Most Common Foot Issues UK | Podiatrist Kent

Every day our feet are subject to walking, running, and jumping, so many issues can appear. Injuries on a surface level and in the structure of your foot can affect you daily, so it\’s essential to look after your feet and seek help whenever you are in pain. At Paul Milly Podiatry, with foot clinics in both Strood and Sidcup, we can help with the most common foot issues.

The foot has 26 bones in them, making them one of the most complex areas of the human body. Walking every day and doing regular sports can bring about a number of foot issues like athletes\’ foot or blisters, or simply wearing bad footwear can give you some nasty injuries. In this post, we will be looking at the most common foot issues in the UK, their causes, symptoms and treatment.

If you are looking for help with routine foot care, visit our page now. 

We have put together a handy infographic if you want to look at this post in a more bite-size version.

 

Plantar fasciitis | Foot Clinic Strood

Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. If you have this condition, you may feel pain in any or all of these areas:

• The heel
• When you first get out of bed in the morning
• When stepping down onto your heel while walking or running (especially if you land on it)
• After sitting for long periods with your feet under stress

Achilles tendonitis | Foot pain treatment Strood

Achilles tendonitis is what happens when an overuse injury to the Achilles tendon causes inflammation and swelling, which can lead to pain and discomfort. The Achilles tendon is one of the strongest in your body, connecting your calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to your heel bone. Tendonitis usually occurs because of poor posture or excessive exercise, but it can also be caused by muscle tightness and weakness.

Tendinitis symptoms include pain at the back of your lower leg (shin), stiffness after sitting for a long period of time, tightness in one spot along the tendon—usually located about 6 inches above or below where it attaches to the lower leg bone—and a burning sensation when walking uphill. If left untreated, this condition may worsen over time due its chronic nature.

Treatment options include rest from activities that cause pain or aggravate symptoms; stretching exercises before attempting any physical activity; icing; anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen; prescription drugs if necessary; custom orthotics made specifically for each patient\’s foot anatomy by a podiatrist; changes in footwear if needed (elevating heels higher than 2 inches); using supportive devices like shoes with high arches instead of low ones (no flip flops!).

Click here to go to our Achilles tendonitis page

Flat feet

You may have flat feet if your arches are lower than normal, which can cause the soles of your feet to appear flatter than they actually are. Flat feet can be present at birth or develop later in life as a result of injury or gradual wear and tear on the joints and ligaments within the foot.

You might not notice any symptoms with flat feet, but some people experience pain in their heels or mild aches that come and go depending on activity level. If you\’ve got flat feet, you\’ll know it because you will feel less shock absorption when walking compared to someone with normal arches.

Bunions

A bunion is a deformity of the big toe joint. It usually affects the joint at the base of your big toe and causes it to grow abnormally, causing your foot to push outwards. Bunions are common but not always painful, so symptoms can be difficult to identify.

The most common signs include:

• Pain or tenderness over the bunion area when wearing shoes
• Skin on top of your foot rubbing against shoe laces or between shoe and ankle as you walk or run (called \’lace bite\’)

You can also check if you have bunions by looking down at your feet while standing with each foot flat on the floor. If one or both sides appear higher than other sides then you may have a bunion.

Corns and calluses

Corns and calluses are both thickened areas of the skin caused by constant friction, pressure or irritation. They can be painful and unsightly, but they\’re harmless, so there\’s no need to panic if you notice one on your foot.

Corn: A corn is a small hard lump that forms beneath the surface of the skin. It usually develops where your toes meet your foot (the ball). Corns are most common in adults who wear shoes that don\’t fit properly or have high heels, but children can also get them as a result of wearing ill-fitting boots or shoes with poor ventilation during hot weather.

Callus: A callus is an area of thickened skin that develops on top of an existing corn or where pressure is applied most frequently (e.g., under a toe nail). Calluses can be treated using pumice stones, foot file devices or dermabrasion treatments from a podiatrist (a type of doctor specializing in diseases affecting circulation in feet).

Click here to visit our corns and calluses page. 

Verrucae

These are raised lesions that provide a rough surface for skin cells to attach to. They\’re caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is associated with cervical, anal and penile cancers as well as genital warts.

The majority of verrucae appear on the feet or hands, but they may be found elsewhere in the body including on the face or neck.

They usually start off as small lumps or bumps that can cause pain, bleeding and itching if disturbed. At first glance, they look like warts but they tend to be larger than ordinary warts and have a smoother appearance because they\’re not covered in tiny hair follicles like most of them are.

Ingrown toenail

• Ingrown toenail is an infection of the nail bed. It can be caused by cutting the sides of your nails short, wearing shoes that are too tight or shoes with pointed toes, having narrow feet or toes, and wearing socks that are too tight.
• Ingrown toenail can cause pain, swelling, redness and tenderness at the side of your big toe or small toe. You may also have a lump on your nail. This is usually where the fungus has grown into the flesh beneath it.
• If you have an ingrown toenail you should see a doctor as soon as possible because they will need to clean out this area before giving you medicine to get rid of it

Stress fractures

Stress fractures are caused by repetitive stress on the bone. This repetitive force can be from overuse, such as running or weight training, or it can be caused by an injury that throws off your gait while walking or running. The most common areas for stress fractures include the heel and metatarsals (the bones in your feet that connect your toes to your heels).

Stress fractures are characterized by pain when you\’re putting weight down on your foot. You may also feel pain when you go up stairs or try to sit down for long periods of time. To diagnose a stress fracture, we\’ll ask questions about how often you exercise and what sort of shoes you wear; this helps us determine whether there is any other explanation for what\’s causing your foot pain besides a stress fracture. If we suspect a stress fracture based on our initial evaluation, then we will order an x-ray to confirm our suspicion about its location and severity before beginning treatment for it (if necessary).

Know the most common foot issues.

• Plantar Fasciitis:

This is the most common foot problem and can be caused by a sudden increase in activity, or it can occur when the muscles at the bottom of your feet become weak. A sharp pain may run along the bottom of your foot and heel after you\’ve been standing for a long time. It\’s important to remember that it\’s not a serious injury and will often resolve itself within 2 weeks if left alone.

• Achilles Tendonitis:

Achilles tendonitis can lead to inflammation of this tendon just below your calf muscle. Symptoms include pain at its origin on top of your heel bone, swelling around where it attaches at your ankle joint, warmth over this area and sometimes bruising near where it attaches to bone. It tends to be worse when you start exercising again after resting from an injury (such as an ankle sprain) but usually responds well with stretching exercises.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has helped you identify the most common foot issues. If you are looking for help with any foot issues you might be happy contact Paul Mill Podiatry, we have a foot clinic in Strood and Sidcup. Call or email today, click here to go to our contact page.