Does Wearing Bad Shoes Lead to Foot Problems?

Runners tend to injure their foot and leg much more than any other sportsperson. If you are a professional sportsman or woman and experiencing pain in the foot because of extensive running as part of your daily routine, you need to take the matter very seriously. You might have developed foot injuries because of muscle strain or due to a more acute condition such as Plantar Fasciitis or Achilles Tendinitis. Additionally, you might be suffering from foot pain because of bad running shoes!

Let's quickly go through the most common types of foot injuries:

Plantar Fasciitis
If you experience swelling and chronic pain in the bottom of your foot, it might be because of a disorder known as Plantar Fasciitis. Soon the slight pain will develop into acute one giving you sleepless nights and screaming in pain. The pain is like inserting needles or nails inside your foot. If your feet get overstrained or if you have an abnormal running style, you might develop Plantar Fasciitis.Your feet muscles get weakened and excessive pressure falls on the heels leading to inflammation and pain.
As part of the treatment plan, you must improve your walking and running style. Also, please get rid of your tight-fitted running shoes. Buy comfortable shoes with a soft sole and which provides support to your arches. Don't go out barefoot. Try to stretch and strengthen your calves and roll your feet around on a golf ball if possible.

Achilles Tendinitis
When the Achilles tendon (a thick band of tissue that connects the calf muscles with the heel bone) gets inflamed and starts paining, doctor say you have developed Achilles Tendinitis. Blood flow gets reduced to the lower part of your body including legs and feet. You will feel strong pain at the back of your foot and above the heel. Common causes of Achilles Tendinitis are extensive training putting pressure on the lower leg, tight calves and tight-fitted shoes. You can apply ice on the affected part to get some relief. You can also use orthotics, do heel lifts, and wear comfortable shoes to cut pain and swelling.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome
iliotibial or IT band is a tendon that attached your knee to the hip. When your IT gets swelled, it leads to a condition called Iliotibial Band Syndrome. Runners particularly find problem in running down, as they feel an acute pain in the knees. The pain gets quickly aggravated if left untreated for a long time. You can massage the quadriceps and hamstring muscles around the affected area and also use a foam roller to loosen the muscles. Don't run downhill running and if possible switch directions while running in the same direction multiple times.

Runner's Knee
If you feel a constant throbbing underneath your kneecap when you run, it is because of patellofemoral knee syndrome or runner's knee, as popularly called. Running on uneven surface wearing bad women's casual shoes often leads to runner's knee. Treatment includes stop running for a while and relaxing. You can apply ice on the swollen area and do some exercises as shown by your doctor. Also, don't wear tight footwear

Shin Splints
When your shin area starts aching, it is because of shin splints. In extreme cases, shin splint can turn into a stress fracture along the tibia causing unbearable pain. Causes of shin splints are sudden increase of training time and power. Mostly, new runners suffer from this problem. You need to take good rest followed by ice packs on the inflammation area. Don't increase intensity of training suddenly but do it gradually to make your feet accustomed with your training technique.

Vikash Rock is a freelance writer having active interest in the shoe industry and wearing bad shoes lead to different foot problems. He has found MBT shoes Australia helps in reducing foot and leg pain and improving one's posture and balance

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vikash_Rock

Can You Walk Comfortably in High Heels?

If you really want to look stylish and be the center of attraction in an event, nothing can beat off than a pair of high heels. If you are short height, you will look taller in high heels. Besides, you will appear slimmer with longer legs if you wear a pair of stilettos with your favorite outfit. However, in spite of the gorgeous looks of a high heel, often women complaint of painful feet and discomfort when wearing them for a long time or regularly. Studies reveal painful feet are the result of stilettos, pointed tip shoes, and narrow heels. While podiatrists stress on getting away with high heels, today's fashion conscious women find it hard to keep aside pointy toe footwear. That is why; you need to pre-plan to make your high heels work for you.

Let's see how you can we make high heels comfortable

Go for the right size
When you are purchasing footwear it is most important, that it fits properly from the moment you buy them. Yes, you must wear different sized shoes to finally pick up the right size for a perfect fit. Podiatrists know our feet can grow larger as we get older. Besides, pregnant women tend to have longer or wider feet. That is why, it is so important to have the right size for a comfortable fit.

Prefer round toes
Round-toed shoes prevent joint pain, crunched toes and even bunions by not allowing your feet to tug your big toe in. Round toes keep your toes flat and spread out naturally.

Do not buy too high
Podiatrists warn women not to buy too much pointed heels to prevent pain and discomfort. You should avoid three or four-inch heels since they put excessive pressure on the ball and bones in the front of your foot.

Tailor your width
Sometimes we find difficulty getting perfectly fitting shoes. The reason is most of the shoe manufacturers design standard medium-width shoes. If you have wide feet, you will definitely feel uncomfortable in these medium-width shoes. So the shoemaker should have a strategy ready to stretch the shoes to widen the toe box for a comfortable fit.

Cushion up
You will notice many fashion shoes in the market have less than adequate cushioning resulting in foot pain after prolonged use. If proper pads are not placed right under the ball of your foot, you will feel pain after repeated wearing since the ball of your foot will have to bear excessive pressure without sufficient cushioning.

Vikash Rock is an experienced freelancer having active interest in the shoe industry in general. He discusses nuisance of wearing different types of shoes including high heels. He feels wearing MBT shoes is the best option to avoid foot problems and lead a pain-free life

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vikash_Rock