Foot Pain
Find the source of your problem fast
Have you ever seriously injured your foot? Maybe you hurt it badly enough that you couldn’t walk on it? Well, if you have, you’ll know how debilitating it is: your entire life changes.
A small injury to your foot is a big problem. Break a tiny metatarsal bone, and you’ll be hobbling around on crutches; injure your Achilles tendon, and you can forget about sports until it’s healed. We rely on our feet to get us around and, when we can’t use them, our world becomes instantly much smaller. Avoiding foot pain is one of the most important things you can do as a person who’s interested in health and fitness. A foot injury will sideline your fitness goals for the next month - at least - and stall the best-laid plans.
So, first rule: don’t get injured. Know the anatomy of your feet, and know the early signs of stress.
Second rule: Know when you are injured, and what the injury is. People who exercise need to develop a sense about good pain and bad pain, and how to tell which is which. Don’t allow rigid adherence to a fitness schedule to push you beyond your body’s limits. Taking an unplanned break to let an ache heal can sometimes be the difference between a quick recovery and a long convalescence.
Doctors, podiatrists and physiotherapists can help. Don’t be shy about making an appointment - you’re not wasting their time. Think about it: if your physician only wanted to deal with people at death’s door, then s/he should have specialized in critical care or emergency room medicine. And what is a physiotherapist for, if not to answer questions from people with concerns about the way their bodies are functioning? Bottom line, the sooner your problem is diagnosed, the sooner you’ll be back at the gym and running around the neighborhood.
Once a diagnosis is made, you need to get treatment. It may be as simple as a course of medication, a foot bath or some strengthening exercises. Or it may be as involved as a cast and months of rehabilitative therapy.
Do what needs to be done. Yes, rehab exercises can sometimes seem tedious, and it’s frustrating for athletes to be confronted with physical limitations, such as a plantar fasciitis injury. But one goal is paramount when you’re in pain and out of action: heal the pain, heal the hurt, and get on with your life. So suck it up, check out the foot pain pages, and be smart: healthy feet are the wheels that will carry you to health excellence.
