If you have had a really good night’s rest you almost forget.
After an uninterrupted eight hour sleep you wake feeling both refreshed and energized. As soon as you swing your legs out of be and place your feet on the floor, however, the foot pain reminds you that all is not well. You are looking forward to the twice weekly appointment you have at the podiatry office. The laser foot therapy sessions have been effective, but when you are the day before the next appointment some of the benefits seem to diminish. Foot and ankle problems have often been a part of your life, but this constant ache that cannot be erased by pain medications has been frustrating. You are thankful for the laser foot therapy sessions that have been covered by your insurance. Hopefully, by following the physical therapy exercises that you have also been given, combined with your efforts to lose weight, you are hopeful that the pain will subside in between the laser foot therapy appointments.
Foot and Ankle Doctors Provide Needed Relief to Thousands of Sufferers
Did you know that nearly 60% of all foot and ankle injuries that are reported by the U.S. population older than 17 involve sprains and strains of the ankle? For athletes, workers who spend their days on their feet, and for parents of young children, sprained and strained ankles can significantly limit your ability to function. Even though they are a major interruptions, however, somewhere between 75% and 80% of the adult population have some form of foot problem. Perhaps because there are 52 bones in a pair of human feet it is easier to damage one or more bone.
Did you know that the average adult takes 4000 to 6000 steps a day? This means that our feet carry our bodies the equivalent of five times round the earth in an average lifetime. That is a lot of pressure and weight on some of the smallest bones in our body. And while a lucky few never have problems with their feet, the majority of Americans spend at least some time learning how to manage the pain on a foot injury.
Laser foot therapy is just one way that some people find relief. The pulsating and penetrating warmth and heat of laser foot therapy is often a treatment that can provide comfort for hours, and even days, after it is applied. Administered by both podiatrists and physical therapists, laser treatments are often used with a steroid cream as well. The heat and laser rays actually push the steroid cream into the muscles and tendons, reducing inflammation and numbing some of the pain.
Alleviating Foot Pain Can Require Attention to Footwear and Overuse
Few things are more important to the health of your feet than making sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes. The decision to purchase a pair of shoes for fashion instead of comfort can be a decision that you will pay for in the end. Women who shoes high heeled shoes with narrow or pointed toes often end the day with feet that ache long into the night. Continued wearing of these types of shoes can lead to damage to your feet that can become quite severe. And while it is often tempting to buy a pair of shoes that are actually too small for your feet because they are on sale, the decision to wear improperly fitting shoes is also something that can lead to foot pain and long term damage.
Finding a well designed pair of shoes that fit you well and provide good arch support can make your day of standing on your feet far more comfortable. For runners who hope to cover long distances on their daily workouts, it is especially important to purchase shoes that fit well. Some running stores, in fact, have several types of pressure pads and machines that can actually read your running gait. Using the detailed information that is provided by these screenings, these running store sales people can suggest a shoe that will be a perfect fit.
If you want to wake up every morning with feet that are ready for the day, make sure you take good care of your feet.