Aching Feet

Your Adelaide Podiatrist discusses Aching Feet…

When your feet hurt, you hurt all over because your feet are the base of your entire bone structure.  Foot problems can cause pain in your knees and back and lead to overall discomfort when standing or walking.  Your feet do a lot of hard work and take a lot of punishment.

podiatry_care_gait_analysis

The foot is a very complex part of your body.  Each foot has over 26 separate bones held in position by dozens of ligaments, tendons and muscles.  The bones and muscles form flexible arches that support the weight of your entire body.  As you raise your foot to take a step, joints lock so you have the leverage to push your body forward.  When you lower your foot to the ground, the joints unlock to assist with shock absorption and normal leg function.  This locking and unlocking of the joints allows you to walk on any surface, whether it be a sandy beach, a golf course or a concrete foot path.

Fact:

The average person takes between

5000 to 10000 steps each day!

Your feet support your entire weight. The slightest misalignment of muscles and bones can cause many different problems.

Some might say – your feet function in a similar manner to the front end of your car. When your car is out of alignment…

  • The tyres wear out quicker and unevenly;
  • Uneven stress is placed on the frame or chassis;
  • The steering wheel may even begin to vibrate or shake;
  • Soon the car functions so badly, driving at significant speed can become quite dangerous

A misaligned foot does a similar thing…

  • Pressure develops and trouble starts immediately.
  • Bones can move against bones
  • Ligaments become over stretched and muscles can become overused
  • Soon the structures in the leg and entire body can start to break down….

 The symptoms of faulty foot function may include:

  • Aching feet
  • Heel pain
  • Claw toes
  • Corns and calluses
  • Bunions
  • Shin Splints or shin pain
  • Pain in the legs
  • Knee pain
  • Hip pain
  • Back & neck pain can even be related to poor foot and leg function

How is it treated?

The Podiatrists at Podiatry Care have over 100 years of combined clinical experience in dealing with aching feet and aching legs.

Treatment options for sore feet may include specific exercises, foot mobilisation, specific strapping, supportive footwear, shoe analysis, dry needling, orthotic therapy, bracing and ESWT.

Your foot care specialist can prescribe a medical device, called a custom foot orthotic, to help solve your foot problems and relieve your painful feet.

Orthotics are prescription appliances that can be compared to eyeglasses. Just as the eye doctor can improve your vision with corrective lenses, your foot care specialist can improve your walking with orthotics. Accurate orthotic appliances can only be made by taking specific biomechanical measurements. Laser scans of your unique foot shape using a 3D laser foot scanner can then be obtained.

Your Podiatrist will then complete a prescription form enabling orthotic production and design to address your particular foot problem, leg pain or postural complaint.

Call Podiatry Care to arrange a time to get your aching feet back under control or book an appointment now online.