How to Identify Sore Foot Problems

People rely on their feet to get them to home, work, the grocery store, and to gather with others. When feet begin to hurt, quality of life decreases dramatically. A number of conditions can cause foot pain. Some of these are due to poor footwear, improper hygiene practices, systemic illness, overuse, or aging. Some of these conditions are helped by simple measures such as changing the type of footwear, giving more attention to nail care, or maintaining good health and nutrition. Others require the use of orthotic devices such as arch supports or minor surgery.

Things You'll Need

• Antiseptic cream
• Band-aids
• Foot pads

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Instructions

How to Identify Sore Foot Problems

• 1

  Use good hygiene. Make sure your feet are kept clean and as dry as possible. Avoid walking in wet footwear. Wear socks to protect feet against moisture and abrasion.

• 2

  Take care of toenails. Do not cut nails too short, or cut them down too far on the sides. Follow the natural contour of how the nail grows. If ingrown nails make sore spots, cut the nail carefully and apply an antiseptic and bandage for a few days. If the problem persists, see a podiatrist.

• 3

  Examine your shoes. Ill-fitting shoes cause many kinds of sore foot problems, including corns, calluses, blisters, hammer toe, and fallen arches. Corns and calluses are hardened areas that cause discomfort on the sides of toes and heels. Use a pumice stone and moisturize the area. Blisters are small, painful, fluid-filled sacs that may need to be punctured with a sterile needle. Hammer toes cause deformities of the bones of the feet and protruding bones. Purchase small moleskin pads to protect the area. See a podiatrist. Forego high heels and other showpiece footwear. Choose shoes that have room for your particular toe and foot shape.

• 4

  Look for any wart-like areas. Plantar warts are hardened warts that may cause pain when walking. Try over-the-counter wart removal medications. You may need to see a podiatrist to remove these growths.

• 5

  Choose good orthotic devices for heel pain. Plantar fasciitis is a condition in which the muscle that runs along the bottom of the foot becomes stretched or injured, causing heel pain. You do not have to buy expensive inserts for your shoes. You can purchase orthotic inserts at many drugstores and discount stores that will help correct this condition. You can also do heel stretching exercises to help relieve pain. Rolling a ball with your foot is another good exercise to help plantar fasciitis.

• 6

  Be careful of stress fractures. These can occur from repetitive impact exercise such as running. Redness, inflammation, and pain in an area of the foot may be a sign of overuse. Rest, icing the area, and use of orthotic inserts will help relieve the condition. Care should be taken to avoid re-injuring the area.