if you feel such persistent pain, you should consult your doctor immediately.
This article discusses about foot pain and its causes, as well as remedies to foot pain and ways to prevent it.
What are the Causes of Foot Injuries and How can you cure it?
It is important to determine what causes foot pain and injuries and how to remedy them, as well as how to prevent them from recurring. Here are some of the common causes of foot pain:
1. Severely Aching Feet
When your feet start to ache, it is probably an indication of wearing ill-fitting footwear such as pointed shoes, too tight or too loose footwear, and lack of arch support in the shoes.
How to Cure
You can cure this problem by simply choosing to wear the right sized shoes, however, if the problem persists even after you are wearing the correct shoes, it will be better to visit your doctor to rule out other problems.
2. Blister
This is a foot injury which normally causes the shell on the surface of your skin to contain a clear liquid. This happens when the skin is repeatedly rubbed, Wearing an ill-fitting footwear (too tight or too lose) and certain parts of the foot gets rubbed again and again without wearing any protective item such as socks — this can form a blister. These injuries are very painful and can become very discomforting.
How to Cure
To treat this problem, your doctor may recommend that you “pop” the blister, but you need to keep in mind that the skin which covers the blister helps to prevent it from getting infected. As you know, a blister is filled with fluid. Use a sterile needle to gently and carefully pop the blister in order to keep the protective layer intact so that it attaches itself again. Keep it clean at all times, and always remember to gently wash the area with some mild soap and water.
3. Calluses
A callus is a hard build-up of skin which is usually found on the heel. These are formed when there’s an uneven distribution of weight to your feet. Calluses can also be caused by poorly fitted shoes, but no need to worry if you have these, because this is typically normal, and is not considered an injury but a cause of pain.
How to Cure
For this to quickly heal, do not try to cut the callus or remove it with anything sharp. After you take a bath in the evening or before you go to work, use a pumice stone to gently remove the build-up. You can also try wearing pads with cushions, or insoles.
4. Corns
These are quite similar to calluses, the only difference is that these can be found on the toes, in between the toes or on the bony areas of your toes. The pressure usually causes these from your shoes which rub against your toes or cause certain friction. This is a common cause of pain, not an injury.
How to Cure
The same method used for calluses can also be used with corns. Just make sure that you soften your skin first before using a pumice stone, and be sure to not pick at it with a sharp object for any reason.
5. Rheumatism
This is also called rheumatoid arthritis, a destructive joint disease which is often caused by inflammation of the joints or connective tissues. When these tissues in the joints remain inflamed for a certain period of time, it can lead to deformity. The joint ligaments are loosened and can lead to joint destruction through eroding the bone and cartilage.
How to Cure
For most people, they already have maintenance for this, but there are some additional treatments which you can try on your own and at the comfort of your own home, like using an ice or heat pack.
6. Arthritis
Arthritis is another pain occurring in the joints but it is otherwise non-inflammatory. It is caused by the damage of the cartilage.
How to Cure
Arthritis can be cured in many ways, you can try losing weight, as some of the reasons for arthritis may be in weight gain, get more exercise, use cold and hot therapy on your joints, or acupuncture.
7. Heel pain
There are factors that contribute to heel pain. These include standing for too long, obesity or sudden weight gain, achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and many more.
How to Cure
There are several ways that you can relieve this problem without taking off your shoes, you can take some over the counter pain relievers. Try to do some gentle foot exercises at home such as flexing.
8. Stone Bruise
If you work in a construction site or anything that will require you to carry heavy objects, you can get this kind of injury when you drop something on your feet. The stone bruise is a deep bruise which can be found on the fat pad of the heel or ball of your foot.
How to Cure
For you to alleviate the pain, you can ask your doctor to prescribe you some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. You can also try some stretching to alleviate the pain. You can also try using shoes with insoles, especially cushioned insoles that can absorb shock.
9. Bruise Toes
This is an impact injury when something is dropped on your toe, it can cause color changes like little white marks, which appear after minor injuries. These can last for a few weeks or months, but normally, these will just go away on its own.
How to Cure
When you are treating a bruised toe, it is important to keep the area clean and dressed. You need to make sure to submerge the area in hot water, and then wash it with soap to get rid of all the dirt and the bacteria.
How to Prevent Foot Injuries
We have mentioned some of the possible causes of foot pain and injuries, let’s now move on how you can prevent these from happening to you. There are many ways that you can steer clear of these injuries and pain.
Foot injuries can happen, whether you’re at home or working outside the home. But still, there is no doubt that some of the work-related factors can lead to a lot of foot injuries and problems, especially if these jobs which require you to stand for hours and hours in a day.
Trying to maintain your stance for a long period of time can be extremely draining since the human foot is designed for motion. You can also prevent these by having the right choice of footwear or avoiding lifting heavy objects which might put more pressure on your feet.
One most important thing to keep in mind is that safety first. So wherever you go and work, just be safe, use safety footwear to be protected from any foot injuries.