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Not really happy feet
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Health Why do many women suffer from aching feet?
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Shanthini hates the mornings. Every day, for the past few months, she has severe pain when she gets out of bed and her feet touch the ground. She has to hobble around for a few minutes before the pain becomes bearable. Shanthini is not alone. Many women develop aching feet as they grow older. Women’s unforgiving footwear fashions may contribute quite a bit to painful feet.
The foundation for the body
Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. With 28 bones and 35 joints, the foot is a marvellous piece of anatomy. It is designed to support the tremendous impact and absorb the shock of every footstep we take. For years, we walk and run on it and constantly put pressure on it. As women grow older or become overweight, they tend to develop pain in their feet. Many muscles, ligaments and tendons surround the bones of the foot. Ligaments are strong connective tissues that join bones. Muscles help the foot move and provide padding. Causes of foot pain
Pain can affect any part of the foot, including the ankle, heel, sole, arch and toes. The cause of foot pain can be a local one or a result of another disease. For example, diabetes can result in damaged, painful feet. Gout can present as swelling and inflammation of the big toe.
Ill-fitting shoes are the prime causes of painful feet. They can result in a callus which is an area of hard skin that forms on the foot from excess pressure. Similarly, a corn is an area of hard skin that forms on the toes.
A bunion occurs when compression forces the big toe joint to enlarge and turns the big toe toward the other toes. A painful, reddened area forms near the joint. Bunions can be caused by tight or high-heeled shoes that compress the toes. Flat feet may contribute to bunions. Hammertoe occurs when compression forces the lesser toes to bend over in a claw shape, shortening their tendons. They are usually caused by shoes that compress the toes. Conditions that affect the muscles and nerves, such as diabetes and arthritis, may contribute to the development of hammertoe.
Metatarsalgia is pain in the ball of the foot, which may be caused by bunions, hammertoes, poorly fitting shoes or high-impact athletics such as running.
Plantar warts grow from a virus on the sole (plantar surface) of the foot. Unlike a wart on a finger will grow outward, plantar warts grow inward because of the pressure of standing. They can become intensely painful and may spread to form other warts.
Trauma to the feet and ankles include breaks or stress fractures of the bones, joint dislocations, and strains and tears of the ligaments and tendons. The most common tendon injury in the foot is to the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel. Although most of the tendon is in the calf and ankle, the injury usually causes heel pain. Jumping, running or abrupt movements can strain, tear or even rupture the tendon.
Plantar fasciitis can occur at any age but has a peak incidence in women aged 40-60 years.
It causes stabbing or burning pain which is usually worse in the morning. The heel pain tends to be worse with the first few steps after awakening, when climbing stairs or when standing on tiptoe. Avoid flat, hard slippers. Wearing special shoes or slippers with arch support and getting heel cushions can be helpful. Soaking the feet in warm water and regular massage to stretch the plantar fascia will help relieve the symptoms.
GITA ARJUN
(The author is a obstetrician and gynaecologist with a special interest in women’s health issues.)
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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