Foot pain can be caused by a myriad of things ranging from standing on your feet for prolonged periods to ageing, injury or overuse, or even wearing shoes that do not fit properly. It is important to understand foot pain and how physiotherapy can help target and treat the root cause of the pain.
Understanding Foot Pain
There are different types of foot pain and they each can occur in different parts of the foot:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis causes damage to the cartilage, which leads to pain and swelling. However, osteoarthritis can also damage the bones, ligaments, tendons, and lining of affected joints. As the body tries to heal this damage, new bone growth may occur, which can irritate structures in the knee and contribute to discomfort. This condition can affect people in many ways, such as stiffness, hearing grating or crunching noises when moving your feet and ankles, and feeling unsteady on your feet. It is important to treat osteoarthritis as soon as possible as it can sometimes worsen if left untreated.
Tendinopathy (formerly known as Tendonitis)
Tendinopathy can be found in tendons throughout the body including the shoulder, knee, hip or feet. It can affect different parts of your foot as it contains many tendons. For example, tendinopathy can affect your Achilles, which is the tendon that connects your calf muscle and heel bone. It can also occur in the top of your foot, known as extensor tendonitis.
Another form of tendonitis is peroneal tendonitis, where there is inflammation in either of the two tendons that run along your outer ankle bone. Tendinopathies often occur in athletes or very active individuals who overuse tendons, but it can also be caused by flat feet or certain health conditions. One of the most common cases therapists see is from overuse at the gym.
Gout
Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis. It manifests as sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness in one or more joints, most often in the big toe. The symptoms of gout are intense joint pain, inflammation and redness, a lingering discomfort after the severe pain subsides, and a limited range of movement.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It is the inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of each foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis manifests as a stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot that often occurs with your first steps in the morning. The pain subsides as you increase movement, but it can be triggered by long periods of standing or when you get up from sitting.
Bursitis
The bursae in your feet can become inflamed when you wear high heels or tight shoes, or if you do too much weight-bearing exercise such as running, jumping, or lifting weights while standing. Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa, increasing the amount of fluid in the bursa and making it expand. A symptom of bursitis is a dull, aching pain and swelling. You can get inflamed bursae next to large bunions.
Physiotherapy for foot pain
Foot pain can be alleviated by physiotherapy or podiatry. Physiotherapy for foot pain plays an integral role in managing the pain as it restores, maintains, and improves your overall function and mobility. An initial assessment allows our physiotherapists to find out your medical history, past injuries, and lifestyle factors that may be causing or contributing to your foot pain. In this initial consultation, our physiotherapists will also conduct a physical examination to assess your range of movement, alignment, and any signs of inflammation. A functional assessment and pain and movement assessment will also be performed to evaluate the effects of your foot pain.
Physiotherapy for foot pain is a highly effective treatment that targets the root causes of your pain. It also aims to strengthen the muscles in your foot to help with pain management and achieve long-term relief.
Podiatry for foot pain
Our expert podiatry services can address a huge range of foot and lower limb conditions as our podiatrists are trained and experienced in diagnosing and treating a variety of foot-related issues. We believe that it is important to get to the root cause of the pain by identifying and addressing any underlying issues with a thorough biomechanical assessment. We look at your gait, posture, and foot structure to diagnose problems and recommend custom orthotics or other treatments as needed.
Long-term pain relief at True Physio
We understand how foot pain can be debilitating so at your initial assessment, our physiotherapists will focus on understanding the causes of your foot pain and a thorough assessment of any underlying conditions. We will then form a personalised treatment plan that takes into account your condition and lifestyle habits. This way, you can achieve long-term pain relief and feel empowered to get back into doing the things you love.
With 9 clinics around the UK and decades of experience, our physiotherapists are trained and qualified to assess, diagnose and treat foot pain. Get in touch today to book an appointment and take your first step to recovery.
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