Foot Pain

Bunions

This is where the big toe starts to deviate away towards the second toe which can often lead to an increased bony prominence on the side of the big toe joint. The joint becomes painful and can lead to footwear becoming very difficult to wear. A callus and corn forms on the joint and lesser toes often leading to chiropody management.

Flat Feet

A flat foot, describes the appearance of the foot and doesn’t necessarily have any influence over how the foot functions. Most people notice if the inside arch of the foot flattens on weight bearing and this may contribute to a painful foot / knee or hip but may not be the sole cause. Increased pronation and flattening of the foot arch could be controlled by an insole or orthotic along with exercises for the lower limb if indicated.

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is the name given to pain in the balls of the foot and feet. There can be many differing causes for this pain from arthritis, callus formation and possible toe deformities which increase pressure on the junction between the base of the toes and the balls of the foot.

Identifying the cause of the problem is vital to be treating this effectively, so scanning the foot and seeing how the pressure is spread across the foot helps the therapist to assist the problem in the long term. Sometimes the nerves in between the toes become inflamed and this is known as Morton’s neuroma.

Verruca

Veruccae are plantar warts which form on the soles of the feet around the base of the toes, most commonly found in children and teenagers but not exclusively. Verrucae are harmless but they can become painful as callus builds up around them. If they are present in a major weight bearing area of the sole of the foot they can be particularly painful. Removing the verrucae with treatment prevents further spread.

If you are worried about your verrucae and/or self-treatment is not working and/or the verrucae appears to be getting larger or more painful, you should seek help. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, are pregnant or any other condition affecting your feet (or your immune system), it is important never to treat verrucae yourself and visit a specialist instead.

Corns and Callus

Callus and corns form when there has been a build up of excessive pressure on the skin of the feet. As our feet age we are more prone to callus build up as we loose the cushioning of the soles of the feet as tissue degenerates. If not managed, the problem can build up and become painful on weight bearing which may affect the foot movement and mobility.

If you are worried about your callus or corn and self-treatment is not working you should seek help. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, are pregnant or any other condition affecting your feet (or your immune system), it is important never to treat verrucae yourself and visit a specialist instead.

Cracked Heels

The skin on the heels can become dry and due to the weightbearing and impact the heels withstand daily the skin can start to crack. If left untouched the skin can crack further and it is possible for infection to occur if the cracks form deep grooves into the skin. The condition will inevitably get more painful if untreated.

If you are worried about your cracked heels and self-treatment is not working you should seek help. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, are pregnant or any other condition affecting your feet (or your immune system), it is important never to treat verrucae yourself and visit a specialist instead.

Fungal Foot and Nail Infections

Most people will experience a fungal nail infection at some stage of their lives. The infection develops slowly and causes the nail to turn yellow and thickened and perhaps distorted in its shape.

Athletes foot is one example of a fungal foot condition which can affect the skin of the feet and its important to treat this immediately to prevent worsening of the condition.

If you are worried about your nails or skin and self-treatment is not working you should seek help. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, are pregnant or any other condition affecting your feet (or your immune system), it is important never to treat verrucae yourself and visit a specialist instead.

<2>In Grown Toenails

In grown toenail is known also as Onychocryptosis. These can be caused by an imbalance between the size of the nail and increasing size of the nail skin edge.

This condition can be exacerbated by improper trimming of the toenail (cutting the nail plate too low or not across the full width) or an inherited or hereditary condition. Improper shoe fitting as a narrow shoe will press the soft tissue onto the nail plate corner as the nail inwardly curves also creating an ingrowing toenail. The toe eventually becomes red, swollen, and quite painful on pressure and weight bearing.

If you have any questions please get in touch by calling 01603 501299 or emailing us on info@feet-in-motion.co.uk

To begin your treatment plan, please call your nearest practice for bookings or further information.