Our shoes protect our feet from various things, such as bug bites, cuts, burns, and extreme temperatures. But if the shape of our shoes doesn’t accommodate the natural shape of our feet, they can do much more harm than good.
Ill-fitting shoes, particularly those that you wear during physical activities like running, can contribute to many foot and ankle conditions that can keep us from moving freely to places.
Let’s talk about the common foot and ankle conditions caused by ill-fitting shoes, how you can avoid them, and where you can go for the treatment of foot and ankle conditions in North Dakota.
Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s neuroma, also known as interdigital neuroma, is a painful condition that involves the thickening of the tissues around one of your nerves leading to your toes. This thickening of the tissues compresses, irritates, or damages the nerve and causes pain, numbness, and tingling.
People who wear too tight or too-heeled shoes are more likely to develop Morton’s neuroma.
In addition to icing, padding, and using orthotics, wearing shoes with a wide toe box and low heels can also relieve Morton’s neuroma symptoms.
Ingrown Nails
As the name indicates, ingrown nails are a common foot condition in which the side or corner of your toenail grows into the skin surrounding the nail bed, causing pain, swelling, skin inflammation, and sometimes infection.
Wearing shoes that constrict the toenails can cause the nail to grow into the surrounding tissues.
To prevent ingrown nails, keep toenails at moderate length and wear shoes that fit properly.
Bunions
Wearing tight and narrow shoes can lead to the formation of a bony bump at the base of your big toe – a condition called a bunion. Wearing high heels that force the toes into the front of your shoes can also cause a bunion.
The bunion can result in pain, swelling, redness, and soreness around your big toe joint.
To prevent bunions, choose shoes with a wide toe box (no pointy toes) that conform to the shape of your feet without squeezing or pressing any part of your foot.
Hammertoe
Hammertoe is a foot deformity that causes an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe. Second, third, fourth, and fifth toes are mostly affected by hammertoes.
Abnormal balance of the toe muscles, trauma, and wearing high-heeled shoes that are too tight in the toe box can cause hammertoes.
Hammertoe can be avoided by choosing shoes with adequate toe room, low heels, and roomier and adjustable.
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is a common foot condition in people who wear too tight shoes that their feet can’t breathe. It is a fungal skin infection that usually begins between the toes.
You can avoid contracting Athlete’s foot by wearing sandals that let your feet air out as much as possible, alternating pairs of shoes, washing your feet daily, and protecting your feet in public places.
Heel Pain
Heel pain is a common complaint in people with plantar fasciitis – an inflammation of the thick band of tissues that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.
Wearing poorly fitting shoes can exacerbate plantar fasciitis. So, if you have chronic heel pain, wear properly fitted shoes and get your foot evaluated by an orthopedic or sports medicine physician.
Sports Medicine Physician for Shoe Injuries in North Dakota
Have pain in your foot or ankle? Get your ankle and foot evaluated by our orthopedic specialist at The Bone & Joint Center. In our team, we have board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic doctors who will do a thorough assessment to evaluate your feet and ankle condition and develop a personalized treatment plan consisting of both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options.
To set up a consultation with one of our foot and ankle expert, call our staff today at (800) 424-2663 or fill out our appointment request form online now.
