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Foot pain is very common, affecting 75% of people in the United States at some point in their lives. Often times, poor fitting shoes are the main cause. The foot contains 26 bones and 33 joints, layered with an intertwining web of more than 120 muscles, ligaments, and nerves. Because your feet are small in proportion to the rest of your body, the impact of each step exerts tremendous force upon them, which is approximately 50% greater than the person's body weight. Typically, a person spends, on average, 4 hours on their feet and takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps in a day, which means your feet support a combined force equivalent to several hundred tons every day. It's important to understand the warning signs of a foot problem and the necessary precautions to avoid serious complications. Start with a visit to the podiatrist. Custom orthotics are a widely prescribed solution for your foot problems. Continue reading to learn how your podiatrist can custom-fit orthotics for your specific foot pain. Foot Pain and Location Generally, foot pain starts in one of three places: the toes, the forefoot, or the hindfoot. Toe pain often occurs because of the pressure that is commonly imposed by improper fitting shoes. Some common foot problems occurring in the toes include corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, Morton's neuroma and hammertoe or claw toe. When it comes to pain occurring in the forefoot, which is the front of the foot, it usually involves the metatarsal or sesamoid bones. The metatarsal bones are five long bones that extend from the front of the arch to the bones in the toe and the sesamoid bones are two small bones that are embedded at the top of the first metatarsal bone, which connects to the big toe. Common problems occurring in the forefoot include metatarsalgia, a stress fracture and sesamoiditis. Lastly, the hindfoot is the back of the foot and pain originating here can extend from the heel, across the sole, otherwise known as the plantar surface, to the ball of the foot. The hindfoot is where heel pain, plantar fasciitis, occurs which is one of the most common foot injuries treated by your podiatrist in Valencia. Custom-Made Orthotics for Relief For severe conditions, your podiatrist in Valencia may prescribe custom-made orthotics to bring relief to your foot pain. Orthotics can be categorized as rigid, soft, or semi-rigid. Rigid orthotics are used to control motion in two major foot joints that lie directly below the ankle. They are often used to prevent excessive pronation and are useful for people who are very overweight or have uneven leg lengths. Soft orthotics are designed to absorb shock, improve balance, and remove pressure from painful areas. They are made from a lightweight material the proves to be beneficial for people with diabetes or arthritis. Soft orthotics need to be replaced periodically and may be bulkier than rigid orthotics, which will require larger shoes. Semi-rigid orthotics are designed to provide balance, particularly in a specific sport and are usually made of multiple layers of various supportive materials. To determine if orthotics are right for you, visit a podiatrist for a thorough evaluation. A podiatrist in Valencia with extensive knowledge in lower extremity biomechanics will consider your foot type, analyze your gait and evaluate other factors to determine the exact cause of your pain. Based on a patient's specific problem or needs, the podiatrist can recommend whether orthotics would help reduce the pain and foot deformity, or if a different treatment would produce better results.
Sean Hartmen writes for Dr. Pagliano, leading podiatrist in Santa Clarita Valley and Valencia, CA, at Valencia Podiatry. Dr. Pagliano has 35 years of experience and is committed to the highest quality and standard of care. Offering services in Valencia heel pain, orthotics and bunions, Valencia Podiatry is committed to providing the best in quality care for patients of every age.
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