 These
two terms are closely related. Plantar Fasciitis is an
inflammation caused by excessive stretching of the plantar
fascia (tissue that extends the entire length of the bottom of
the foot). Heel Pain is a common condition in which weight
bearing on the heel causes extreme discomfort.
Symptoms
With Plantar Fasciitis, the bottom of your foot usually hurts
near the inside of the foot where the heel and inside arch
meet. The pain is often acute (hot poker sensation) either
first thing in the morning or after a long rest, because while
you are resting, the plantar fascia contracts back to its
original shape. As the day progresses and the plantar fascia
is adequately stretched, the pain often subsides.
Causes/Risk Factors
Plantar Fasciitis often leads to heel pain, heel spurs, and/or
arch pain. The excessive stretching of the plantar fascia that
leads to inflammation and discomfort can be caused by the
following:
Additional or excessive weight on the foot, usually
attributed to weight gain or pregnancy
Wearing shoes without any arch support or proper arch
support
Over-pronation (flat feet) which results in the arch
collapsing when bearing weight
A foot with an unusually high arch
Tight calf muscles
Ageing
Exercise error of too much, too soon, too fast
Prevention & Treatment
The key for the proper treatment of plantar fasciitis and heel
pain is determining what is causing the excessive strain and
stretching of the plantar fascia, or heel discomfort. Ask your
health care professional to help you find the best solution
for your condition. Often, they suggest changing your footwear
or wearing an arch support as a first step toward recovery.
You can reduce the strain and stress on the plantar fascia by
following these simple instructions:
Don't go barefoot not even in the shower
Try stretching exercises in bed before you get up, focusing
on your Achilles tendon, calf, and toes. Lay on your back with
legs outstretched. Move your toes toward your head and hold
for 30 seconds. Relax feet. Repeat 4-5 times.
Ice your heels (or the painful area) to reduce inflammation.
Freeze a 12-16 oz plastic water bottle. Place the bottle on
the floor and gently roll your foot over bottle between heel
and toe for 5 minutes 3 times per day.
Wear shoes or orthotics (arch supports) that support your
arch and heel and have proper shock absorption in the heel
Maintain a healthy weight
Avoid running on hard or uneven ground
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most diagnosed foot ailments.
Please ask your health care professional how Birkenstock
footwear or arch supports may be part of your foot pain
solution. Also, feel free to contact your local Birkenstock
retailer about their healthy footwear recommendations.
Birkenstock has many products that can help with Plantar
Fasciitis and Heel Pain.
 Bunions
are a prominent bump on the inside of the foot on the big toe
joint. Corns are a localized tender, sharply defined area of
thickened skin over a bony prominence usually caused by
trauma. They sometimes have a central cone-shaped core whose
point can press on a nerve below causing pain. Calluses are an
accumulation of dead skin cells that harden and thicken over
an area of the foot. They are the body's defense mechanism
against excessive pressure and friction. Calluses are normally
found on the bottom of the foot, the heel and the inside of
the big toe.
Symptoms
Bunions are 10 times more common in women than men and often
run in the family. A person with a bunion may have
inflammation, swelling and soreness on the side surface of the
big toe. Numbness and tingling may occur from the pressure
created on the nerve in the big toe. Corns will most likely be
seen ion the top or sides of the toes and often will be tender
and cone shaped. Calluses will appear where the foot is
subject to high pressure and will be a thick hardened patch of
skin.
Causes/Risk Factors
All can be caused by tight and/or poorly fitting footwear.
Each can also be caused by the following:
Bunions
Flat feet or over-pronation can lead to increased pressure
on the big toe joint
Footwear that is too narrow and/or too short
Constrictive toe boxes (toe area)
Footwear with a tapered toe box not only can cause bunions
but can cause them to worsen to the point of needing surgery
to repair
Corns
Footwear with elevated heels or tight-fitting footwear,
stockings or socks
The foot sliding forward in a loose-fitting shoe
Bony prominences
Toe deformities
Calluses
Excessive pressure on a specific area of the foot
Footwear with elevated heels and shoes that are too small
Flat feet, high-arched feet, excessive weight, and loss of
the fat pad on the bottom of the foot
Prevention & Treatment
Ask your health care professional (physician, physical
therapist, podiatrist) to help you find the best answers to
what is causing your pain. You can reduce the risk and
discomfort of these conditions by following these simple
guidelines:
Bunions
Wear footwear with wide toe box which will decrease pressure
on the big toe joint
Avoid high heeled footwear which places more pressure on the
forefoot
Wear footwear or arch supports with good medial and
metatarsal arch support to decrease pressure on the big toe
region
Substitute activities such as walking or swimming (if you
are running now) to decrease symptoms and stress on the
forefoot
Maintain a healthy weight
If bunion is in early stage, soaking your feet in warm water
may provide temporary relief
Corns & Calluses
Avoid high heeled footwear which places more pressure on the
forefoot
Wear footwear or arch supports which provide proper support
and aid in weight distribution
If soft corn between toes, wear toe separators
If hard corn, wear a corn pad
Gently use foot buffer after bathing to reduce the thickness
of calluses
Bunions, corns, and calluses are common foot ailments
associated with improperly-fitted footwear. Please contact
your local Birkenstock retailer for their healthy footwear
recommendations. Birkenstock has many products that can help
with bunions, corns, and calluses.
Bunion illustration furnished courtesy of FOOT.COM
back to top
 Metatarsalgia
is a general term used to denote a painful inflammatory foot
condition in the metatarsal region of the foot (the area just
before the toes, or the ball of the foot). This
ball-of-the-foot pain is often located under the 2nd, 3rd, and
4th metatarsal heads or occasionally at the 1st metatarsal
head (near the big toe). Morton's Neuroma is an abnormal
function of the foot that leads to metatarsal bones squeezing
a nerve usually between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal heads. A
neuroma is an irritation resulting from abnormal pressure or
repetitive trauma.
Symptoms
Metatarsalgia is often described as walking with a pebble in
my shoe. Calluses may be present under the metatarsal heads
(ball of foot) and will be variable in location, size and
shape. A person suffering with Mortons Neuroma will feel
extreme tenderness at the ball of the foot. Some will feel a
red hot poker burning sensation. Numbness may also occur
with a pins and needles sensation.
Metatarsalgia
Often a result of an imbalance between the outside and
inside arches of the foot
Usually due to excessive pressure on the metatarsal heads
(ball of the foot) over a long period of time
Often caused by improper fitting footwear such as women's
dress shoes and other restrictive footwear. This condition
occurs 5 times as often in women than men
Footwear with a narrow toe box (toe area) causes the
ball-of-the-foot area to be forced into a minimal amount of
space
Shoes with elevated heels
Participating in high impact activities without proper
footwear or arch support
As we get older, the fat pad in our foot tends to thin out
making us more susceptible to pain in the ball of the foot
Osteoarthritis
Morton's Neuroma
Often caused by pointed-toe footwear, high heels, and
footwear with a narrow toe box
Constricting shoes can pinch the nerve between the toes
causing discomfort and extreme pain
Over pronating while walking
Having flat feet
Tight Achilles tendon
Obesity
Loss of fat pad under foot
The first step in the treatment of Forefoot Conditions is
determining what is causing the problem. Check with your
medical professional (family doctor or Podiatrist to help you
find the best solution for your pain or discomfort. You can
reduce the risk and discomfort of Metatarsalgia and Morton's
Neuroma by following these simple guidelines:
Metatarsalgia
Choose footwear with a higher, wider toe box (toe area) to
allow the foot to take on its natural shape
Choose footwear with a deep heel cup, pronounced metatarsal
support, add additional padding if needed
Avoid standing for long periods on hard surfaces
Ice the ball of the foot which may reduce the inflammation
Gently stretch the Achilles tendon and calf muscles
Morton's Neuroma
Choose footwear with a higher and wider toe box (toe area)
to allow the foot to take on its natural shape
Choose footwear with a pronounced metatarsal arch support
and add additional padding if necessary if needed to unload
pressure and relieve pain
Please contact your local Birkenstock retailer for their
healthy footwear recommendations. Birkenstock has many
products that can help with Metatarsalgia and Mortons Neuroma.
back to top
 Hammer
Toe can occur in all but the big toe and occurs in women nine
times more frequently than in men. It is a toe that is raised
and may cause pressure and pain. In claw toes, the toe curls
under so the tip (end) of the toe is pressed against the
bottom of the shoe. Ingrown toenails usually affect the big
toe. They are a result of the nail growing downward into the
skin and nail bed.
Symptoms
If hammer or claw toes, the toes will be bent upward from the
middle joint. Claw toes may have tenderness on the tip of the
toe. With ingrown toenails, you may experience infection of
the skin around the nail, irritation, redness and sensation of
warmth from infection as well as skin swelling around the
nail.
Causes/Risk factors:
Hammer Toe, Claw Toe, and Ingrown Toenails are all common Toe
Ailments. The common causes are listed below.
Hammer/Claw Toe
Muscle imbalance that causes the ligaments and tendons to
become unnaturally tight.
With a hammer toe, the first toe joint curls downward and
the toe pad rests on the ground. With a claw toe, the tip of
the toe rests on the ground.
Conditions such as Diabetes, Arthritis or chronic
inflammation
May be associated with neurological conditions such as
Cerebral Palsy or Muscular Dystrophy
Poorly fitting and constricting footwear
Abnormally long toes
Ingrown Toenails
Tight shoes can cause excessive pressure on the nail bed
People who have Arthritis or other conditions where the toes
are susceptible to ingrown toe nails
Trauma to the toe from pounding while running, stubbing the
toe or having the toe stepped on
Prevention & Treatment
Check with your health care provider (family doctor or
Podiatrist) to find the best solution for you.
You can reduce the risk by following these simple guidelines:
Hammer/Claw Toe
Avoid high heels
Wear shoes with roomy toe box
Perform foot muscle stretch and strengthening exercises
Place metatarsal pads behind toes to reduce pressure
Surgery if more conservative measures dont significantly
reduce pain
Ingrown Toenails
To prevent future ingrown toenails, cut nails straight
across so the toenail corners are visible
Soak feet in warm salty water, dry, apply antiseptic and
bandage the toe
Consult your health care provider if toe becomes infected
(red, warm, yellowish drainage)
These Toe Ailments are common and can usually be associated
with improperly-fitted footwear. Please contact your local
Birkenstock retailer about their healthy footwear
recommendations. Birkenstock has many products that can help
with Hammer Toe, Claw Toe, and Ingrown Toenails. |
