How to Fix 7 Types of Foot Arch Pain
How to Fix 7 Types of Foot Arch Pain
When we say foot arch pain, it refers to an inflammation or burning sensation at the arch of the foot. There are multiple factors that can cause arch pain, as well as, there are many types of pain that could be experienced.
Today we’re going to be talking about how to fix foot arch pain. We’re going to cover the seven most common causes of foot arch pain. We will discuss signs and symptoms, and treatment options for each condition.
Plantar Fasciitis
The first possible cause of foot arch pain is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is characterized by pain at the bottom of the foot. Typically, the pain appears around the arch and closer towards the heel. It is really prominent first thing in the morning or after resting for a prolong period. The pain tends to last for approximately 30 minutes or until you get the tissues warmed up by walking.
Treatment options involve soft tissue therapy to move the tissues around at the bottom of the feet. Additionally, Custom Orthotics is highly recommended. Custom orthotics would provide proper support to the arch so that the fascia and the tissues at the bottom of the feet are not overly being stretched.
Moreover, a simple home exercise would involve using a tennis ball to roll at the bottom of the feet. Applying pressure onto the tennis ball is something that will help to massage the tissues at the bottom and potentially helps to loosen them up.
Fat Pad Syndrome
Fat pad syndrome is also known as heel pad syndrome. This is an irritation at the heel of the foot. This condition leads to referral pain to the middle of the foot, which is where the arch is located, or even right to the front of the foot.
The goal when treating fat pad syndrome is to create greater shock absorption. Chiropractors are able to do this with Custom Orthotics. As well, avoiding prolonged standing is very important. If you have a job that requires standing for long periods of time, you want to be able to take breaks every so often by sitting down and taking weight off of your feet.
Something that you could do as well for home remedy is using well cushioned slippers or sandals. This will help you when you’re walking on harder surfaces, making them less irritating for your feet.
Heel Spurs
A heel spur can mimic fat pad syndrome. This is typically diagnosed through an X-ray. An X-ray shows that there is a bony prominence coming off of the heel. This can be very annoying because every time there is pressure on the heel it causes pain and irritation.
Similarly to fat pad syndrome, the focus of the treatment is to create shock absorption at the heel through custom orthotics. Once again, patients with this condition want to avoid prolonged standing, and want to consider proper cushion at the heel when at home.
Furthermore, we can treat this condition with soft tissue therapy at the clinic. Massaging the tissue around the heel spur has been shown to decrease pain when it comes to management of that condition.
Joint Restrictions
The foot is a very complex structure. In fact, one quarter of the body’s bones are in the foot. This makes the foot, and the arch of the foot, very predisposed to become either hyper mobile or highly restricted.
When joints are restricted it can cause irritation, friction, and pain. We want to be able to loosen up those restrictions. Typically, the appropriate treatment for this would be in clinic with a therapy called Extremity Manipulative Therapy (EMT). EMT helps by gapping the joints to allow them to function like they once did, and eventually leading to restoring normal motion within those joints.
Foot Edema
Foot Edema is the accumulation of fluid within the foot, the ankle, and sometimes up to the leg. If you suffer from foot edema, a fantastic product that you want to consider is compression stockings.
Compression socks or stockings work by applying a medical grade compression to the legs. This prevents the ability for fluid to accumulate in the foot, the ankle, and the legs. It helps to promote blood circulation and overall wellbeing. Another treatment option available is foot, ankle and leg massage.
Flat Feet
A flat foot by itself is something that causes foot arch pain simply because of the contact of the arch to the ground. Just like in plantar fasciitis, custom orthotics should be considered, as they would be able to support the arch so that the arch does not come in contact with the ground.
Another form of therapy that can be considered is hands-on muscle release therapy and soft tissue therapy, and sometimes when there is pain, acupuncture has been shown to be effective as well.
Muscle Strain
Lastly, another possible condition that could cause foot arch pain is a muscle strain. A muscle strain can be developed from overuse, repetitive motion, or an impulse movement that causes a certain amount of force to go through certain muscle tissues.
What we want to consider in a situation is a form of therapy that will help to release the tension within the muscle fibers and of course take off that strain from that particular muscle. Treatments that involve muscle release, stretching therapy, and deep tissue massage are ideal for muscle strains.
As you can see, foot arch pain is not that simple. Causes range from structural problems to muscle strains. However, these are just a few of the most common causes and treatment options. This it is important to properly get assessed so that we could accurately diagnose you and determine a treatment program that works best for you.
If you have any questions or would like to get an assessment of your foot pain, chat with us, book an appointment, or call us at any of our clinics.