Foot pain
Foot pain – what causes it and what to do about it
From getting up in the morning until going to bed at night – we’re on our feet the entire day. And it’s our feet that bear our weight throughout the day. That’s why it’s particularly tough when problems occur in the feet and every step causes pain. Then it’s important to find the cause of your pain and to work out how to combat it. We want to help you with that.
The foundation of your body
Our feet are an anatomical masterpiece with a complex interaction of 26 bones, more than 100 ligaments, over 30 muscles, as well as 33 joints. And these work incredibly hard: we take about 3,000 to 5,000 steps per day. This can be significantly more depending on our job and leisure activities. During each of these steps, our entire body weight rests on our feet. It’s three times that when we’re running.
Ideally, we want to “be firmly grounded with both feet”. Sadly, however, foot pain is quite common, in adults as well as in children. Putting your foot down or the heel-to-toe movement often causes pain, or pain in the sole of the foot occurs.
You must take pain in or under the foot seriously. On the one hand, it can cause significant problems during everyday activities. On the other hand, it affects the entire body when the foundation is out of balance. Foot problems can cause incorrect posture, joint conditions, as well as pain in the knees, hip, and back.
But don’t just start to pay attention when you notice pain: when your gait isn’t smooth, you often twist your ankle, or your shoes wear out unevenly, this can also be an indication that your feet need help.
Common causes of foot pain
Their complex, partly delicate structure makes our feet prone to excessive strain and misalignments. Many people have a common foot misalignment, such as skew, high-arched, splay, or flat foot. If left untreated or without suitable support, feet are then subjected to excessive strain, resulting in pain.
Unsuitable footwear and degenerating foot muscles can also cause problems or worsen an existing condition. The same is true for weak ligaments. Osteoarthritis in the big toe may also be worth considering in cases of certain pain.
And even conditions that seem unrelated to the feet at first glance can play a key role. This is true for diabetes mellitus because diabetes is often associated with disorders of the nervous system, meaning injuries or constricting footwear is barely noticed. Small wounds, cracked skin, or pressure ulcers can become inflamed more easily when combined with poor circulation, which, in turn, may lead to serious complications. In cases of diabetes, the feet therefore require particular attention.
