There is an old cliché that states, "when your feet feel good, the rest of you feels good, but when the feet hurt, watch out!" While this is only a cliché, the reality is that when the feet hurt, it can affect not only your mood, but other body parts as well. There are several common foot problems that can cause your body to have a bad disposition.
Bunions
Bunions refer to the formation of bone spurs at the site where the big toe meets the foot, coupled with an angular deformity of the big toe that results in pain and trouble with footwear. The most common cause of bunion formation is from ill-fitting footwear, though there is a small hereditary potential as well.
Heel Spur and Plantar Fasciitis
Heels spur and plantar fasciitis frequently occur at the same time. That is not to say you cannot have one without the other; however, in the majority of instances, the two come as a package deal.
Plantar fasciitis refers to an inflammation of the large band of tissue that helps make up the arch of the foot. This typically occurs where the tissue attaches to the underside of the heel bone. It is at this point of attachment that microscopic tears in the attaching fiber can cause severe pain with weight bearing.
Heel spurs refers to the X-ray-confirmed presence of a spur located on the bottom of the heel bone, at the point of attachment of the plantar fascia. In response to chronic inflammation, calcium deposits at this juncture cause the spur to form. This can also be extremely painful to bear weight on when aggravated.
Hammertoe
Hammertoe deformity typically occurs in the smaller toes of the foot, and most prominently involves the second and third toes. This condition manifests itself by an accentuated flexion contracture, or excessive bending, of the inter-phalangeal joint, causing it to bend upward and forcing the tip of the toe toward the floor. While this hammering is taking place, the joint where the toe meets the foot, or the metatarso-phalangeal joint, begins to hyper-extend from a shortening of the extensor tendon.
With all that is going on with a hammertoe, there is potential for excessive pressure to be exerted on the top of the toe joint as it presses inside a shoe, causing uncomfortable callous formation.
Flat Foot
Functional flat foot occurs when the foot over-pronates due to collapse of the band of tissue that helps make up the arch, called the plantar fascia, together with a severe stretching of a supportive tendon known as the posterior tibial tendon. As these two structures fail, the arch of the foot touches the floor with weight bearing.
As this condition worsens, there is a risk of rupture of the tendon, which can cause the arch to completely fail, requiring surgical correction.
Diabetic Foot
One of the most difficult problems to deal with regarding feet is diabetic foot. Severe stages of diabetic foot can lead to infection and even ultimate amputation.
As the diabetic condition becomes more chronic and severe, deterioration of the nerves in the extremities, especially the feet, leads to decreased sensation and diminished awareness of any problems brewing until it becomes too severe--or too late. Ulcer formation, often worsened by infection, can lead to multiple procedures in an attempt to heal the ulcers. When the ulcers become resistant to healing, amputation may be the only real solution.
