Athletes Beware: Overpronation and Arch Pain Cannot Be Ignored
Foot arch pain and overpronation can cause difficulties for persons of any age and can even distress an athlete’s performance on the court, field, or track. Three causes of this type of pain may be surprising to some who aren’t aware of them. Most of the causes are easily averted, however many can be hereditary. According to the Cleveland Clinic, three of the easily averted causes for arch pain include poor selection of shoe style, improper fit, and insufficient arch support . These poor decisions can all bring on painful foot conditions like bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis. The Mayo Clinic reports that 2 of the inherited foot problems that can bring on overpronation and foot arch pain include fallen arches or arches that are markedly high. Here we explain some foot procedures that remedy these conditions and how each of them can be helped.
Serious Foot Issues Can Occur Without Proper arch support
Some of the hereditary foot conditions include either flat arches or excessively high arches. Both arch problems can affect anyone, including athletes. The result of a flat arch can be foot arch pain and overpronation because this flattened part of the foot is not performing as it should. When this foot area fails to support the body’s weight, overpronation occurs which can bring on a heelspur, a bony outgrowth in the heel. Surgery is sometimes needed to remove the bonespur and relieve the dicomfort. The surgeon will use a bone saw to cut away the bony protrusion to relieve the discomfort and ripped muscle tissue it had been causing. The best solution for treating both types of arch disorders so heel spurs can be avertws is by providing the foot with normal arch support through athletic insoles.
When Bunion Removal Procedures are Necessary
Bunion removal, or a bunionectomy, is the process whereby the bony bump just above the arch is detached to attain a more conventional foot shape and width. In critical cases where the big toe has turned under the other toes, the podiatrist cuts a triangle-shaped wedge out of the straight bone in the big toe to reset it to its original state. A tiny screw is used to fasten the two bone portions together. After about half a year, the screw is usually removed. Despite the fact that this condition can happen because of pointed shoes, sometimes people are born with the tendency to form bunions. Podiatrists agree that tight shoes that force the toes into a crowded position can cause bunions.
Without Proper Shoes, Painful Hammertoes Can Occur
Shoes that crowd the foot, including pointed-toe shoes, can result in development of hammertoes. This condition can affect active people that wear snug shoes during training as well. Hammertoes are, unfortunately, difficult to treat without surgical intervention. First, a podiatrist can try to splint the affected toe to try to move it into a more natural placement. However, the patient must use shoes with a wider toe box in order for this method to succeed. Hammertoes can recur if ill-fitting shoes are worn again. If forcing the toe straight with a splint fails, surgery is the lone alternative. The afflicted toe must have a section of the bone taken out to lessen its twist. The recovery period is very important, as patients who do not remain off the affected foot as suggested will fail to mend properly. The prevention for this condition is to wear well-fitted shoes.
No matter what types of activities, age, or inherited traits, foot ailments can occur in a large percentage of people. Though foot procedures can surgically repair these disorders, most of the time they are never an issue if people wear well fitting shoes and proper arch support .
Filed under: plantar fasciitis | Tagged: arch pain, arch support, arch supports, fallen arches, flat feet, flat foot, foot arch pain, foot pain, insoles, orthotic insoles, orthotics, over-pronation, overpronation