Foot Pain Treatment in Pittsburgh, PA
Understanding Foot Pain
Your feet help you go about your day every day. Most times, you do not even pay attention to them until when you are in sudden, unexpected pain. And when they hurt, the only thing you want is relief.
However, before you can undergo foot pain treatment, you will need to understand the problem. Proper diagnosis first seeks to understand where the problem is. Read on to learn more about foot pain and its treatment.
Toe pain
You can experience toe pain due to gout, a type of arthritis. It happens when crystals begin to form in the toe joints. As a result, you experience severe pain and swelling. The condition mainly affects the big toe.
Treating toe pain involves icing, resting the foot, taking medications, and keeping off food that worsens gout.
Toe pain can also come in the form of a bunion. Bunion creates a large bulge on the foot’s edge, closer to the big toe. It can occur in any person, more so if you keep wearing uncomfortable or ill-fitting shoes. However, old people are more prone to it than the young. Hammertoes commonly accompany the bunion.
Outer Edge Foot Pain
Foot pain can happen in the form of it occurring at the edge of your foot. This kind of pain often emanates from a broken bone in the foot. Some of its symptoms include bruising, swelling, and pain along the outer foot edge. Immediately see a doctor for an X-ray if you suspect that you have a broken bone.
Treatment options include:
- Not walking over the painful foot
- Resting, icing, and elevating your foot
- Conservative treatments
Plantar Fasciitis
A type of pain and inflammation that forms in the ball of your foot comes from wearing ill-fitting shoes. You can also get the pain by engaging in strenuous activities like jumping or running. This pain is sometimes described as having a “stone on your shoe”.
Plantar Fasciitis relief entails:
- Icing and resting the feet
- Wearing comfortable shoes
- Relieving pressure through shoe inserts
- Chiropractic care
Other severe forms of a ball of foot pain like Morton’s neuroma may require surgery for treatment. This kind of foot pain causes numbness or odd sensations at the ball of your foot. It happens mainly due to putting on tight shoes or high heels.
Arch Pain
Arch pain occurs in two forms, fallen arches, and plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis stands out as the most common cause of arch pain. It affects the arch and heel. The condition is treated in the same way, regardless of where it forms. In case of persistent plantar fasciitis, the doctor will recommend a local anesthetic and steroid injection.
Flat feet, also called fallen arches, occur due to the foot arches flattening after walking or standing. As a result, you get to experience foot pain along with other problems. You can treat flat feet using ice, rest, shoe adjustments, physical therapy, a brace, and shoe inserts.
Pain in all parts of the foot
Nerve damage in the foot can lead to the entire foot experiencing a lot of pain. The condition often happens due to diabetes. In addition, the pain manifests in the form of a sting, burn, or electricity sensation.
Your foot has nerves all over it. Therefore, pain can occur in any part where the nerves get damaged. Speak to your doctor about the recommended pain relieving option. In addition, ask for guidance on how you can stop it from worsening following diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to cure plantar fasciitis?
The fastest way to recover from plantar fasciitis is through a combination of manual soft tissue therapies, pulse wave therapy, and low-impact exercises. The rehab exercise needs to focus on the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia.
Can plantar fasciitis go away on its own?
The problem does have the potential to resolve itself. However, that can take a long time (more than a year in some cases). The better approach is to be proactive and treat the problem now to get out of pain and address the root causes so it doesn’t come back later.
What are the common symptoms of plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis typically presents with pain in the bottom (plantar surface of the foot), most notably toward the calcaneus (heel bone). It can also feature stiffness, swelling, and tightness in the Achilles tendon.
What triggers plantar fasciitis?
Foot pain (known as plantar fasciitis) is due to various causes including strenuous exercises, diabetes, fallen arches, and poor foot biomechanics (such as chronic over-pronation or supination).
What aggravates plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis can be aggravated by doing activities that challenge the involved tissues of the feet (such as running, walking, or standing). The problem can be made worse by wearing shoes that lack substantial support, walking on hard surfaces (like a concrete floor), carrying heavy objects, or being overweight. The latter can cause the failure of the arches, and disrupt normal foot biomechanics.
Does plantar fasciitis require surgery?
No, plantar fasciitis does not necessarily require surgery. There are many non-surgical treatments available. For example, chiropractic, laser, custom shoe inserts, pulse wave, and rehabilitative exercises are all time-tested methods that have an excellent record of success.
How long does it take for chiropractic to help with plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis pain can be reduced in as little as one treatment. But please keep in mind: It took time for the problem to develop. Naturally, it’s going to take some time for us to unwind your problem.