The non-specific term foot pain includes various orthopedic problems and diseases that affect the feet. So first of all, the cause of foot pain must be determined by diagnostics, and only then can the therapy be determined.
What is foot pain?
Different types of pain in the foot are summarized under the term foot pain. This means that there is pressure, strain or friction pain in the area of the foot. Different types of pain in the foot are summarized under the term foot pain. This means that there is pressure, strain or friction pain in the area of the foot. Various diseases also cause foot pain, such as burning foot syndrome, Morton’s neuralgia, diabetes or polyneuropathy. In these cases, the foot is merely the site of foot pain, not the site of origin of the condition.
Causes
As numerous as the causes of foot pain can be, so are the methods of treatment. First of all, the known causes of painful feet include orthopedic problems. They start with shoes that are too tight and squeezing or too much body weight, which leads to splayed feet. A heel spur, warts or between-toe corns can also cause significant foot pain. Diabetics suffer from foot pain due to tissue damage. However, the diabetic foot can also be completely painless. Burning foot syndrome, on the other hand, is probably due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies as a result of nutritional disorders. Here, nerve damage is the cause of the foot pain. Morton’s neuralgia occurs predominantly in the flat-spread foot. It is favored by pressure on the plantar nerves. Here, the foot pain is concentrated in the forefoot. Tarsal tunnel syndrome refers to compression damage to the rear foot. Achillodynia or achillobursitis is heel pain caused by inflammation or pressure on the Achilles tendon or the formation of a bursa. Foot pain can also result from the formation of a heel spur or degenerative changes in the foot. Known causes of foot pain also include Sudeck’s disease, so-called erythromelalgias, Köhler’s disease and polyneuropathy.
Diseases with this symptom
- Burning Feet Syndrome
- Achillodynia
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Splayfoot
- Köhler’s disease I
- Köhler’s disease II
- Morton’s neuralgia
- Polyneuropathy
- Heel spur
- Erythromelalgia
- Sudeck’s disease
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Diabetic foot syndrome
- Corn
History
The course of the disease in foot pain is different for all the above causes. In some cases, there is a burning sensation or radiating pain under the sole. In other cases, constant friction or pressure causes local nerve irritation in certain parts of the foot, which can develop if left untreated and due to relieving postures. In still other cases, only the forefoot or the rear foot or the heel region or the toes are affected by the foot pain. In many cases, the course of the disease is gradual. The patient with foot pain often does not go to the doctor or orthopedist at first. He tries to remedy the annoying foot pain by buying more comfortable shoes or evening foot massages. Most often, the foot pain is attributed to a standing job or other stressful situations that are considered unavoidable. Only when the foot pain intensifies and leads to obstructions in walking is the visit to the doctor considered.
Complications
In terms of complication, the whole health disorder should be considered. A complication in the medical sense is a secondary symptom of a disorder or the concomitant of a medical preparation when it is used against that health disorder. Thus, complications may occur due to lack of recognition as well as in the course of therapy. Foot pain is a symptom of many diseases, from flu to bone diseases to diabetes. Furthermore, such diseases may trigger additional complications. Foot pain occurs due to overuse of the foot bones, injury, or infection. Pain is occasionally provoked by overstretching. Foot pain may be a sign of trivializing or even life-threatening diseases.Complications occur more often in people with physical problems than in healthy patients. To avoid these, a medical examination should follow after a flare-up of suspicious signs. In case of severe symptoms or major injuries, the patient should be treated in hospital to avoid further complications. There, further treatment for foot pain or for the disorder responsible for it can be worked out. Foot pain is an initial symptom of many diseases, on the other hand, a possible complication of diabetes due to nerve damage. A healthy dietary intake, avoiding too many fats and nicotine, and routine examinations, for example in cases of arterial occlusive disease, can prevent foot pain. Various medications can cause muscle pain and are therefore rather not to be used in diseases with foot pain.
When should you go to the doctor?
Foot pain as a generic term for sometimes very different foot complaints have one thing in common: they suggest an early visit to the doctor. Those affected should always take their foot pain as a warning signal. The weight of the entire body rests on the feet. Feet are used for locomotion. If they hurt, they no longer function as they should for a happy and active life. At the latest with foot pain, people become aware of what their feet mean to them. The contact person for foot pain can be the family doctor or an orthopedist. A medical chiropodist, also called a podiatrist, can only help with foot pain to a limited extent, for example with corns or calluses. Other foot pain-causing foot conditions such as hallux valgus or bunions, heel spurs, fallen arches, splayed feet or bent feet, ingrown toenails or athlete’s foot belong in a doctor’s care. In the case of foot pain, a doctor can also check whether there is a cause behind the complaints other than simply overloading or ill-fitting footwear. For example, a pinched nerve can trigger foot pain. But diabetes mellitus, gout or rheumatism can also cause foot pain. A doctor will therefore always treat not only the foot pain but also the underlying disease. If necessary, he will refer his patient to a specialized colleague. Accompanying his therapy, a doctor also gives good advice against foot pain and recommends, for example, special shoe inserts.
Treatment and therapy
Depending on the identified underlying disease, the treatment of foot pain looks different. In the case of burning foot syndrome, one can try a substitution treatment with vitamins and minerals. The treatment is usually not very promising. Orthopedic insoles are useful for foot pain resulting from fallen splay foot or Morton’s neuralgia caused by it. In the case of foot pain of the latter type, painkillers are often necessary. If necessary, a blockage of the sciatic nerve is performed for this type of foot pain. Pressure relief, surgery or sciatic nerve blockade are also therapeutically indicated for tarsal tunnel syndrome. Deformities of the foot caused by incorrect footwear and bone outgrowths that lead to severe foot pain must be corrected surgically. Inflammatory processes are treated with medication and rest. Foot pain caused by degenerative processes can be treated with combination therapies. The main focus of all therapies is always to relieve the foot so that the foot pain subsides.
Outlook and prognosis
Temporary foot pain that is the result of standing or walking activity will disappear on its own as soon as the feet are relieved. However, they recur with any overuse. If the patient is overweight, the doctor will recommend weight reduction to relieve the feet. If a bunion has been diagnosed, it can still be treated with mild remedies in the early stages. Comfortable shoes and frequent barefoot walking are helpful. The patient can also experience relief through special foot gymnastics. If the hallux valgus has already reached an advanced stage, surgery is usually the only solution. Night splints and sensorimotor insoles can at best provide temporary relief. Pumps or shoes with platform soles should no longer be worn after the diagnosis of a pronounced bunion. Flat feet and fallen arches are treated with a combination of active and passive measures. On the one hand, the patient learns physiotherapeutic exercises that strengthen the supporting apparatus and stimulate inadequately developed and impaired tendons, muscles and ligaments.This also improves a heel spur, which can also be responsible for considerable pain in the feet. If a splayfoot has been diagnosed, orthopedic insoles can stop the widening of the forefoot.
Prevention
There is a lot you can do to prevent foot pain. Even as a child and adolescent, you should wear suitable and well-fitting footwear and, if necessary, orthopedic insoles. Most foot pain is due to unsuitable, too tight or uncomfortable footwear. High pumps with a pointed forefoot also inevitably lead to foot pain. Pressure and friction can lead to nerve damage and pressure sores. Diabetes leads to diabetic foot and foot pain can result from tissue damage. Preventive measures against diabetes include exercise, weight loss and a healthy diet.
This is what you can do yourself
Anyone who is exposed to high levels of stress in standing or walking occupations, for example in retail or catering, should relieve the strain on their feet by elevating them after work. Quick help is also provided by foot baths or foot massages. Members of these occupational groups should pay particular attention to their weight, as the feet suffer from every extra kilo. If the pain in the feet results from a malposition of the big toe, it is important to wear comfortable shoes and to walk barefoot more often. If a hallux valgus (bunion) has already formed, sensorimotor insoles can also help in addition to night splints. The latter activate the weakened foot muscles and can thus positively influence the toe malposition. In these cases, regular toe exercises can also provide relief by strengthening the foot muscles and helping the patient to straighten the toes. Appropriate exercises can be learned from a physiotherapist. Wearing pumps or shoes with platform soles must be avoided at all costs in the case of hallux valgus. Barefoot walking also provides relief in this case. In older patients, flat or fallen arches are often responsible for the pain. Biomechanical insoles from specialist shops can help against this, and can also alleviate the consequences of a heel spur.
