Common Causes of Foot Pain–And How Physiotherapy Can Help
Common Causes of Foot Pain–And How Physiotherapy Can Help
You want to go for a nice evening stroll or spend an afternoon at the mall. But that pain in your foot makes prolonged walking seem like an impossibility. Now what?
Foot pain is a common problem–and one that can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life. If severe enough, it becomes a risk factor for other concerns, particularly among older people, including decreased balance, increased fall risk, and general loss of mobility.
Fortunately, physiotherapy at Key Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre can help you find relief. Our team of experts will dig down to identify the root cause of your pain. Then, we’ll develop a customized treatment plan to resolve the underlying injury or condition, helping to ensure lasting relief.
Don’t let foot pain hobble you completely! Give us a call to set up an appointment to uncover the source of your foot discomfort.
What Are the Common Causes of Foot Pain?
When determining the source of your foot pain, you’ll first want to pinpoint where the pain is coming from. Is it along the bottom of your foot? Is it along the top of your foot? In your heel? Could your ankle be involved?
Our therapists will conduct a detailed evaluation to ensure we fully understand your symptoms. We’ll review your health history and recent activities and perform a physical examination that gives a complete picture of your condition. From there, we can determine the underlying injury or condition causing you pain.
While causes of foot pain vary wildly, here are some of the most common:
- Plantar Fasciitis: This is the most common cause of foot pain, occurring in about 10% of the general population. It causes pain and stiffness along the bottom of your foot and into your heel and occurs when certain tissue (the plantar fascia) becomes swollen and inflamed.
- Achilles Tendonitis: Another example of inflammation in foot tissue, Achilles tendonitis causes pain and range of motion restriction in the tendon that runs along the back of your heel (the Achilles tendon).
- Heel Spurs: This condition refers to a bony growth that develops on your heel bone due to stress and strain on the ligaments and tendons.
- Stress Fractures: Stress fractures are small cracks in the bone that generally occur due to overuse. While they can happen anywhere, your feet are particularly susceptible as they absorb much of the impact from activities like running, excessive walking, and jumping.
What Physiotherapy Can Do To Help
Once our therapists have determined the source of your foot pain, we’ll work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that manages symptoms, improves functionality, and, in many cases, resolves the underlying condition. We customize every plan to suit your needs, pulling from various treatment options.
Here are just a few techniques we might incorporate:
- Manual Therapy: Manual therapy offers drug-free pain management and a gentle way of improving foot mobility. Techniques like myofascial release, soft tissue manipulation, and joint mobilization offer unique benefits.
- Therapeutic Exercise: We’ll provide a targeted, personalized exercise program to stretch and strengthen your foot and ankle muscles. Depending on your needs, we can also work on balance, overall mobility, and coordination.
- Modalities: Various treatment modalities, such as hot and cold therapy, electrostimulation, and ultrasound techniques, can provide additional pain relief.
- Lifestyle Modifications: Often, foot pain stems from lifestyle factors, such as wearing improper footwear or starting a new high-impact exercise regimen. We’ll help you identify these factors and suggest strategies for managing them.
During your sessions, we’ll generally begin with acute pain relief through manual therapy techniques or pain-relieving modalities. Then, we’ll move on to targeted exercises. Our therapists will ensure you perform those exercises correctly and monitor your progress, increasing the intensity as you improve.
We’ll also suggest things you can do on your own, such as self-massage techniques, additional exercises, or footwear changes.
Schedule An Appointment Today
The first step in resolving your foot pain is correctly identifying its cause. To learn why your foot is hurting, call Key Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre to schedule your initial consultation. We’ll have you on your way to an active lifestyle in no time!
Exercise of the Month
Towel Curls
(Feet, Toes, Arches)
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and a small towel placed under your toes. Using only your toes, scrunch the towel toward you, curling and gripping it with your feet. Relax and repeat. This strengthens the foot muscles and supports arch control.
3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: chair, small towel)
Are Your Shoes the Cause of Your Foot Pain?
Who doesn’t love a great pair of shoes, especially when they’re the final touch on a knockout outfit? Unfortunately, shoes are more than just a fashion statement–they can also contribute to foot pain.
At Key Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre, we can let you know for certain if your shoes are causing your foot-related woes. In the meantime, here are some simple guidelines to remember the next time you go shoe shopping.
A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Shoe
- Make sure it fits. Cinderella’s stepsisters learned it the hard way: it doesn’t matter what a shoe looks like if it doesn’t fit your foot. If your shoes are too tight or restrictive, your feet will not have full mobility, leading to pain and other discomfort.
- Pointed toes are out this season. Those fierce pointy-toed shoes might look great, but they squeeze your toes together in a way that can cause problems in your toe joints.
- So are high heels. A severe high heel looks fabulous (and sounds even better), but it forces your foot into an unnatural shape, leading to significant impacts on the overall health of your feet–not to mention a higher risk of sprained ankles, lower back pain, and balance issues!
- But comfort and support are in. The best shoes are the ones that feel good while wearing them and after you take them off. In most cases, these shoes provide your foot with the support it needs to work correctly, ensuring the foot is protected and feeling good.
Okay, so our physiotherapists may not be your first choice for fashion tips–but we can help you avoid persistent, debilitating foot pain. Schedule an appointment today to learn more about the right shoes for healthy feet!
Healthy Recipe: Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Summer Salad
This classic sweet-and-savory combination is the ultimate summer refresher. It takes less than 10 minutes to throw together, requires no cooking, and is packed with hydrating watermelon.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (chilled)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped or torn
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- A pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
- Combine: In a large serving bowl, combine the chilled watermelon cubes, crumbled feta, and sliced red onion.
- Dress: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and fresh lime juice. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad.
- Toss: Add the fresh mint leaves to the bowl. Gently toss the salad with large spoons or your hands just until combined—be careful not to break up the watermelon or overmix the feta.
- Season & Serve: Top with a pinch of flaky salt and fresh pepper to taste. Serve immediately while cold.
Skip the Waitlist: You Have Direct Access to Physiotherapy!
Did you know you don’t need a doctor’s referral to start feeling better? Through Direct Access, you can schedule an evaluation with our physiotherapy team immediately, bypassing the long wait times and extra co-pays of a traditional doctor’s visit. Don’t let lingering aches or sudden injuries dictate your life—take control of your recovery right now!
Custom Orthotics for Better Support and Comfort
Custom orthotics are specially designed shoe inserts made to match the unique shape and needs of your feet. They work by improving alignment, redistributing pressure, and providing support where it’s needed most.
Orthotics can help manage a wide range of conditions, including foot pain, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, lower-limb injuries, and gait issues. By improving how your feet interact with the ground, orthotics can also reduce stress on the knees, hips, and lower back.
5-Stars! See What This Patient Had to Say!
“KEY Physiotherapy is fantastic!“
“…The knowledgeable team at KEY took me on after a serious knee injury. We’ve been working together for 2 and a half months now and I couldn’t be more thankful for the progress they’ve enabled with their expertise and customized approach to my situation. Would 100% recommend!“
– M.T.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32643252/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31621559/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30407271/
https://journals.lww.com/jgpt/fulltext/2020/04000/hip_muscle_strengthening_for_knee_osteoarthritis_.6.aspx
https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2018.7877, https://www.physio-pedia.com/Foot_Pain
