The foot contains many small bones, tendons and muscles. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes, states MedlinePlus. When this tissue is overworked or...
Bone spurs in the toes are a common cause of foot pain. However, some people have bone spurs and never know it because they cause no symptoms. For others, the formations do cause symptoms. The bone spurs themselves, also known as osteophytes, are...
Supination is the rolling of the foot to the outside during normal walking or running motions. The term is usually used in connection with over-supination, which means that the arch of the foot is too high and too much weight is placed on the...
Few people consider their toes among the most important body parts, so it may be surprising to learn how relatively easy it can be to lose one of those lower digits. While elective amputation of the toe is most often performed to inhibit...
Although outer foot pain may occur in runners, running itself is not the cause of the discomfort. According to the Sports Injury Clinic website, numerous factors may contribute to outer foot pain in runners, including running shoes, overtraining,...
Hammer toes are a foot deformity in which one or more toes are unnaturally bent into a claw-like position. In addition to negatively impacting the appearance of a child's foot, hammer toe typically leads to foot pain and difficulty walking. The...
Soft corns, according to the Podiatry Network, are areas of white, moist skin that commonly occur between the fourth and fifth toes. Soft corns have the potential to become very painful and may form small sores that can become infected. Soft corns...
The feet are made up of a range of tissues and cell types that work together to allow for stability, balance and locomotion. Each foot contains an ankle, an instep and a set of toes, which collectively contain over 100 muscles, tendons and...
Pes cavus or claw foot, as it's colloquially called, is the relatively simple and common condition of high arches in the feet that has an unfortunate and, some might say, frightening name. Mild cases result in some discomfort in the form of...
Itchy skin on your feet can cause a lot of irritation and make you uncomfortable. It may also become an embarrassing situation for you if you are at the pool or your feet are exposed in public. This problem is very common and is both easily...
When the foot has a higher than usual arch, it is classified as a cavus foot, or pes cavus. Pes cavus literally means "hollow foot," according to UW Medicine, because the impression a cavus foot leaves consists mainly of the heel and ball of the...
Whether you have tried everything you could find to unblock that ear congestion or you just prefer to avoid medications that can have side effects, acupressure can be a superb treatment to get you hearing clearly again. The Merriam-Webster medical...
A variety of infections and disorders can cause feet to itch. Sweaty feet, synthetic-fabric socks, tight shoes and shoes made of occlusive materials can make the condition worse. Determining the cause of the itch is imperative to correctly treat...
The calf raise exercise targets the muscles on the back of your lower legs that facilitate plantar flexion, or ankle extension. These muscles contract to lift your heels off the floor during the upward-movement phase of the exercise, and to...
Fungal infections of the skin affect the surface of the skin, nails and mucous membranes. Fungus thrives in warm, moist areas of the body and places where skin surfaces meet. Most fungal infections stay on the topmost layer of skin but, in rare...
Skin infections fall under two general categories, tinea and candida. Both types of infections occur in the top layer of skin, hair, nails and mucous membrane. However, some infections can invade deeper layers of the skin and spread to the blood...
Look at your second toe, next to the big one. Is it longer than the big toe? If so, you are especially prone to a metatarsal fracture of this foot bone. If you participate in athletics and have a longer second toe, it is extremely important to...
The long bones in your foot between the ankle and the toes are called metatarsals. These bones are numbered rather than named, with the metatarsal at the base of the big toe being the first metatarsal, down to the little toe, which is the fifth...
The two main risks you face when dancing, as they relate to your feet, are blisters and bone fractures. Blisters form when your shoes have too much wiggle room, producing friction between your toes and shoes. More serious are bone injuries, most...
If you stub your little toe or wear tight shoes, you experience pain on the outside, or the lateral portion, of your foot. Lateral foot pain can also be a symptom of peroneal tendinitis, a stress fracture of your fifth metatarsal or a bruise....
Bunions can occur when a bony bump forms on the base of the big toe and causes the big toe to push against other nearby toes, according to MayoClinic.com. Bunions can cause discomfort and pain in the affected toe. People can develop bunions from...
As varied as the different forms of dance are, most of them have one element in common --- the five positions. The five positions are based in ballet, but they correspond to common foot and arm positions encountered in many kinds of choreography....
Top-rated walking sneakers will provide four essential functions: shock absorption, stability, comfort and durability. Walking sneakers must be lightweight for fluid motion as well as possess a supportive heel cup, a flexible forefoot and a...
A bunion is a deformity of the foot known by the medical terms hallux valgus and hallux abducto valgus. A bunion appears as a bump on the side of your big toe, signals an underlying problem in the bones of your foot. Bunions begin with your big...
If you're looking to tone, sculpt and strengthen your legs to be ready for shorts this summer, look no further. Two common mistake women make when working out is not working their legs enough, due to a fear of getting bulky, or only focusing on...
Professional dancers make their movements seem effortless, as though they are gliding on air, but ballet is a workout. Ballet barres are support tools used to work through a series of warm-up exercises in a ballet studio before engaging in free...
Foot pain can stem from numerous causes. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, almost all causes of foot pain can be grouped into three categories: ill-fitting shoes, high-impact exercise and certain medical conditions. Most foot...
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that pregnancy is measured from the last day of the previous menstrual cycle. Though conception may not begin for two weeks after the cycle, those weeks are counted in the 40-week estimation to the due date....
Teaching ballet to kids requires different techniques for different ages. Younger children, ages three to five, respond well to story and prop teaching. Children ages six to ten learn moves quickly when given consistent instruction. Children ages...
