Posts Tagged: foot pain
Consumer’s Prefer Birkenstock For Comfort And Health.
Women and men unknowingly on a daily basis place a lot of wear on their feet. This is an important idea when you consider the feet holds up the complete human body. Feet are why we can, run, walk, swim, stand and dance. We take our feet for granted. Some feel fashion footwear needs to share in some of the blame, because this type of shoe is not always anatomically right. Plenty pairs of women’s fashionable dress shoes are made with the pointy kind of toes that limit movement, along with heels that are high and force a person’s weight right onto the ball of the person’s foot. Men’s shoes have issues too. Men are also prone to foot issues because of wearing a variety of footwear. Women and men both buy orthotics trying to correct what footwear cannot. Podiatrists usually suggest that their patients buy and wear sandals and shoes made by Birkenstock for health and comfort.
The first footbed was made of latex and shock-absorbing cork. This German shoemaker made it. The design of the insole is made to the shape to the person’s foot, and over time, it molds to the person’s actual foot shape. All of these shoes and sandals offer some good arch support more so than other footwear. There are numerous designs that feature footbeds that can be removed, which prolongs the lifespan of the footwear. The concept behind this favorite sandal began with the idea that shoes needed to match the foot’s shape. Even though this sounds rather simplistic, most of the footwear does not use this idea.
Arthritis sufferers, diabetics, and those that have other problems with their feet have had plenty of success using this brand of footwear. Many footwear lines are open-toed with adjustable straps with buckles for the best comfort. The closed-toed variety provides room for the ball to toe areas. Clogs with open-back s and standard yet familiar full size shoes are available from this shoemaker as well. Birkenstocks have passed the test of time for sturdiness, support, and comfort. They are definitely worth the cost.
To see the full line and the latest styles visit Birkenstock Happy Feet
Six Foot Conditions You Need to Know About
Before shoes were invented and became widely used, it was estimated that 80.4% of all human diseases were acquired through the feet. In fact, it was thought that all human illness would be eliminated would be eliminated by just wearing shoes. On the contrary, wearing poorly fitting footwear is not helpful either. As much as a shoe provides comfort and warmth to its wearer; it provides the same conditions to microorganisms. Moreover, poorly fitting shoes cause mechanical damage to the feet. Below are some of the foot conditions that result from poor choice of shoes.
Arch pain also known arch strain is as a result of inflammation. This causes a burning sensation to the feet that is painful and makes walking difficult. Arch strain is caused by unexpected shock on the feet and is evidence that a shoe is not properly balancing the foot. Wearing shoes with proper shock absorbing capabilities is its best remedy.
The big toe has a joint that makes it move easily inside the shoe. However, this movement is at times limited by tightly fitting shoes which exert excess pressure on it, such that is bends in one direction. Naturally, it bends away from the source of pressure. The pressure, additionally, results in a bump being formed due to toe-tissue being pushed to one direction. After many years of extra pressure on the toe, bunions result. Bunions that affect the toe-bone are particularly painful.
If the foot is put under excess stress for along time, the skin at that point reacts by increasing its growth. Consequently, a layer of dense skin cells (Corn) is formed at that point to shield the foot from pressure. Corns result from poorly fitting shoes especially those that fit tightly. Strangely, corns may not be painful when the foot is inside the shoe; however, they’re painful when the shoe is removed.
Like the corns, callus is a dense layer of dead skin that results from excess stress. However, callus is generally used to refer to dead skin forming on the heel or big toe. Additionally, most feet conditions are more likely to result in feet retaining moisture after bathing. This moisture, plus the warmth provided by the shoe may result in bacterial, viral, or fungal that are not only harder to treat, but also painful. Other foot conditions such as heel and forefoot pain are caused by the shoes not absorbing pressure well enough.
Statistics show that about 89.56% of all shoes worn in the world are not properly fitting. Out of these, 90% result in foot conditions that though extremely uncomfortable, may go unnoticed due to lack of awareness. Therefore, it is recommended that to treat and avoid the above conditions, wearing properly fitting shoes is paramount. Furthermore, you need not lose your stylishness by wearing perfectly fitting podiatric shoes; they nowadays in different styles and designs. It is also advisable to buy these shoes from shops that specialize in healthy footwear. Online shops will enable you to view a variety of brands, styles and colors before you buy them.
Foot Conditions Caused By Wearing The Wrong Footwear
Introduction to foot conditions
Foot conditions refer to problems on any part of the foot caused by natural defects, over exercise, diseases and or wrong footwear. Feet, like any other body organs, need to be taken care of; otherwise foot problems might develop or get accelerated. Most foot conditions may not be a nuisance, but others can be extremely painful and or hamper day to day movement; not to mention can affect other body parts due to distorted walking style. Foot problems can affect toe joints, foot skin, arch, nails, heel bone and tendons in the foot. Bunions, Morton’s Neuroma, hammer toe, fallen arches or flatfoot, Plantar Fasciitis, cones, Metatarsalgia, gout, spurs, fungal nail infection, ingrown toes and athlete’s foot comprise common foot problems.
Causes of foot problems
Some foot conditions may be inherent (such as bunions and hammer toes) while others may result from diseases (such as warts caused by viruses and foot problems caused by arthritis), extreme exercise of the foot or wrong footwear. Athletes have higher chances of suffering from Metatarsalgia and Plantar Fasciitis than regular people, due to the high foot activity. People who stand for long duration, wear high heels and or shoes that do not give their feet adequate room for movement or shock absorbing, suffer cones, Morton’s Neuroma, bunions and flatfoot among others.
High heels and other wrong footwear
High heels have gained an important place in contributing to foot problems.
This is because, in addition to the shoe height causing the heel to carry much of the body’s weight, which strains and or makes tendons tear and get inflamed, the shoes come in extremely narrow and narrow-toed shapes that compress the feet; preventing free movements of the foot. A compressed foot suffers more trauma than a freer one, if and when a person experiences a foot injury and the skin, ligaments, bones, nerves and blood capillaries become torn, compressed and even inflamed. Other wrong footwear, including flat rigid shoes, closed narrow shoes and shoes without ample shock absorbers, causes the foot to bear all the weight of a person or incident while shoes that lack ample space for the foot to wriggle freely hurt the foot skin and compresses the bones/ nerves.
Metatarsalgia
This foot condition exhibits in the form of pain at the ball of the foot. The condition occurs when extreme pressure gets exerted on the ball of the foot (the area between the toes and foot instep, which comes into contact with the ground). The condition, mostly, occurs after long periods of standing, overusing that foot part and or wearing shoes that do not protect the foot from hard surfaces contacts. While this condition poses no major threat, the pain can be demobilizing. Relief from the pain and long term treatment can be achieved through icing the hurting part, wearing low, comfortable shoes, using floor mats and or taking ample rest to heal it.
Bunions
Wrong footwear has its fair share of foot problems.Some people choose to wear extremely narrow shoes in the hope of narrowing the feet they consider wide.
This mechanism works by keeping the foot muscles and bones constantly pressed. The downside of this is that bones, especially the big and small toe, get pressed together with others, and this may cause their permanent, yet painful, diversion. The areas of the bends may become inflamed, due to strained nerves and ligaments, while the skin in contact with the shoes experiences excruciating pain. Treatment for this condition can be obtained by wearing flat shoes with ample space for the foot to breathe and move, taking antibiotics for the inflammation and or having surgery to correct the diverted bones.
Plantar Fasciitis
This foot problem refers to an injury of the plantar fascia, the tissue that binds the toes to the heel bone. Extreme pressure on the foot may cause these thick tissues to tear and get inflamed. This problem, mostly, exhibits in the form of sharp pain in the heel; that shoots up during the first steps after a long rest. The knee, back and hip may get affected by the plantar fasciitis as the heel pain might cause a person to change his/ her walking style to avoid the pain.
Hammer toe
While this foot condition, mostly, passes down generational lines, tight footwear can contribute to it. Hammer toe refers to a condition where the toes’ muscles become shorter, causing the first joint of the toe to sink and the toe bone to get raised. The raised toe joint, initially becomes painful, but after some time of getting pressed by the shoes, hardens. To avoid this condition, people should avoid wearing tight shoes as this presses the toes backwards, but if the condition is inherent or advanced, surgery can correct it.
Fallen arch
Normally the foot of an adult human being is not flat. The toes, the ball of the foot and the heel make contact with the ground while the arch (between the heel and ball of the foot) is slightly raised. Flatfooted people have their arches collapsed, an indication of torn/ stretched tendons due to over-activity of the foot, rheumatoid arthritis, extreme body weight exerted on the foot and or wrong wear, which inflicts immense pain on the foot and causes the foot to tire easily.
Morton’s Neuroma
This condition occurs when one or some of the nerves, leading to the toes, thicken. The thickened nerves, usually between the 3rd and 4th toe or 2nd and 3rd toe may get inflamed; causing pain in the ball of the foot, where the nerve is, and or numbness in the toes served by that nerve. High heels and sharp-toed shoes have received much blame for this condition as they press the toes and foot tight; preventing adequate blood circulation and sensitivity.
Conclusion
Many foot conditions can be avoided if only people took proper care of their feet; starting with wearing the right footwear. Common foot problems such as Metatarsalgia, Plantar Fasciitis, Morton’s Neuroma, hammer toe, fallen arch, bunions and cones, among others, can be prevented and or corrected through wearing comfortable height and wide shoes that take the body’s pressure off some parts of the foot, and also allow free movement of the foot inside the shoe. Podiatrists recommend foot rest, comfortable footwear, drugs and sometimes surgery to correct some of the advanced foot conditions.
Image Attribution: BruceBlaus