If you experience pain or discomfort in your feet you need to take action. As we are on our feet most of the day it is very easy to ignore foot pain and put it down to ‘one of those things’. However, foot pain is not normal and pain is the body’s way of telling you that something is not quite right. If you had a headache you would more than likely take a tablet, but what would you do if you had foot pain? I imagine most of the replies I would receive would be ‘nothing’.

Almost half of the population will suffer from foot pain at some point in their lives. With 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments in each foot, a lot can go wrong.

Injury can come in many forms. You can injure your feet by falling, twisting the foot, or dropping something on them but you can also injure your foot without doing anything in particular. Abnormal foot structure, such as low and high arches, can gradually lead to tissue stress and damage. This in turn can lead to foot pain. Improper shoes will also contribute, making the situation worse.

The good thing is that nearly all instances of foot pain and injury can be treated and cured. When the pain is related to a problem with foot structure, correcting that problem often leads to lasting pain relief without reoccurrence. This correction does not necessarily involve reconstructive surgery. Most of the time, the simple use of an orthotic device leads to long lasting relief and allows you to continue with an exercise plan without re-injuring the foot. Also, the actual injury needs to be treated as well as the underlying foot structure. Foot injury treatment involves supporting the injured part, allowing the inflammation of the injury to resolve with medicine, elevation, and icing, and resting the foot until it is ready to resume activity. A proper medical treatment plan from a Podiatrist can help this process go much faster.

If you suffer from foot pain, you need not suffer in silence. A Podiatrist is an expert in all aspects of foot care and many specialise in biomechanics. For some sound advice and professional treatment why not make an appointment with a podiatrist today.