Foot pain is a common complaint among athletes, dancers, drummers and in fact, anyone that walks, runs, jumps or repetitively uses their feet. Foot pain can occur from over use of the feet, from traumatic injury, from chronic metabolic disease or from acute inflammatory conditions. Regardless of the cause, foot pain can be extremely painful as well as debilitating.
People regardless of their occupation who are overweight or have diabetes, gout, or arthritis are at risk for foot pain. Foot pain can also result from injuries, such as sprains and fractures, and other structural abnormalities in the feet.
The foot can be divided into three anatomic areas: the forefoot, the midfoot and the hind foot. Each area of the foot can be associated with a variety of different problems. Pain originating in the forefoot, including toe pain and pain from the ball of foot, is commonly associated with blister formation, bone bruises, bruised, sprained, or broken toes, bunions, calluses, corns, hammertoes, claw toes, ingrown toenails, gout and nerve injuries such as Morton’s neuromas. Pain in the midfoot, including pain occurring in the arch, bottom and in the top of foot are commonly associated with structural abnormalities, such as flat feet with or without excessive pronation or feet with high arches. Walking or gait abnormalities (unusual and uncontrollable walking patterns, plantar fasciitis (an inflammation of the fibrous connective tissue on the sole of the foot), plantar warts, and tarsal tunnel syndrome (nerve compression) commonly cause pain on the sole of the foot. Pain originating from the hindfoot, includes heel pain and ankle pain. Achilles tendonitis, ankle injuries such as ligament sprains and fractures, bony growths at the back of the heel occurring when shoes repeatedly aggravate tissue and underlying bone know as Haglund’s deformity, heel spurs (bony growths on the bottom of the foot), and stress fractures (incomplete stress related injury to the outer shell of the bone) are common causes of hindfoot pain.
Foot pain can occur in the toes, the ball of the foot, the heel, the arch, the instep, the sole (bottom of the foot), the top of the foot, or the ankle. The onset of pain may be sudden, or may develop slowly over time. Foot pain can vary from a mild ache, to a severe stabbing, throbbing, and burning pain. Bruising, redness, swelling, numbness and tingling may accompany foot pain with various foot maladies.
It is extremely important that we recognize problems that may be occurring in out feet. Early recognition, diagnosis and appropriate treatment of foot pain can prevent the potential long standing and debilitating foot injuries from worsening.
My next few articles will explore some of the common foot injuries that I have treated in drummers including plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, ingrown toe nails, bunions, blisters, gout, achilles tendonitis and stress fractures.