Foot pain can be felt from different parts of the foot. It can start from the toes to the Achilles tendon at the heel. The pain might be minor or it can also be severe. It can also be serious as a result of an injury or due to certain chronic medical conditions.
For simple foot pain, a massage might do the trick. Massaging the foot is a great for keeping it loose. If it is swollen, ice can be used to reduce and minimize swelling. A physician may also advise to keep off the foot that is injured to prevent more injury.
A medical condition that can cause foot pain is foot drop. It is a disorder that affects the ability of a patient to raise his or her foot properly causing the inability to move the ankle. Aside from special braces and surgery, physical therapy is a common treatment for this condition.
A very common symptom of drop foot is the inability to lift the foot’s front part when walking. The foot gets dragged along the ground and can affect one or even both feet. This is commonly accompanied with numbness and foot pain.
The initial step to be done in treating this medical condition and thus eliminating the foot pain associated with it is checking for any underlying condition. Foot drop can be caused by spinal cord injuries.
For patients who experience foot pain due to drop foot, there are exercises that can be recommended by physical therapists. Strengthening exercises that targets the legs and its core muscles is very beneficial. This involves that stomach and back muscles to relieve sciatica and lower back pain. Ankle strengthening exercises also improves symptoms of drop foot.
Learning how to walk with a foot drop condition can be done with gait training. Electrical stimulation and other exercise therapy can be performed together with gait training to strengthen the muscles and to relieve any foot pain.
In order to maintain the patient’s mobility and flexibility, range of motion exercises are also part of the treatment plan. The position of the foot needs to be corrected to prevent any resulting stiffness and foot pain.
Although physical therapy can help greatly in dealing with foot pain associated with foot drop, the underlying cause of foot drop needs to be determined. Surgery might be required to repair any damaged nerves, muscles and tendons depending on how severe the condition is.
