Foot Pain
Foot Pain in Laguna Hills, CA
From daily activities, workouts to running errands, we put our feet through a lot. So when we experience foot pain it can often feel like everything around you has stopped. Foot pain is a telling sign that something isn’t right, and if the pain is severe enough to keep you from your daily activities, then it’s time to visit us, as the foot and ankle doctors, to seek the proper treatment and put your foot health first.
Foot Pain Causes
Foot pain is a common symptom, and where the pain originates will help us determine its cause. The most common include, but not limited to:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Heel spurs
- Fractures
- Morton’s neuroma
- Arthritis
- Ingrown toenails
- Bunions
- Flat feet
- Fallen arches
The best way to determine the cause of your pain is to see us for a proper evaluation. Through assessing both your symptoms and medical history, we can often determine the root problem and begin a proper treatment plan right away.
Flat Feet and Fallen Arches
While we might not give much thought to the shape of our feet, many people are dealing with flat feet, or fallen arches. When someone has little to no arch in their feet they are considered to have flat feet. While some people with flat feet will never even notice that they have it or experience issues, other people may deal with recurring foot pain, shin splints and other problems.
Treatment for Flat Feet
When you come into our Laguna Hills, CA, practice, we will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your feet and ankles to determine if you are dealing with flat feet or if there is another condition or problem at play. If we do diagnose you with flat feet there are several strategies that we will implement including,
- Shoe recommendations
- Orthotics (shoe inserts)
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Physical therapy
- Icing
A simple heel cord stretch, which we can show you in our office, can also help alleviate any soreness, achiness or tightness in the feet. Rest will also go a long way to reducing pain caused by flat feet. Of course, you should always consult our podiatric team before you start treating a foot problem on your own. We can help you find more effective solutions to prevent painful flat feet.
Foot Pain Treatment for Other Conditions
While your treatment will differ depending on your diagnosis, there are many conservative treatment options that can be used to treat several conditions. A lot of these are measures you can perform at-home to reduce your pain, swelling and discomfort. We will recommend icing the injured or pained area throughout the day to reduce swelling. During this time you can also opt for over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen to help alleviate both pain and swelling. For those with more severe pain, we may need to prescribe a stronger pain medication.
For some patients, custom-made orthotics will help provide the stability and range-of-motion necessary to walk and move around comfortably while also taking unnecessary pressure off sensitive areas of the foot. We are happy to discuss whether custom-made orthotics could help improve your foot health.
We will also promote the importance of rest. Resting gives your foot a chance to relax and heal itself. Take time to stay off your foot, unless otherwise necessary, and propping it up when at rest will help keep swelling down.
However, while we believe rest is an important component to healing, we also believe it’s important to stay mobile, which means participating in stretching and strengthening exercises to improve weak muscles and increase flexibility. We will show you a variety of different exercises you can perform daily in the comfort of your own home to improve your symptoms.