Plantar Fasciitis:
The most common foot problem is plantar fasciitis. It causes painful tissue inflammation running along the foot’s bottom. You will not find plantar fasciitis in little children or older people because they are seldom doing any activities that may contribute to it. However, if you are in the age bracket of 40- to 65-years, you are likely to experience heel pain, particularly if you are carrying extra pounds.
The fix: Make sure to stretch and massage your calves and feet. Not only does it help in relieving inflammation by encouraging a fresh supply of oxygenated blood, but stretching and massaging may also lengthen the muscles, helping them flex more freely.
Hammertoes and Bunions:
These are painful deformities of the small toes and great toe. The joints become painful when shoes start to rub against them and cause swelling, inflammation, and redness. With bunion, a painful, firm bump develops at the bottom of the big toe, causing the toe to turn diagonally towards the other toe. Hammertoes occur when one of the muscles of the toe becomes weak and, because of this, put a lot of pressure on the joints and tendons in one or more toes, making the toe to stick up from the joint.
The fix: Make sure to choose the right shoes. For preventing hammertoes and bunions, make sure you are wearing shoes that have a wider toe box. There has to be half-inch of space between the longest toe tip and the shoe’s end. Make sure the shoe is not causing too much pressure on the toes and feet.
Calluses:
While a lot of us think of calluses as unsightly, these are pressure spots that can get painful when walking. Basically, they are the body's way of preventing any blisters from emerging. However, this does not help if the calluses - normally on the foot’s ball, heel, or the top of hammertoes or bunions - keep you from walking.
The fix: To treat calluses, immerse your feet in warm water and then massage with a moisturizing lotion containing lactic acid, glycolic acid, or urea. These ingredients help to soften skin and reduce callus. In case the callus is especially painful or large, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist or podiatrist who can get rid of it with a surgical blade.
If you are suffering from any of the above mentioned foot problem make sure to talk to your doctor and get the treatment you need.
