Category: Resources
Dec
09

Metatarsalgia: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Your heels aren’t the only part of your feet that take a beating every time you walk, jog, run, jump, or engage in other high-impact activities. The balls of your feet do just as much work as your heel and hit the ground just as hard. And just as overuse can lead to heel pain and other issues, it can also cause pain, inflammation, and sensitivity in the balls of the feet. This common condition, called metatarsalgia, is particularly prevalent in athletes but can affect anyone who spends any significant amount of time on their feet.

Symptoms of Metatarsalgia

As the name of the condition implies, metatarsalgia most commonly manifests itself as pain and swelling at the end of one or several metatarsal bones which connect your toes to the rest of your foot. Typically, the pain and discomfort become more intense over time and are most acute when standing, walking, running, especially on hard, unforgiving surfaces. Sometimes, the pain may be shooting and sharp, while other individuals suffering from metatarsalgia may experience numbness or a tingling feeling in their toes.

Causes of Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia can develop for any number of reasons, but it is most often associated with intense physical training and high-impact activities and sports. Other causes include:

  • Prominent metatarsal heads
  • Tight toe extensors
  • Weak toe flexors
  • Obesity
  • Hammertoe deformity
  • Hypermobile first foot bone
  • Tight Achilles tendon
  • Poorly fitting footwear that doesn’t provide enough support and padding or have a narrow toe-box
  • Stress fractures
  • Morton’s neuroma, noncancerous growth of fibrous tissue around a nerve that usually develops between the heads of the third and fourth metatarsal

Diagnosis and Treatment

The good news is that metatarsalgia can usually be treated simply without the need for surgery. Once your podiatrist has examined you, including x-rays if needed, and determined that this condition is the cause of your pain and discomfort, the answer may be as easy as resting, icing, or changing footwear. Your podiatrist may recommend metatarsal pads and other custom orthotic devices, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen or aspirin can help relieve pain and reduce swelling

Foot Pain Slowing You Down? Call Us Today!

If you are dealing with pain, swelling, or other issues with your feet, the experienced and caring podiatrists at JAWSpodiatry can help. Located in Hollywood, Florida, we employ the most advanced and non-invasive techniques to reduce foot and ankle pain and speed recovery. Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Nov
25

Achilles Tendon Pain: Causes, Treatments & Prevention

Achilles Tendon Pain: Causes, Treatments & Prevention

With every step you take, your Achilles tendon takes a beating. If you’re a runner or walk a lot, in particular, all of the weight and force of your body that keeps coming down on your Achilles can add up. Damage to the Achilles tendon from overuse and strain can lead to excruciating and debilitating pain and significantly impact your quality of life. Fortunately, this condition, called Achilles tendonitis, can be treated effectively and there are things you can do to minimize the pain and discomfort it causes

Achilles Tendonitis: The Cause of Your Pain

The largest tendon in the body, your Achilles tendon connects the back of your lower calf muscles to your foot along the back side of your ankle and provides the needed power to push off when you run or walk.

People who develop Achilles tendonitis, also called Achilles tendinothapy, usually do so because of overuse and a corresponding failure to give the tendon much needed time to recover after all the strain it experiences. Other factors that can exacerbate the condition include poorly fitting footwear, soft running surfaces, or running or walking uphill for extended periods.

Achilles tendon damage is also associated with poor range of motion in the ankles, excessive pronation, and weak calf muscles. And, as with so many other conditions, we become much more prone to damaging the fibers in the tendon as we get older.

Symptoms of Achilles Tendonitis

Common Achilles tendonitis symptoms include:

  • Pain and stiffness in the tendon when you wake up
  • Pain and discomfort along the tendon or back of the heel that gets more intense with continuing activity
  • Severe tendon pain on the day after you exercise strenuously
  • Thickening of the tendon
  • Bone spurs (insertional tendinitis)
  • Pervasive swelling that gets worse throughout the day with activity

Treating Achilles Tendonitis

Fortunately, most cases of Achilles tendonitis can be treated simply and effectively. To reduce swelling and pain and help your tendons recover from trauma and overuse, consider these useful tips from RunnersConnect magazine:

  • Eccentric heel drops
  • Ice your tendons after each time you run
  • Heat your tendons with warm water or a heating pack before each run
  • Contrast bath during the day – take two small buckets/trash cans and fill one with hot (hot bath temp) water and the other with ice water (cold enough so some ice still doesn’t melt) and put your whole leg (up to the calf) in the cold. Hold for 5 minutes and then switch to the hot for 5 minutes. Repeat 2 or 3 times, ending with cold. This helps rush blood in and out of the area, which facilitates healing
  • Avoid anti-inflammatory medications like Advil or ibuprofen
  • Avoid excessive stretching – only very light, easy stretching until healed
  • Massage your calves with a foam roller
  • Switch to more supportive or traditional running shoes (higher heels) during your runs and while walking around until your pain is completely gone, and avoid flats and high heels
  • Perform ankle strengthening and mobility exercises.

More severe and acute Achilles injuries may require professional treatment. Your podiatrist may recommend prescription steroid injections such as cortisone, and if your pain persists for more than six months after exhausting all non-surgical options, exercises, surgery may be the best option to fully repair the tendon.

Achilles Tendon Pain? Call Us Today!

If you are dealing with pain, swelling, or other issues with your Achilles tendon, the experienced and caring podiatrists at JAWSpodiatry can help. Located in Hollywood, Florida, we employ the most advanced and non-invasive techniques to reduce foot and ankle pain and speed recovery. Please call us today at (954) 922-7333 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Questions? Contact our office today: (954) 922-7333