Whether we are walking, jumping, playing, or climbing, our foot and ankle sustain a lot of stress and strain in the process. Despite this fact, we sometimes fail to take good care of it and end up injuring our knees, hips, and lower back. Because of this, most of us experience foot pain once in a while.
There might be various reasons causing foot pain, including lifestyle, physical activity, or medical issues. Although everyone cannot get their foot clinically examined regularly, here we highlight six simple steps to self-diagnose your foot pain:-
- Finding Pain Points
An average or uninjured foot does not make you feel in pain. However, you should locate the foot parts like the top or bottom, side or heel, and toe or nerve to find the pain. The easiest way to do this is by touching the exact pain point and feeling the pain intensity.
- Change in Foot Appearance
Carefully examine the foot for any changes in its appearance, such as swelling of fingers and toe, skin or nail discolouration, excessive calluses, and blisters. Besides this, look for anything unusual between the foot sole and toe or irritation.
- Shoe Defects
Do not forget to inspect the shoes to see if your foot fits well inside them or the shoe itself is causing constriction. Insert orthotic insoles inside shoes to correct such issues.
- Joints Stiffness
Stiffness in the foot and ankle could be another reason your foot is in pain. There are two easy ways to test the flexibility of the foot. Start by trying to pick up any clothing or tiny object using the toe. If you cannot do it effortlessly, it could be the cause of foot pain. Likewise, feeling uncomfortable when pushing your heel against the below the edge of a step is a sign of concern.
- Obstructed Blood Circulation
Sometimes the foot pain can arise due to obstruction in the blood flow. You can self-assess this by pressing the toenail until the blood colour fades and observing if the blood colour returns to normal once the pressure is released.
- Lack of Sensation
The foot can feel the minor sensations. In the case of pain, the degree of feeling in two separate sections may not have been the same. Run a feather or a pencil eraser across all foot parts to find out.
The foot is so essential to the human body that even the slightest foot discomfort can make us idle. But with the help of these tips, you can sell-diagnose your foot pain and switch to remedies like orthotic insoles. Foot pain is short-term in most cases, but you should seek medical attention if it persists.
