Common Foot Problems for Women
icon
Your feet go through a lot every day, spending hours on your feet at work often in uncomfortable shoes. However even with all this work, excessive pain is not normal and could be a sign of underlying foot problems. Most foot problems are commonly triggered while wearing poor fitting shoes like pointed toes and high heels.
High heels can change the way a woman normally walks, severely increasing the pressure of the ball of the foot. High heels can contribute to a wide range of issues like ankle sprains, shortening of calf muscles, knee and back problems from an awkward and unnatural gait.
Common Conditions
Bunions
A bunion is a misalignment at the base of your big toe presenting a bony bump causing your big toe to push against your next toe. The skin over the bunion may be red and sore. Bunions tend to have a hereditary component, and are aggravated by tight or narrow footwear. Flat feet is also a very common risk factor.
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is a general term for pain in the ball of the foot. Very common when regularly wearing high heels. This condition is also more common in older women because of a degeneration of the fat pad on the ball of the foot.
Hammer and Claw toes
Presents with the toe in a contracted claw like position, condition more likely to occur from muscle imbalance aggrivated by poor footwear placing the toes in a cramped position.
Neuroma
A neuroma is a thickening of the nerve tissue do to repetitive irritation. Very common in between the 3rd and 4th toes. Neuroma presents as a tingling burning and numbness in the ball of the foot which can spread down to the toes.
Achilles Tendinopathy
Is inflammation to the achilles tendon often at the back of the heel where calf muscles attach to the calcaneus (heel bone). This condition is extremely common in women who wear heels daily, the achilles tendon shortens because it is constantly held in that position by the high heels.
Heel Pain
The most common cause of heel pain is inflammation at the insertion of you plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a long band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes. This condition if aggregated by a lack of proper support in footwear. All foot type may experience this condition although it is more common in flat foot types
Corns and Calluses
Corns and callus are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop when your skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure. They are extremely common with structural deformities like bunions and clawed toes, they can be extremely painful. The way that you walk can also leave you more at risk of developing corns and callus.
These are just a few example of common foot problems that affect women on a daily basis. If you suffer from any foot or ankle pain, please make an appointment to see your friendly podiatrist to get you up and moving pain free as soon as possible.
Book an appointment at Coast Sport today by calling (02) 4356 2588 or online via the button below.
Thanks to Coast Sport Podiatrist Will for preparing this blog. You can find out more about Will here.
Will practices as a Podiatrist at both Toukley (Toukley Family Practice) and Tuggerah (Tuggerah Medical Centre and Coast Sport).
Helping the Central Coast Feel Well, Move Well and Perform Well!