Foot
Concerns
Calluses
& Corns
Another common problem faced my most people is corns
& calluses. Both are thickening of the outer
layer of the skin. Corns are located on top of the
foot or between the toe-joint. Calluses are located
on the bottom of the foot or on the rim of the toe
or heel.
The easiest way available to reduce them is to reduce
the friction. Moleskin patches, soft pads, softer
shoes are also recommended. In extreme cases the
tissue buildup requires a doctor's intervention.
Custom made shoe inserts known as orthoses are also
prescribed to reduce friction and pressure.
Heel pain
Also known as plantarfasciitis, it is a common problem
and most individuals face this problem at least
once in their life time. The main cause of heel
pain is flat foot. While walking if the foot flattens
too much, the ligament fascia overstretches causing
pain and swelling. Fascia is the ligament joining
the heel to the ball of the foot.
On the other hand if the foot flattens too less
the fascia may be pulled too tight causing pain.
Pain is felt in the interiors of the foot where
the heel and the arch meet. Usually painkillers
are sufficient. However, in extreme cases surgically
releasing the fascia may be needed to reduce the
stress. Obesity and overuse of the foot may
cause the tissue to tear or pull away from the bone.
This is very painful and causes inflammation. The
treatment usually involves cortisone, anti-inflammatory
and archtaping. Physical therapy, night splints
and specially designed orthoses may also be used.
Exercises are recommended to stretch the tissue.
Usually 6 or more months are needed to heal the
tissue.
Problems of the Nails
Problems in the nails are another common problems
and proper foot hygiene can help in preventing these
problems. Nails sometimes become curved, infected,
grooved, discolored, pitted etc. Sometimes nails
fall off and a new one may grow in its place. They
are generally caused due to injury, tumors under
the nail, infection, congenital problems, poor foot
hygiene etc. The first line of treatment is to identify
the cause and treat it first before trying to tackle
the nail problem.
Ageing is a major cause for many problems. The nails
become brittle with age and many times narrow ridges
or grooves are formed on the nails. The nails also
become brittle and thick with age.
Ingrown Toe-nails
Almost everybody suffers from ingrown toe-nails
during some or the other time in their life. The
nail corners dig into the tissue of the toes leading
to infection, pus formation and sometimes inflammation
also. This can be treated by antibiotics and by
removing the wedged toe nail by minor surgery. The
surgery is done by giving local anesthesia. The
main causes for ingrown toe nails are activities
like sports, aerobics, work etc.
Ingrown toe nails can be prevented by trimming the
toe nails straight across and longer than the end
of the toes. Rounding off of the corners should
be avoided. Nails should be cut using toenail clippers.
Smoothing the nails using files or emery boards
is beneficial. The most important thing to do is
to wear properly fitting shoes and not short or
narrow shoes. Regularly washing feet especially
between the toes is recommended.
Problems in Children's Feet
The problems in children's feet are very different
compared to that of an adult because the bones of
children's are very flexible and soft. This makes
them very prone to twisting and distortion. The
problems are further compounded as children are
not aware of the problem most of the times. It is
always advisable to take your children for check
ups on regular basis and get confirmed that he is
fit and healthy in every respect.
If you notice problems like knock
knees or abnormal gait etc podiatrists must be consulted
early on as the problems can be treated easily in
childhood. The best exercise recommended by doctors
is walking for children. Walking bare feet in grass
is also advisable as it helps in proper alignment
of the bones in the feet.Self medication should
be avoided for problems and a doctor's advice should
be sought. The medicine course should be completed
as a general practice, always remember that if a
course is not completed the medicine can have adverse
effect on your child's health.
|
 |
