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The foot is an intricate structure of 24 bones that
form two crossing arches of the foot.
The longitudinal arch runs the length of the foot,
and the transverse arch runs the width. The ankle joint
is formed by the interaction of the foot and the lower
leg, and the toes are on the far side of the foot. The
bones of the foot are primarily held together by their
fit with each other and connected by a fibrous tissue
known as ligaments. The muscles of the foot, along with
a tough, sinewy tissue known as the plantar fascia,
provide secondary support to the foot. The foot has
internal muscles that originate and insert in the foot
and external muscles that begin in the lower leg and
attach in various places on the bones of the foot. There
are also fat pads in the foot to help with
weight-bearing and absorbing impact.
The foot is the foundation of athletic movements of
the lower extremity. Pain indicates that there is
something wrong with either the interaction of internal
structures of the foot or with the how the foot is
interacting with external influences. How and when the
pain occurs and the locations of the pain are the
primary clues to what may be causing the pain. When
there is pain, the body reacts by changing the way it
moves or functions in an effort to reduce the pain.
Biomechanical changes or disease may prevent the normal
movement and cause further injury.
Foot pain or numbness may be caused by many different
conditions or injuries. Many of which can be helped at
Connecticut Family Chiropractic. Acute or repeated
trauma, disease, or a combination are the most common
causes of foot pain. Trauma is a result of forces
outside of the body either directly impacting the body
or forcing the body into a position where a single or
combination of forces result in damage to the structures
of the body. Poor biomechanical alignment may lead to
foot pain. Wearing shoes that are too tight or high
heels can cause pain around the balls of the feet and
the bones in that area. Shoes that are tied too tightly
may cause pain and bruising on the top of the foot.
Injuries such as ligament sprains, muscle strains,
bruises, and fractures typically occur suddenly
(acutely). Sprains, strains, bruises, and fractures may
be the result of a single or combination of stresses to
the foot. A sprain of the foot or ankle occurs when
ligaments that hold the bones together are overstretched
and their fibers tear. The looseness of ligaments in the
joints of the foot may lead to foot pain.
The muscle's bursa and fascia of the foot can be
strained by overstretching, overuse, overloading,
bruising, or a cut (such as by stepping on a sharp
object). Achilles tendonitis is a common injury of the
tendon that attaches at the back of the heel.
Injury to the bones and joints of the foot can be
caused by a single blow or twist to the foot, or also by
repetitive trauma that can result in a stress fracture.
A blunt-force injury such as someone stepping on your
foot may result not only in a bruise (contusion) injury
but also damage to the muscles and ligaments of the
foot. Direct blows to the foot can cause bruising,
breaking of the skin, or even fracturing of bones.
Metarsalgia is the irritation of the joints of the ball
of the foot. "Turf toe" is a common athletic injury in
which the tendon under the joint at the base of the big
toe is strained. Trauma to the toenail can cause pooling
of blood under the nail and the temporary or permanent
loss of a toenail. Repetitive trauma to the bones,
muscles, and ligaments can result in extra bone growth
known as spurs or exostosis.
Injuries to both the skin covering and the internal
structures may also be caused by multiple small
repetitive traumas. Micro-trauma injuries can be caused
by running on uneven surfaces, surfaces that are too
hard or too soft, or shoes that have poor
force-absorption qualities or fit incorrectly. Repeated
overstressing of the same structure of the foot may
cause stress fractures, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis
(heel spurs), and acute and chronic osteoarthritis.
Foot pain may also be caused by Tarsal Tunnel
Syndrome. Tarsal tunnel syndrome results from
compression of a nerve that runs through a narrow
passage behind the inner ankle bone down to the heel. It
can cause pain anywhere along the bottom of the foot.
The doctoc's at Connecticut Family Chiropractic have
special adjustment techniques for all kinds of foot
conditions.
The arches of the feet absorb and return force to and
from the body to the outside world when we are standing
on our feet. Injury to the plantar fascia is a common
cause of arch pain. The plantar fascia is a tough
fibrous sheath that extends the length of the bottom of
the foot and lends support to the arch. When the plantar
fascia is damaged, the resulting inflammatory response
may become a source of arch pain. High and low arches
(flat feet) may cause pain because of strain to the
feet.
Footwear can be a contributor to foot pain. Poor
fitting shoes in the short term can cause blisters,
calluses, bruising and be a source of athlete's foot.
The long-term effects may be bunions, corns, irritation
of nerves and joints, misalignment of the toes, and the
source of microtrauma injuries to the foot.
As in all conditions the first step in treating
foot pain is to determine the cause of the pain.
Mobilizing the metatarsals, adjusting the toes, and deep
stretching and soft tissue therapy of the muscles
between and under the metatarsals is extremely
effective. Ultrasound, therapeutic exercises as well as
chryotherapy may be indicated.
Checking for fixations in other parts of the foot
are important. They can be adjusted with the help of a
Thulitables drop board. Shoe inserts may be very
helpful, particularly if pronation of the foot exists.
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