Easy Tips In Managing Chronic Foot Pain.

Foot pain should not be a part of your daily life. There are ways to manage chronic foot pain without the need of drastic surgery.

Two common causes of chronic foot pain are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. 

Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the plantar fascia gets inflamed causing lower foot pain. The plantar fascia is a strong fibrous tissue located underneath the foot. It attaches the calcaneus bone or heel bone to the heads of the metatarsal bones. 

Plantar fasciitis is common among the elderly since the plantar fascia is commonly used and prone to wear and tear. This condition is also common among athletes like runners, basketball players, those who play football, or any sport that involves the foot. 

Achilles tendinitis on the other hand involves the back of the foot. This affects the Achilles tendon, a strong tendon that attaches behind the heel bone to the muscles above (gastrocnemius and soleus). Injury to the Achilles tendon is similar to plantar fascia: wear and tear due to old age and sports.

Fortunately, both conditions can easily be managed using the RICE method.

Rest – this is very important when managing chronic foot pain. The pain coming from plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis are due to micro injuries. Allowing the foot to rest allows the body to heal these injuries.

Ice – applying cold stimuli to the affected foot is a good way to alleviate pain and swelling. 

Compress – compressing the foot with an elastic bandage helps prevent further swelling. Also it helps immobilize the foot, which is very important for the healing process.

Elevate – In some cases, the foot becomes really swollen because of gravity pulling fluid to the foot. Elevating the foot above the heart prevents this, allowing the fluids to flow back into the circulatory system and relieving the foot from pressure and pain.

Common Cause Of Foot Pain

Our feet are probably the most abused parts of the body. We use our feet the moment we get out of bed, it bears the weight of the whole body and imagine the tremendous stress we put on our feet when we run or lift heavy loads.  

It is no wonder why we experience foot pain every now and then. But if foot pain does not go away in a few days, you may have a foot condition that’s causing all your pain.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the common causes of chronic heel pain. The plantar fascia is a very strong connective tissue that attaches to the calcaneous bone or heel bone to the metatarsal bones, and is responsible for maintaining the arch of the foot. Usually, the plantar fascia gets micro injuries when using the wrong footwear, lifting heavy weights, sports and due to old age.

Another common cause of foot pain is Achilles tendinitis. The Achilles tendon is also a very strong ligament, just like the plantar fascia. This time, the Achilles tendon is found behind the foot, and it attaches behind the heel bone to the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles above. Just like the plantar fascia, the Achilles tendon can also suffer from micro injuries which causes a lot of pain.

One way to manage foot pain is to do the RICE method. 

Rest. Allowing the foot to rest is very important to stop further injuries to the plantar fascia or Achilles tendon. This will allow the micro injuries to heal.

Ice. Applying cold stimuli to the foot can relieve pain and inflammation. Do this in 2-3 minute intervals, too much isn’t good too, because it can actually aggravate the pain.

Compression. Wrapping the affected foot with an elastic bandage is a good way reduce swelling, it is also good in immobilizing the foot. Remember not to wrap the bandage too tight.

Elevate. Elevating the foot above the heart is an excellent way to alleviate swelling of the foot. This prevents any “pooling” on the affected foot.

Treat Peripheral Neuropathy With Thiamine

Neuropathy or peripheral neuropathy is a medical term signifying damage to the peripheral nervous system. Patients with this type of disease experience pain, numbness, or weakness of the hands and feet. Pain is usually referred to as a tingling or burning sensation, while numbness is described as wearing of a glove.

There are several causes that can damage the peripheral nerves like an infection, direct physical injury to the nerve or trauma, toxins and metabolic problems, but the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.

The nervous system is composed of two parts. The central nervous system, which is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the rest of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are the peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerve damage affects the nerves that receive feelings like pain, heat or touch. It also affects the nerves that are responsible for muscle movement causing muscle weakness.

Typically, the first nerves affected by peripheral neuropathy are the long nerves, a good example are the nerves going to the tip of the toes. Symptoms differ depending on which type of nerves are affected. The signs and symptoms are: Slow onset of tingling and numbness of the feet or hands, burning pain, sharp jabbing pain, sensitivity to touch, lack of coordination and weakness or paralysis of the foot or arm. 

With the right neuropathy supplement, peripheral neuropathy can be treated and the symptoms can improve with time, especially if the underlying condition is treatable. Usually, a patient can improve his or her neurologic function with thiamine intake.

Thiamine or vitamin B1 is part of the B-complex water soluble vitamins. Thiamine has numerous roles in the body. It helps carry electrolytes to travel in and out of the muscle and nervous cells, ensuring proper functioning of the muscles and nervous system. So it is important to take thiamine daily to counter the effects of peripheral neuropathy.

 

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Our nervous system comprises a complex network of nerves fibers that sends out and receives signals from other structures of the body. This signal exchange is vital for regulatory, defense and overall homeostasis of the body.

The nervous system is generally composed of two major parts: The central nervous system which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system which involves any nerves outside the central nervous system.

The central nervous system functions as the main processor of the whole nervous system and controls all bodily functions. The peripheral nerves on the other hand have two segments. One segment sends out nerve signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, organs and other bodily structures. The other segment sends back signals from the joints, skin and other organs back to the central nervous system. 

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder of peripheral nerves and does not involve the spinal cord and brain. There are several causes that can damage the peripheral nerves like cancer, vitamin deficiency,  alchololism and many more.

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy is a major concern because it mainly involves legs and feet. 50% of all foot amputations are due to this condition.

How does diabetic neuropathy occur?

Our nerves and blood vessels work hand in hand to function properly. The blood vessels supply nourishment to the nerves and the nerves give out signals to the brain whether to increase or decrease blood flow to a certain area of the body. In diabetes mellitus, the blood vessels especially the small distal blood vessels get obstructed, minimizing blood flow, this is called microvasculinization. This causes the nerves to malfunction and fail to send important sensory messages to the brain.

Of all the structures of the body, the foot is most prone to this condition because it is most distal to the heart. Decreased sensory function on the foot is dangerous and can be fatal if not treated properly.

First of all, small cuts or blisters could not be felt by a patient with neuropathy of the foot. Since there is minimal blood supply to the foot, there is delayed would healing. This will cause opportunistic bacterium that normally live on the skin to flourish and can infect the wound without the patient knowing it. And since diabetics have high sugar content in the blood, this is a perfect medium for bacterial growth and can lead to septicemia. Septicemia is a life threatening condition where a bacterium are able to penetrate and live within the circulatory system, overwhelming the body’s immune system.

Plantar Fasciitis One Of The Leading Causes Of Heel Pain

It is pretty common for adults to experience some kind of foot problem, especially on the heel area. Heel pain is one of the common foot problems of adults. This occurs because of the natural wear and tear of the foot. Sadly, daily exercise and activities that are supposed to be good for your health, can be stressful for the foot.

The calcaneus bone or commonly called the heel bone is largest the largest bone of the foot. This large bone is the first structure of the foot that hits the ground when walking or running. Under the foot, there is a very important structure called the plantar fascia. This is a very strong and tough connective tissue, it attaches to the calcaneus bone to the balls of the foot and it keeps the arch of the foot intact. Because of this the plantar fascia is under constant stress especially when carrying heavy objects. Due to the attachment of the plantar fascia below the heel bone, this area can be a source of irritation.

When these structure gets excessively stretched, this puts a lot of stress on the fascia and causes irritation making the heel area inflamed. This is called plantar fascia and this condition is probably the most common cause of heel pain. People who are into sports like runners, sprinters, football, basketball players are prone to develop plantar fasciitis. This occurs because of abrupt force delivered to the foot and irritating the plantar fascia. Certain conditions that can lead to plantar fasciitis are being overweight, having diabetes, or wearing tight or wrong footwear.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis are heel pain on the first steps after getting out of bed in the morning or stepping out of a car. Pain gradually deceases after a few steps but pain could heighten up again during the day especially on long standing or climbing up the stairs.

A thorough physical exam and past medical history is expected for a podiatrist to properly diagnose foot pain due to plantar fasciitis. There are different causes of foot pain that can show similar symptoms of plantar fasciitis. A correct diagnosis is the key to proper treatment.

There are several approaches in treating heel pain and the goal is to relieve the forces that are causing the plantar fascia to be stretched excessively. At home, there are easy ways to relieve foot pain. Resting the foot is an effective way to stop the pain. If the foot is allowed to rest long enough, this can encourage healing of the plantar fascia. Ice packs or cold compress provide quick relief of pain and swelling. If pain still persists after these basic treatments, then a podiatrist is needed.