My Foot Hurts – Welcome To Our Website
Hello and welcome to My Foot Hurts.net! Here you will find all the information you need to identify and resolve your foot pain and foot problems.
The feet are one of the hardest working parts of the body yet they are often neglected. Most people do not care for their feet properly until they become painful and it’s only then that we actually start to pay attention to them.
By reading the information presented on this website you will not only be able to resolve your foot problems but learn how to prevent problems in the future by implementing simple foot care strategies.
On this page you will learn about some general foot care principles strategies but please also navigate to the other pages of the website using the navigation menu on the right hand side to find information about more specific types of foot pain and problems.
Why My Foot Hurts – About The Foot
The foot is a complicated structure. It contains more bones than in any other part of the body, has multiple muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels and performs a vast number of functions that allow us to remain mobile. These functions include: supporting our entire body weight, acting as a shock absorber as we contact with the ground, acting as a stable lever by which we can push of the ground to step forward and being flexible and adaptable to allow us to walk on a number of different surfaces, such as concrete or sand. The feet support us in every step we take during our lifetime and are subjected to considerable strains and forces. With these statistics in mind it is no surprise to discover that approximately 70-75% of people worldwide will experience some form of foot pain during the course of their lives. This figure rises sharply in the elderly, with a reported 87% of elderly people suffering with some form of foot pain.
Foot pain can present in a number of different ways and affect multiple parts of the foot. It can also affect people of any age from children and teenagers to the elderly. As the foot is such a complicated structure, getting to the root of the pain can be extremely difficult and frustrating. The experts here at My Foot Hurts . net have organised the information about foot pain in to various categories so you can skip straight to the page most applicable to you. You can navigate to the various pages using the menu bar on the right hand side of this page.
In the mean time, the team at MyFootHurts . net have put together five simple yet effective strategies that you can use to reduce the risk of developing problems with your feet.
1. Choose Your Footwear Wisely. It is very important that the shoes you wear compliment the function they are desired to perform, and fit correctly. For example, sports people require extra support and control from their shoes, whilst people who spent a lot of time on their feet would benefit from more cushioning and support in the arch of the foot. Unfortunately, many people are still wearing shoes that are the wrong size and shape for their feet.
Usually this is seen with a toe box (the end of the shoe) that is both too narrow and not deep enough the adequately accommodate the forefoot and such shoes compress the foot and can lead to pain and contribute to forefoot deformities. This is commonly seen with the wearing of high-heeled shoes and stiletto’s and I suggest you avoid wearing these types of shoes as much as possible as they can lead to a multitude of foot problems! I also suggest you get your feet measured regularly to avoid any problems that can be the result of wearing inadequate footwear.
2. Get Your Feet Checked. A Podiatrist is a foot and ankle specialist that can conduct a thorough foot examination to help you determine your foot type and provide you with advice about the best way to care for your feet and decide on the correct footwear. I suggest you book an appointment to see a Podiatrist if you have any concerns about your foot or ankles at all, as they can help to identify faulty foot mechanics such as fallen arches that can lead to considerable problems in the future.
3. Be Careful When Going Barefoot. Shoes offer the feet protection, and we often don’t think about this when wearing them. However, when walking barefoot it is very easy to cause yourself an injury. For example, stubbing your toe, standing on a sharp object or slipping is far more likely to occur when walking barefoot. Additionally, walking barefoot increases the risk of developing a fungal infection like athlete’s foot or a viral infection such as a verruca as these are passed on from skin fragments or direct contact, which is why it is common to pick-up such infections in public places where barefoot walking is common such as swimming pools.
4. Hygiene Is Important! And this includes correct toenail cutting. Ingrown toe nails (read more about them here) are extremely common and can cause considerable discomfort. Cutting the nails straight across and ensuring they are not cut too short will minimize the chances of developing an ingrown toenail. It is also important to moisturise the skin on the feet regularly, especially when you notice the skin becoming dry to prevent the risk of fissures (small cracks) developing, which are particularly common round the heel and can become inflamed and painful.
5. Understand that your feet change with age. As our feet have to work hard all our lives, signs of deterioration in the foot structure can start to emerge as we age. This is usually seen from the ages of 40 and upwards although this is variable from person to person. Most commonly these changes will be arthritic in nature, where the joints become damaged and painful. However, various other conditions such as heel pain or arch pain are also more common as we age as these are also associated with age-related deterioration. Caring from your feet from an early age, using the information provided on this website, can help to reduce the risk of developing age related conditions such as those outlined.
I hope these simple tips provided by the My Foot Hurts team have provided some useful insights that you can use in your own foot care routine. As part of our team we have both qualified Podiatrists and Personal Trainer’s who have an expert knowledge of the human body, lower limb biomechanics, and the feet, thus ensuring the information contained on this site is of a very high standard. Remember to always consult your Podiatrist or Physician if there is any doubt about your foot problems and before attempting to treat them yourself. You can contact us here if you have any questions about your own foot problems or foot care routine.