Some of the common painful maladies of the feet are heel pain, numbness in
the ball of the foot, and Achilles tendonitis.
Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
Two million Americans suffer from heel pain, commonly caused by plantar
fasciitis, which is brought about by too much walking, absence of support for
the arch of the feet, an injury, or spending too much time standing up. Pain is
normally felt when taking the first step in the morning or when getting up
after being seated for long periods. Heel pain can be treated with pain
relievers, ice (apply to the heel 15 to 20 minutes before going to bed),
stretching, physical therapy, night splints, and orthotics (custom shoe inserts
or properly-designed footpads). If all these fail, doctors inject the heel with
cortisone or correct the problem with surgery. Shockwave therapy is also an
option.
Numbness (Neuroma)
Pain and numbness in the ball of the foot is often caused by the enlargement
of a nerve that runs between the ends of the long bones, called metatarsals, of
the foot. Also known as a neuroma or tumor of the nerve, it is usually benign.
Symptoms are a sharp pain in the ball of the foot, numbness, and a burning
sensation especially after standing or walking in tight shoes, high-heeled
shoes or dress shoes. This is treated with footpads, physical therapy,
ultrasound, cortisone injections, or surgery.
Achilles tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is often caused in women by high-heeled shoes and
happens when the tendon connecting the calf muscle to the back of the heel bone
is inflamed. Men develop this when the same tendon is overstretched through any
form of stressful physical activity like running or bending. In both cases, the
pain can be treated with therapy or surgery.