Knee pain and treatment notes!

Knee pain is a common ailment in people who run and jump a lot. It causes pain in the plantar fascia and can affect athletic habits. To know how to prevent and treat this condition, please refer to the following article of SignsSymptomsList!

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• 1. What is metatarsal pain?
• 2. What symptoms does metatarsal pain cause?
• 3. Causes of pain
• 4. Who is prone to metatarsal pain?
• 5. Is the condition dangerous?
• 6. How to diagnose and treat metatarsal pain?
• 7. Doctor's advice on home lifestyle
• Ending

1. What is metatarsal pain?

metatarsal pain is pain and inflammation in the plantar fascia on the sole of the foot. It is caused by activities such as running and jumping. In addition, foot deformities and shoes that are too tight or too loose are also causes of metatarsal pain.

Although generally not very serious, this pain can prevent people from playing sports. Fortunately, there are at-home treatments that help relieve symptoms. The patient can apply ice and rest when in pain. Wearing appropriate footwear that absorbs force and provides arch support can help prevent or reduce the likelihood of this condition.

2. What symptoms does metatarsal pain cause?

Patients may experience symptoms such as:

• Sharp, aching, or burning pain in the toes (the part of the foot, just behind the toes)
• Pain that gets worse when standing, running, flexing your legs, or walking. Pain is worse when walking barefoot on hard surfaces and relieved with rest.
• Sharp or stinging pain, numbness or tingling in the toes
• It feels like there's a pebble in the shoe

Pain in the toe area

3. Causes of pain

The following factors are associated with this condition:

• High intensity activity. Long-distance runners are at increased risk of metatarsalgia. The reason is because the front of the foot is the main place to absorb the force when running. In addition to running, any sport with a lot of impact carries risks, especially wearing poorly fitting or worn shoes.
• Several foot shapes. High arches can put extra pressure on the metatarsal bones. If a second toe is longer than the big toe, the force can shift to the second metatarsal and increase the risk of pain.
• Foot deformity. Wearing shoes that are too small or high heels can cause the foot to become misaligned. Hammer toe or painful swelling of the joint that connects the big toe to the foot can also cause the toe area.

The following factors also contribute to an increased risk of metatarsalgia:

• Overweight. When moving, the front of the foot bears most of the body's weight. Therefore, increased weight means increased pressure on the metatarsal bones. Losing weight can help reduce this condition.
• Wear inappropriate shoes. High heels cause the weight of the body to shift in front of the feet. This feature makes high heels a common cause of metatarsal pain in women. Shoes with tight toes or lack of supportive padding can also cause toe pain.
• Fatigue fracture. Small cracks in the metatarsal or toe bones cause pain and change the way the foot is placed. This condition increases the risk of metatarsalgia.
• Morton's neuroma. This disease causes proliferation of fibrous tissue around the nerve, usually in the area between the third and fourth metatarsals. The proliferation causes symptoms similar to metatarsal pain and also contributes to increased pressure on the metatarsal bones.

4. Who is prone to metatarsal pain?

Anyone can get this condition. However, the following factors increase the risk of foot pain:

• Participate in sports that involve a lot of running and jumping
• Wear high heels, ill-fitting shoes, or cleats (shoe spikes used in football)
• Overweight or obese
• Foot abnormalities such as hammer toes or calluses on the feet
• Have arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout

People who participate in running and jumping a lot have a high risk of foot pain

5. Is the condition dangerous?

If left untreated, the pain can spread to other parts of the foot and other parts of the body. For example, the patient may have pain in the other leg or back and hip pain because of the limping movement to feel less leg pain.

6. How to diagnose and treat metatarsal pain?

Many different conditions can cause symptoms similar to metatarsal pain. To determine the exact cause of the pain, the doctor will examine the patient's feet while sitting and standing. At the same time, information about the patient's lifestyle and exercise habits is also important in the diagnosis. Your doctor may order X-rays to identify or rule out fatigue fractures and other leg abnormalities.

Conservative treatment is appropriate for most patients. Resting, changing to suitable shoes or using foot pads is enough to relieve pain symptoms.

However, in rare cases, conservative treatment alone is not enough, such as when conservative measures fail to relieve pain or the patient has conditions such as hammer toe. At that time, the doctor may consider surgical methods to realign the bone.

7. Doctor's advice on home lifestyle

You can try the following to relieve pain:

• Rested. Rest helps protect your feet from further damage. When walking or standing, the patient can raise the leg. In addition, it may be necessary to take a break from the sport you are doing for a while to allow your leg to recover. Patients can still do low-impact exercises such as cycling or swimming.
• Apply ice. Apply an ice pack to the painful area several times a day, for 15-20 minutes each time. The patient should wrap the ice pack in a thin towel and then apply it to protect the skin.
• Analgesic. Patients can take ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or aspirin to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Wear suitable shoes. Avoid shoes that are too tight or too loose and limit wearing high heels. Wear shoes suitable for each sport.
• Use toe pads. These pads support the base of the toe, helping to relieve pressure on the painful area.
• Insoles support the arch of the foot. If the built-in insoles don't help, your doctor may suggest using arch support insoles. This insole helps to reduce pressure on the metatarsal bones and improve foot function.

Use a toe pad to help relieve pain

Ending

The metatarsal pain can cause pain in the bunion of the toe. Although not serious, it can affect a person's quality of life. Most cases recover with conservative treatment. However, if you have pain that persists for several days or doesn't ease with changing shoes or resting, you should see your doctor for treatment.

Doctor Phan Van Giao