Even though you might be on your feet all day, foot problems don’t have to be a daily struggle. However, approximately 75% of Canadians will have foot pain or another foot-related problem in their lifetime. Do you count yourself as one of those Canadians? Then keep reading!
Common Causes of Foot Pain
Do you know how many bones are in your feet? The approximate count is 52 bones, 214 ligaments, 38 muscle and tendons, and 66 joints. Your feet are an anatomical puzzle that you tread upon daily, and that means that the slightest imbalance of this complex system can cause pain. The good news is that most conditions that cause foot pain can be easily fixed.
Here are some of the common causes of foot problems:
Plantar Fasciitis
Do you have pain in the heel? It could be caused by plantar fasciitis, which occurs when the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. The plantar fascia is a connective tissue that stretches across the foot to provide shock absorption during footsteps. Those who develop plantar fasciitis often have pain in the morning upon first stepping out of bed. The pain will improve throughout the day, but it will be dull and persistent nonetheless.
Metatarsalgia
The metatarsals are the long bones that are visible on the top of the foot. Metatarsalgia will cause a sharp pain in the ball of the foot, which is where the rounded ends of the metatarsals can be found. The pain might feel like stepping on a stone or a Lego block and will worsen when walking around barefoot. Metatarsalgia can be caused by overuse or by a decreased amount of fat in the pad of the foot.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Pinched and irritated nerves can also cause foot pain. This condition is called tarsal tunnel syndrome, and it’s similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, you will experience burning, shooting pains, numbness and tingling that comes from the inside of the ankle and travels up the ankle and towards the arch and sole. Pain can even reach the calves or higher.
Other causes of foot pain are:
- Archilles tendinitis
- Arthritis
- Bone spurs
- Bursitis
- Calluses and corns
- Flatfeet
- Hammertoe
- Mallet toe
- Osteoarthritis
- Plantar warts
- Septic arthritis
- Stress fractures
- Tendinitis
How Orthotics Can Help
Most of the above mentioned conditions are caused from overuse, injury, improper foot gait, and aging. Luckily, there are solutions, such as exercises for the feet. But one of the best things you can do would be purchasing a pair of orthotics. Also known as orthopedic foot insoles, orthotics are custom made and are used to return the foot to correct biomechanical movement. They do this by taking pressure off the parts of the foot you put too much stress on while ensuring proper movement and gait.
Orthotics are also prescribed for minimizing shin splints, strain on joints and ligaments, and back pain.
Visiting the Chiropractor for Foot Pain
Orthotics could give you the relief you need. In the event that your foot pain is persistent, you need to consider that your foot pain is stemming from another problem, like an unbalanced spine. When your posture is poor or your spine is weak, the feet will be affected. Stress within the spine creates instability elsewhere, such as the knees and hips, and that too will radiate down to the feet.
Without a proper spinal correction from a chiropractor, you could continue walking around without functional biomechanics. Even with orthotics, your problem wouldn’t be fixed, and the pain would continue!
So consider visiting a chiropractor if insoles aren’t working for you or if you suspect your spine is causing your foot troubles.
