Sore feet: Causes and cure for a common foot problem

We cannot emphasize enough the fact that our feet don’t get the attention they deserve despite their importance in our overall sense of well being. Waking up to sore feet that hurt badly is probably one of the worst ways to begin a day, but that’s what almost three of four adults seem to endure and live with.

It seems that women are more prone to sore feet primarily due to the high-heeled footwear they wear. While high-heeled and other fancy footwear may seem fashionable and enhance the persona, foot problems such as sore feet often have their origins with these, as the ill-designed or ill-fitting footwear put undue stresses on the feet.

Common symptoms of sore feet could include dry, thickened or discolored skin, and acute swelling as are heel pain, arch pain, bunions, corns, calluses and hammer toes.

Bunions or the ‘enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe’, causing swelling, redness and pain, is amongst the most frequently occurring feet problems. Corns and calluses are caused due to scarce space in the shoes, which causes the skin to rub hard against the tough shoe uppers.

Ingrown toenails are yet another example of sore feet which occur when the skin grows over the nails or the nail pierces through the skin. This can also be the result of careless clipping of the nails.

Hammer toe is usually caused due to the use of tight fitting shoes over a number of years. The toes rub against the hard surface of the shoes, resulting in calluses and corns leading to unbearable pain.

Causes of sore feet

Michelle Meadows, in the article ‘Taking Care of Your Feet’, published in the FDA Consumer Magazine, states that sore feet are a sure sign of aging. The author says that most sore feet problems are caused due to wear and tear. Describing the complex anatomy of the foot, Michelle states that ‘human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments’. Given this, anything can go wrong anytime.

Kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, and circulatory problems can also cause the feet to swell. Other symptoms include tingling or numbness in the feet and slow-healing wounds.

Sore feet treatment

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), the disease should be treated immediately. Otherwise there are chances that the pain will spread to the legs, hips, and back. This will further aggravate the problem.

Since the main cause of sore feet is shoes, a great attention needs to be paid to the right type of shoes and footwear.

Given the above, it is obvious comfortable shoes can go a long way in keeping sore feet at bay. Jane Andersen, D.P.M., a podiatrist in Chapel Hill, N.C, is quoted to have said: "You should be able to wiggle your toes. Shop for new shoes at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest. Keep a thumb’s width of space between the longest toe and the front of the shoe".

Soaking the feet in cold or warm water, and gently massaging them will go a long way in alleviating the problem.

One way to remove swelling on the feet, as noted by Marika Molnar, P.T. director of West Side Dance Physical Therapy in New York City, is to lift feet up, that allows blood and other fluid pooled in the feet and lower legs to flow back toward the heart.

If these home remedies do not work, consult a podiatrist, who may check your feet thoroughly for broken bones or stress fractures, inflamed tendons and then prescribe orthotics: be they orthotic shoe inserts, insoles or custom-made orthotic shoes.