A hard day's work can result in terrible foot pains that seemingly don't go away. Some pain is caused by additional growths such as corns, bunions or heel spurs. Other pain could be tendon inflammation, as is the case with Plantar fasciitis. Stretching, home therapy and surgeries are all ways to relieve foot pain.
Massage and Stretching
Stretching can alleviate some foot pain. Plantar fasciitis is a pain typically felt in the heel due to excessive weight-bearing. The plantar tissue in the heel becomes tight. Massage and stretching the plantar helps relieve tension.
One stretch starts by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front. Take a towel, and loop it in the middle of your affected foot. Grab both ends of the towel, and pull straight back as far as possible without moving your back. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
You can also stretch the plantar by standing on a step with your affected foot's toes at the edge. Push your heel straight down without moving your toes, and hold for 30 seconds. Relax, and repeat three times.
Medication and Home Therapy
Some over-the-counter medications and home therapies can treat foot pain. Corns are yellow calluses that can grow on toes, while bunions are a bone or tissue build-up around a joint, particularly the base of the little toe. Over-the-counter medications use an acid mix that dissolves the corns and bunions. Bunion pain can be relieved rubbing ice on the area for 10 minutes every night along with cold therapy relief gel. Also, padding can cover the affected areas to reduce further irritation.
Surgery
Surgery is another option to relieve foot pain. Plantar fasciitis is often accompanied with heel spurs, which are hook-shaped bone protrusions that extend from the heel. The heel spur acts as a protective shock absorber by growing on the plantar tendon and causing pain. For prolonged heel spur pain, surgeons remove the spur from the tendon. Bunion surgery involves a number of options. One is to repair surrounding tendons by loosening tight ones and shortening loose ones. Bunion surgery can include cutting the damaged joint and realigning it. Arthrodesis removes the damaged joint surfaces. Screws and plates are then inserted to hold the surfaces together until they heal.
Tags: Plantar fasciitis, affected foot, Bunion surgery, corns bunions, damaged joint, foot pain