What are the most common foot and ankle problems?
The most common problems that we see are ankle or foot sprains, which are probably the most common sports-related injuries in any part of the body. Other common problems are heel pain, or plantar fasciitis, bunion or hammertoe deformities, neuromas and tendonitis. The causes can be anything from overuse injuries to fractures, tendon tears or nerve irritation. How can foot and ankle problems be avoided? The simplest and most common thing that is not done well, is stretching adequately. The main area to stretch is the Achilles tendon. When the Achilles is tight, a lot more strain is put on the foot during every step of walking. It’s also important to wear the proper type of shoes. It’s not that a certain shoe causes a bunion or hammertoe — those are genetic conditions — but if a person wears tight shoes and has a predisposition toward a certain foot ailment, this could cause a problem. The shoes should also be adequate as far as the type of activity you’re engaged in. For example, if you
