A Gift Certificate from Foot Solutions will give your friend/athlete an edge above their competition.
In athletics there is a greater importance on balance, support, performance and endurance of your feet. You can improve your game by combining the right shoe insert, socks and expertly fitted shoes for sport from golf to skiing to running.
What you wear on your feet is the most important part of foot care. Many problems such as aches in your feet, ankles, knees, lower back and even your shoulders stem from improper treatment of your feet. These pains are often caused simply by the style and fit of your shoes. A proper shoe, combined with the proper support will put your foot in its natural position for walking, standing and training. By putting your foot in balance, the alignment of other joints will be improved.
Taking care of your feet is taking care of the whole you
Below is a list of common athletic problems to look out for:
Achilles Tendonitis:
Symptoms – Pain and tightness felt in the lower calf muscles, which may be more prevalent in the morning. Cause – Hill running, shoes with soft heel counters, shifting from dress shoes to running shoes. Solutions – Ice massage, calf stretches, proper rest, softer running surface, update your shoes often paying special attention to the heel counter.
Bunions:
Symptoms – Aches are felt around the big toe and a noticeable lump at the first metatarsal joint. Usually the big toe angles towards the other toes abnormally. Cause – Hereditary, wearing shoes that are too tight across the ball of the foot. Solutions – Wear shoes with a wider toe area. Customised arch supports can take pressure off the bunion area. If area is red and holds a temperature, consult your physician.
Hip Pain/Bursitis:
Symptoms – Pain on the outer hip area and near the buttocks muscles. The hip joint has a large bursae sac (a sac of fluid which lubricates and protects the joint), which can become inflamed. Cause – Structural weaknesses, overuse and trauma (such as child birth or a fall etc.). Solutions – Change your activities to adjust and compensate for the injury. Ice massage and stretches. If pain is felt in buttocks or legs, consult your physician.
Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITB):
Symptoms – A type of sharp, burning knee or upper leg pain that afflicts many runners. Cause – When the band thickens and rubs over the femur bone, the area can become inflamed, or the band itself may become irritated. Either occurrence can cause this knee injury’s characteristic sharp burning pain. Solutions – Combining simple exercises, deep massage and specific ITB stretching.
Morton’s Neuroma:
Symptoms – Pain, burning, tingling or numbness that occurs between the third and fourth toes and in the ball of your foot may be caused by a growth around the nerves. Cause – Collapse of the arch, heredity, obesity and/or wearing shoes that are too tight. Solutions – An arch support with a metatarsal pad to support the foot, customised as needed for continuing proper support.
Plantar Fasciitis:
Symptoms – Pain felt along the bottom of the foot somewhere between the heel and the arch. Often worse in the morning and at the end of the day. Cause – Standing for long periods of time, one leg longer than the other, unsupportive shoes, calf and Achilles tightness. Solutions – Arch Supports together with a programme of stretching. Understand the importance of not placing a foot suffering from plantar fasciitis on a hard, flat surface. Wear supportive slippers in the morning and supportive sandals in the shower. The combination of rolling the bottom of the foot on a frozen water bottle before bed and waking up with stretches to increase blood circulation to the legs and feet before walking will provide relief.
Runners Knee:
Symptoms – Pain felt often below the kneecap which increases while walking up stairs, up hills or sitting for long periods of time. Frequently found in adolescent runners. Cause – Flat feet, weak thigh muscles, insufficient rest between exercising. Solutions – Beyond making sure that you’re getting enough rest so that your muscles can heal after exercising, arch supports along with an ice massage can really make a difference.
Shin Splints:
Symptoms – Sharp pain felt around the shin bone. It is very common in people who exercise too much, too soon (beginners especially) and too fast. Untreated shin splints can become painful stress fractures. Cause – Calf and Achilles tightness due to lack of appropriate stretching before and after exercising. Wearing unsupportive or worn out shoes can exacerbate the problem. Solutions – Ice massage, correct shoes with arch support and a softer running surface can help shin splints. Never run or exercise cold muscles. To heat them up – stretch, stretch and stretch some more!
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