Foot Injuries

• The list of injuries that can be characterized as foot injuries is quite extensive.
• Sprains to the feet and ankles are considered foot injuries
• Overall pains in the feet are characterized as foot injuries
• Straining the foot and ankle muscles can be considered a foot injury
• Foot bone fractures are foot injuries
• Foot muscle cramping is a foot injury
• Edema, swelling of the feet and ankles caused by injury, is known as a foot injury
• Plantar fasciitis is a very common foot injury that results in heel pain
• Achilles tendonitis is also a common foot injury affecting the Achilles tendon

• Wearing the wrong size shoes
• Wearing shoes that are not designed for the specific activity
• Underlying medical conditions
• Inherited foot conditions
• High impact exercise and activities
• Occupational work related stress

Many foot injuries are caused by ill-fitting and inappropriate shoe selection and poor foot function (overpronation and oversupination). You may be surprised to learn that a lot of technology and expertise goes into the shoe-making process. Because feet come in such a vast array of shapes and sizes and because we live in a self-serve world, most people are not wearing the proper sized shoes and often choose shoes that are not designed for the activity for which they are being used. Wearing the wrong size can lead to bunions, hammer toes, neuroma’s (painful nerve damage), heel and ball-of-foot pain, poor circulation, corns, calluses, excessive foot perspiration and blisters. Wearing shoes that are not designed for a specific activity can lead to injury. One example would be using motion control running shoes to play tennis. In this example, the shoes are very specifically designed to stop feet from moving side to side to help reduce over pronation (excessive inward rolling of the foot) in running. Yet, tennis involves a significant amount of side to side movement. Using this type of running shoe for tennis puts the wearer at risk for a serious ankle sprain, knee injury or worse. Additionally, feet that aren’t functioning properly can experience excessive stresses on joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. This often leads to injury.