Your feet are powerful machines that carry the entire weight of your body. What happens when you injure them? Even minor injuries can cause complete disruption in your life. That’s why you need to know and recognise what the most common injuries are.
Did you know that one wrong move can damage your lower limbs? To prevent disasters from happening, remember these 5 common foot injuries, and the ways you can prevent and treat them!
1. Stress fracture
One of the most common, yet severe injuries during strenuous physical activities is the stress fracture. Activities like dancing and running put too much pressure on your muscles. Therefore, your fatigued muscles apply stress to the bones in your feet which causes extremely painful fractures.
Small fractures can appear anywhere in your foot, causing you to lay off your activities until the injury is healed. This type of injury requires professional medical attendance, so, make sure to call your doctor as soon as possible. After the necessary rest period, make sure to ease back in the game and watch for the warning signs, such as pain, to prevent further injuries!
2. Plantar Fasciitis
Those annoying but extremely painful injuries that stop you from standing up straight have their name- Plantar Fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common injuries caused by strenuous activities and standing on hard surfaces. What is that exactly?
Plantar fasciitis is caused by the inflammation of bonding tissue between the heel and your toes. Being overweight or standing for a long period on a hard surface increases your risk of this type of injury. Try to reduce weight, buy more comfortable shoes and stretch your foot frequently to minimise the effects and chances of getting plantar fasciitis.
3. Ankle sprain
Did you know that over 20 000 people all over the world slip and twist their ankles each day? This makes ankle sprains one of the most common injuries. It occurs when the ligaments in your foot are torn or stretched, which causes pain and swelling.
To manage the pain, use the RICE protocol- Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, which usually does the trick until you recover. If the swelling and pain continue, make sure to see your doctor for future diagnostics.
4. Achilles Tendinitis
Are you a sports buff that can’t get enough of the gym? Even though it has its many benefits for your health, excessive exercising can cause a series of foot injuries that will keep you away from the gym for a while. An ambitious workout programme can cause Achilles’ tendons to swell up, hurt or get inflamed.
If you’re experiencing this type of pain, it would be best to switch from high impact workouts to biking or swimming for a while. If the pain gets severe or unbearable, make sure to get a reliable sports podiatry treatment for your injury, and consult the experts in the field about further actions.
5. Neuromas
Those tight, high-heeled shoes are killing your legs! Many women complain about feet pain after they’ve been in high heels the entire day. Amongst other issues caused by tight shoes, Morton’s neuroma is by far the most common one. What are the symptoms?
Numbness and tingling feeling in your toes can certainly disrupt your day. They are caused by the compression of the nerves between the third and fourth toes. The best solution is to stop wearing tight shoes for a while. However, if that isn’t an option, you can learn how to wear high heels without pain.
Conclusion
As you can see, these are the 5 most common foot injuries you can experience whether you do sports or not. To treat and prevent them, make sure to consult an experienced doctor in that field. Don’t forget to easily return to your routine after the rest period!