Spending extensive time on your feet during the day, wearing uncomfortable shoes, twisting your ankle, and having high arches or flat feet, all increase the likelihood of severe foot pain. We find out why this happens and provide a personalizd foot pain treatment plan for pain management and relief.
Overview
The foot consists of 26 small bones and cartilages, each connected through multiple joints, ligaments and muscles. Daily activity, strenuous work, and long shifts can expose it to many stressors, some of which never end. Without treatment, the mildest pain could turn into swelling, irritation or injury.
Foot pain is a common condition caused by an injury or overuse of bones, tendons, and ligaments in the foot. It can range from mild to severe and be ongoing or last for a short period. When left unchecked, these issues can lead to irreversible problems.
Foot Pain Symptoms
Foot pain is a symptom itself.
It is followed or accompanied by:
- Excruciating pain and discomfort
- Limited movement
- Fever
- Inflamed tissues and swelling in the affected area
- Difficulty in walking and raising your feet
Foot Pain Diagnosis
Your therapist at Specialized Physical Therapy will perform a thorough evaluation of your posture, alignment, and mobility. Your physical therapist will be able to determine the cause of your pain by observing your gait, your feet in stance, and how your foot posture appears during multiple exercises. We will also examine the ankle, knee, and hip joints to determine the effects of your foot posture on the rest of your body. Your therapist may also ask to look at your work and casual shoes to determine whether they are the right fit for you.
Here are a few common causes of foot pain.
- Broken foot
- Bone spurs
- Arthritis
- Bunions
- Joint inflammation
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Avulsion fracture
- Ingrown toenails
- Stress fractures
- Tumors
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Bone infection
- High heels or poorly fitting shoes
- Flatfeet
- Broken toe
- Corns and calluses
- Injury during high-impact exercises
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Medications that result in feet swelling
- Athlete’s foot
Physical Therapy for Foot Pain
We perform a thorough evaluation of your posture, alignment, mobility, along with a footwear assessment. The evaluation determines the intensity of your foot pain and related issues. We also examine the strength of your ankle/foot, and your ability to perform daily activities (especially walking and climbing stairs). Watching you walk and balance on various surfaces helps us determine your foot structure and make the appropriate footwear recommendations.
Foot Pain Treatment and Exercises
After a thorough evaluation, your physical therapist will create a comprehensive and personalized treatment program to address your symptoms.
Your foot pain treatment will depend on the specific cause. In some cases, simply using shoe inserts can help relieve foot pain and discomfort. Your therapist will also look at your shoes and may suggest orthotics or different styles of shoes to make you more comfortable and support your feet more effectively to get you moving again without pain.
We also teach you how to manage chronic foot pain and symptoms. We aim to ensure that patients can find relief from continuous foot pain and restore mobility, balance, coordination, and strength in their lower limbs.
We utilize devices such as balance beams, BOSU balls, theraballs, wobbleboards, hurdles, cones, and the Neubie to accelerate and strengthen your lower extremity and foot/ankle faster. Dynamic balance and stability exercises are incorporated to ensure your balance and proprioception are improved on different surfaces and when encountering obstacles in the community.
If you want to learn more about treatment and common causes of foot pain, give us a call @ 201-773-8851 or book an initial consultation with us today.