People will have some kind of foot problem at some point of their
lives. Athletes injure themselves on a regular basis. Luckily, the
medical technology to deal with foot problems has advanced to such a
degree that people can get back to normal routines in no time at all.
Some common problems that affect people are flat feet, neuropathy, shin
splints, ankle sprains etc. A good combination of foot exercises and
orthotics will help you overcome or combat your foot problems.
Flat Feet
When a person has flat feet, it means that the person does not have
an arch that supports the foot. It can usually be identified early on in
children and when treated then, it can go a long way in helping to
mould the shape of the foot. There are special orthotic shoes available
that come with a slight curve where the arch should be. This combined
with a daily routine of simple foot exercise will slowly help the
children develop an arch. If you are already an adult, using gel pads
fixed inside your shoes helps alleviate foot pain due to flat feet. A
physical therapist can recommend some foot exercises that will help with
the flat footedness.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is symptomized by numbness in the extremities and is
closely related to diabetes. Diabetics are prone to neuropathy. There
are a number of precautions that one can take to deal with this foot
problem. There are orthotic diabetic foot sleeves available that can
cover the foot and keep it warm. There are soft sleeves as well as hard
sleeves available and you can use them depending on the severity of your
problem. There are advanced orthotic devices to help people who have
progressed to more severe cases of neuropathy. The orthotics offer
relief from pain, when moving about,
Shin splints
Shin splints can be very painful if left untreated for a long time.
People, especially athletes tend to ignore the early warning signs of
shin splints and go to a podiatrist only after the pain is unbearable.
Orthotic shin supports made of light, durable material are available to
give support to the leg. These orthotics are so comfortable that they
can be worn in the nights too. Foot exercises that include stretching
will help relieve pain and stiffness caused by shin splints.
Ankle sprains
When you sprain your ankle, the first thing to do is put an ice
compress to bring down the swelling. Then it is a good idea to take an
X-Ray, to make sure that it is a sprain and not a hairline fracture.
There are various orthotics available to help deal with ankle sprains.
There is hard orthotics that makes sure that your ankle has enough
support when you do start walking. Softer orthotics can be used if it is
a mild sprain. These orthotics are not permanent casts and can be taken
off and put on easily and tightened to your comfort level. It is
imperative to do foot exercises while recuperating as it helps your foot
heal faster.
There are many other orthotic devices to help in foot problems that
are more severe like fractures, tendonitis etc. Unlike earlier days
where one has to have large and inconvenient plaster cast for fractures,
many podiatrists these days prefer prescribing removable orthotics.
This is particularly helpful when doing physiotherapy. You can remove
the orthotics when doing your foot exercises and put them on after you
are done. A podiatrist will be able to prescribe a foot treatment that
includes orthotics and foot exercises to help recover swiftly.
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