Achilles/Heel Cord Tendonitis and Arch Supports : What is AchillesTendonitis (Heel Cord Tendonitis)? The Achilles tendon (heel cord) connects the calf muscle to the heel of the foot. When the tendon is over-stretched, over-worked, or injured it becomes inflamed and the resulting painful condition is known as Achilles tendonitis (heel cord tendonitis). Achilles tendonitis can be caused by tight calf muscles, sudden increases in activity, mechanical abnormalities of…..
Arch Pain Overview : Where Is the Arch? The arch is the region of the foot between the heel and forefoot. People often have arch pain due to excessive positions of the foot, such as high arches or low arches (often described as flat feet). Both of these conditions can cause arch pain. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous connective tissue similar…..
Arch Supports and Metatarsalgia : Can Arch Supports Help Relieve my Metatarsalgia Pain? Metatarsalgia involves a sharp, dull or burning pain around the forefoot, or ball of foot. IT is particularly common among women who wear high heeled and pointed toed shoes, or with individuals who wear work boots all day. The pain is normally felt under the middle toes at the ball of the foot……
Arch Supports and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment : What is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis is caused due to inflammation of the plantar fascia. This is a thick band of tissue that extends from the heels, through the arches, to the base of the toes. It acts as a support platform for your arches. Individuals suffering from plantar fasciitis often experience the most pain first thing in the morning. When…..
Arch Supports: Over The Counter or Custom? Arch Supports are being used more and more commonly to treat a variety of conditions, including heel spurs, overpronation, metatarsalgia, and for plantar fasciitis treatment.There are two main kinds of arch supports.1) Over the counter arch supports. (Also known as off-the-shelf arch supports or foot orthotics)2) Custom-made arch supports. (Also called custom arch supports or custom foot orthotics)Traditional over the…..
Ball of Foot Pain and What You Can Do About It : Ball of The Foot: Where is it? The ball of foot area is the padded portion on the sole of your foot between the toes and the arch. It is at this area where the weight of the body sits when you raise your heel to push forward. What Are the Causes of Pain In The Ball of the Foot? There can be…..
Bunions and Arch Supports : What are Bunions? Bunions are one of the most common forefoot deformities and can be very painful. They are often conservatively treated with arch supports. Bunions involve an inflammation at the outer side of the big toe. The bones in the area migrate…the big toe toward the little toe and the first metatarsal away from the foot. A large bony bump…..
Find a Podiatrist : What Is Podiatry and Who Is a Podiatrist? Podiatry is a medical specialty dealing with the study, diagnosis and treatment of the disorders and injuries of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Doctors and practitioners who specialize in podiatry are called podiatrists. Podiatrists deal with such issues as plantar fasciitis, Morton’s Neuroma, flat foot, diabetes foot care, hammertoes, heel…..
Flat Foot: What Exactly Is It? A flat foot is known medically as pes planus. This occurs when the rounded arch on the inner side of the sole of the foot disappears upon standing or stepping on the ground. It’s the most common reason many doctors prescribe arch supports. There are two recognized types of flat foot. In the first, flexible flat…..
Foot Arch Overview : What Is The Foot Arch? The foot arch, frequently treated with arch supports, is located between the heel bone and the ball of the foot. It is formed by the bones, ligaments, muscles, fascia, and tendons of the foot. The purpose of the foot arch is to support the weight of the body and to help propel the body forward while…..
Foot Clinic : What is a Foot Clinic? The purpose of a foot clinic is to provide foot and ankle care that will allow you to get back on your feet and return to pain free activity as soon as possible. There are many different types of foot clinics. Most will deal with a variety of different foot conditions in a variety of different…..
Foot Doctors : What Do They Deal With? Foot doctors specialize in the study, diagnosis and treatment of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Foot doctors are also known as podiatrists, chiropodists or foot specialists. Foot Doctors: Why Would I Need One? Some disorders foot doctors deal with include: plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, flat foot, Achilles tendonitis, Morton’s neuroma, heel pain, heel spurs, hammertoe,…..
Foot Injuries: Why Do They Happen? There are 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments in each of your feet. So, as you can imagine, foot injuries are not uncommon. In fact, they happen every single day. It is estimated that we take an average of 5000-12000 steps each day and our feet are what handles…..
Foot Injury : Why Does This Happen? Did you know there are 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments in one foot? This leaves a lot of room for a foot injury to occur. Since we take anywhere from 5,000-12,000 steps each day, our feet take a lot of impact. We often have daily routines to work on…..
Foot Specialist : What Does a Foot Specialist Deal With? There are many different types of foot specialists. Pedorthists are one of the most specialized, deal with anything that makes the foot move differently or adds pressure areas to the feet. They focus on foot orthotics and shoes, along with a few foot and lower extremity braces. Foot specialists that are otherwise…..
Foot Treatment Who Can Help? 90% of people will have foot pain at some point in their lives. This tells us that foot treatment is a very important field. Podiatrists or chiropodist are the doctors who specialize in this area. You can search for a podiatrist in your area or look for a foot clinic that may be able to help you if…..
Foot Ulcer Overview : Foot Ulcer: What Is It? A foot ulcer is an open sore on the foot that looks like a red crater in the skin. A foot ulcer can be shallow and only break through the surface skin, or it can be very deep extending through the full thickness of the skin and exposing tendons and bones. Mostly foot ulcers are located…..
Footcare: 22 Top Tips For Healthy Feet : Why is Footcare Important? A human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments. Your feet withstand the pressure of up to three times your body weight and provide you with shock absorption, balance, mobility and support. Years of wear and tear on your feet can be problematic. Make sure you have a daily footcare…..
Hammertoe Surgery : What is Hammertoe? Hammertoe occurs when toes are curled as a result of a bend in the middle joint of the toe. It usually occurs at the second, third or fourth toes and is sometimes referred to as contracted toe or rotated toe. It usually happens as the tendons at the top and botom of the toes become imbalanced and pull…..
Heel Cups : What Are They? Heel Cups: What are they? Heel cups are corrective footwear inserts you place in your shoes that are designed to provide extra support and cushion to the heels. Heel cups are used as preventative measures, to correct a foot condition or to offer support to people who are consistently on their feet or are having heel pain. Though heel cups can…..
Heel Spur Surgery : What is Involved? For those who suffer from painful heel spurs that just will not go away, heel spur surgery is a treatment of last resort. It is usually only considered if other treatments such as stretching exercises, heel cradles or cups, wearing the appropriate shoe, and especially foot orthotics (arch supports) have been tried and are not…..
Heel Spur Treatment Options : What is a Heel Spur? A heel spur is a bony growth usually found under the heel. A heel spur can cause extreme heel pain while walking, standing or with a sudden action such as a jump. When you place your weight on your heel, the pain from a heel spur can be debilitating, as the heel bone (calcaneus) is the…..
Heel Spurs Overview : What are Heel Spurs? Heel spurs are abnormal bony growths which occur at the heel bone (calcaneus) and can be found at the back of the heel or under the heel. The plantar fascia is a fibrous band of tissue that extends from the heel bone to the ball of the foot or forefoot. When this tissue pulls away from the…..
High Arch : The Low-Down : What is a High Arch? The arch of the foot is that area between the ball of the foot (at the base of the toes) and the heel. In normal arches, when standing there is a gap between the ground and the foot along the mid-section of the inside of the foot. This is known as your arch. When this gap…..
High Arches Overview : High Arches: What Are They? Generally along the inner side of the foot, there is a gap between the ground and the foot. This is known as your arch. When standing, some people have high arches, some normal arches, others have low or no arches. This article deals primarily with high arches, also known as pes cavus in the medical community……
Metatarsalgia: An Overview : What is Metatarsalgia? Metatarsalgia is a term used to describe painful forefoot conditions in the metatarsal region, or the area often referred to as the ball of the foot. Your foot has five bones that run from the mid arch to your toe joints. They are called metatarsal bones. You may experience pain when the soft tissues around the heads of…..
Morton’s Neuroma Overview : What is Morton’s Neuroma? Morton’s neuroma is a common foot problem where a nerve in the foot becomes inflamed and irritated. This pain is usually located between the bones at the ball of the foot and happens around the base of the 3rd and 4th toes. What are the Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma? Morton’s Neuroma can cause a sharp ‘burning’ pain at…..
Neuroma Surgery : What is Morton’s Neuroma? Morton’s neuroma is a common foot problem where a nerve becomes inflamed and swollen. This pain is usually located between the bones at the ball of the foot and happens around the 3rd and 4th toes. It occurs due to compression of the nerve due to abnormal foot mechanics or forcing your foot into the…..
Night Splint : What is a Night Splint? A night splint is a corrective device that may be used as a treatment for any of the following foot conditions: plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, plantar flexion contractures, heel spurs, equinus conditions, pronation syndromes and muscle tightening and runner’s cramp. It derived its name due to the fact that this kind of splint is usually worn…..
Overpronation: Arch Supports Required? What is Overpronation? The term overpronation is used to describe an excess amount of pronation and is usually treated with arch supports. Pronation is the movement of the foot that includes an inward rolling motion that causes flattening of the arch of the foot. Pronation is a normal part of the gait cycle found in walking and provides shock absorption to…..
Plantar Fasciitis Overview : What is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation and irritation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of tissue that extends from the heel to the toes and is a supportive platform for the arch of the foot. ‘itis’ means ‘inflamed’. So plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia. What are the Symptoms of…..
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment : What is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis is a condition in which the plantar fascia becomes inflamed and irritated. The plantar fascia is a relatively inflexible, thick fibrous band of tissue that extends from the heel to the ball of the foot and is a supportive platform for the arch. Movements such as walking or running stretch the plantar…..
Running Injuries : Running injuries are common due to the nature of the sport. Running consists of repetitive impact on your body, mostly affecting your feet, ankles, knees, legs and hips. If you think of running as a chain of events in the body, every time the foot contacts the ground the forces and mechanics follow the chain from the feet up to…..
Shoe Lifts : What Are Shoe Lifts? Shoe lifts, also known as heel lifts, are either shoe inserts that fit into the heel section of your shoe or external lifts built externally into the heel of your shoe(s). They can be designed to fit the type of shoe you are wearing and are typically 1mm – 10mm in height if they are fitting inside…..
Sore Feet: When Should I Use Arch Supports? Sore Feet: Ouch! “When our feet hurt, we hurt all over.” I believe Socrates had it right with this one! It is suggested we walk around 10,000 steps a day. With this statistic, during a lifetime one person could walk enough steps to travel around the planet 4 times. That’s a lot of pressure on our feet! The funny thing is,…..
Supination, An Overview : What Is Supination? Supination in the foot occurs normally in the gait cycle when the foot returns to a stable position before push off. Over supination is associated with high arches and is a tendency for the foot to roll outward, or a tendency for it not to move inward (pronate) enough during the gait cycle. Excessive supination is usually associated…..
To Pronate : What Does It Mean? I’ve Been Told my Feet Pronate, What Does Pronate Mean? If you pronate it means you turn or rotate your foot inward when weight is applied. The heel bone angles and the arch tends to collapse, often giving you a ‘knock-kneed’ look. To pronate is a normal motion of the foot that allows the foot to absorb shock from the impact…..
Toe Pain: Why Does My Toe Hurt? Why do I have Toe Pain? There are many reasons why you might have toe pain and it is important to find the cause is so you can get on your path to fixing or controlling the problem. This article outlines some of the most common causes and potential treatments for toe pain. Common Causes of Toe Pain The most common area of…..
