Arch pain is a very common thing here in the UK. It can spread out to other areas of your foot like the heel and the ball of your foot too so the condition that is causing you the pain in your foot might actually be in the arch, but you might not have any symptoms in that area. The reason for this is because the arch of your foot is a very complex mechanism. It is comprised of a lot of small bones as well as tendons and ligaments that link these bones together. Any one of these things can become damaged in a variety of ways and cause the pain that you are experiencing.
The arch of your foot
The arches in your feet help your body absorb stress, adapt to uneven surfaces and stabilise you when you are walking, running or standing. They are a wonderful design that has evolved over millions of years to become something that we rely and depend upon even in modern day life. If you have overused any part of the foot that makes up the arch, this can lead to arch pain and a variety of conditions that can affect the knees, hips and back.
A few possible causes of arch pain
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Excess activity – Increasing a workout or exercise dramatically can cause pain in the foot as this increase in activity puts too much stress on parts of your foot.
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Over stretching the plantar fascia – This tough band of tissue runs underneath your foot from your heel to your toes. When it’s overstretched, this can cause pain in the heel and the arch.
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Flat feet or excessive pronation – If your arch is too high or low, this can result in pain in your arch. The reason for this is that your foot might be out of normal alignment, thus bearing weight where it wasn’t designed to.
A podiatrist can examine your feet, ask you questions about the symptoms and your medical history and send you for further tests like x-rays if needed. From there, they can diagnose the condition that you have and recommend the best treatment for you. The treatments for arch pain are vastly different depending on the condition that you have, but a lot of pain in the arch of the foot can be solved without the need for surgery, it just might take some time.
The conditions mentioned above are just a few that can cause pain in this area of your foot. If you are encountering pain in the arches of your feet, do not attempt treatment yourself. Doing any sort of treatment without knowing what condition you have can result in further damage being done and a far longer recovery time.
Hopefully, this article about arch pain has given you an insight into the condition. If you need our help diagnosing and treating a condition in your foot, then please feel free to get in touch. We will be happy to help. If you would like to find out more about the conditions that we have mentioned in this piece, then please take a look at the extensive library of articles on our website about common foot problems.