There are many myths about ankle and foot pain and injuries that can lead to an improper diagnosis, treatment responses, or oversight of some serious medical situations. Knowing more details about some of these top myths can help to improve proper responsiveness, and treatment, and help you to avoid misdiagnosis or experiencing more drawn-out, serious, or even life-threatening medical situations. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the top myths about foot pain specifically, as well as some ideal options for effectively treating the types of pain in these myths.
Foot Pain Myths
Myths about medical treatments, equipment, recovery, and different types of pain can easily create some very serious consequences. One of these serious consequences is due to believing you’re experiencing one type of pain, illness, or condition, and are experiencing another type. Another effect is from believing one type of treatment is appropriate or highly effective when it may be the wrong type of treatment or ineffective for your pain or condition. Both of these top two overhead myths can lean into each other, with wrong beliefs and diagnosis of conditions leading to wrong beliefs and treatment plans and vice versa.
Myths are beliefs held by a large number of people and often grow in prevalence by being told and retold widely. There are many different medical myths out there with serious consequences due to the medical nature of these pieces of misinformation and mistaken perceptions. Some of the top myths about foot pain specifically include dirty feet being the root cause of athlete’s foot, senior citizens simply having to put up with foot pain without any potential fixes or relief, there being nothing one can do for a broken toe, that tight shoes are the root cause of bunions, and that if you can move and walk on an injured foot, it isn’t broken.
Dirty Feet Cause Athlete’s Foot
Foot infections such as warts, fungal nails, and athletes’ feet are less about how you keep your feet clean and more about where you walk and expose your feet. The causes of athlete’s foot and fungal infections are many different fungi invading skin through cuts and other openings.
No Relief for Senior Foot Pain
With more time a person uses their feet, the more likely it is for pain, injuries, and other foot conditions to occur. However, this doesn’t mean there is no relief possible for senior foot pains such as flat feet, bunions, and other toe deformities. There are many options for nonsurgical procedures and preventative care.
Nothing to Help a Broken Toe
For a broken toe, there is help possible and you need not suffer. There are several options for treating a broken toe, including applying ice, elevating the lower leg, and wearing an orthopedic shoe or compression wrap.
Tight Shoes Cause Bunions
Bunions, also known as hallux valgus, are acquired deformities that can also have a genetic cause and run in families. Other causes include rheumatoid arthritis, a neuromuscular disease, or gout, which affects the body’s skeletal system.
Movement Means It Isn’t Broken
This is another top widespread myth about feet that has kept many people from receiving the proper treatment. You can move and walk on certain types of fractures such as breaks in the smaller, outer lower leg bone, chip fractures of the ankle or foot bones, and toe fractures.
Relief From Foot Pain
After addressing some of the top foot myths out there, you can better focus on the available relief from foot pain with the most accurate available treatments and equipment. There are many options available from The Foot and Ankle Specialists of Illinois for many different types of foot pain and conditions, as well as for different levels of severity. Effective diagnosis and treatment include some of these top foot myth pains: athlete’s foot, broken toes, bunions, fractures, sprains, and breaks throughout the legs, feet, and toes.
Athlete’s Foot
Highly common, infectious, and uncomfortable, there is relief from athlete’s foot, which if left untreated will keep getting worse. Effective treatment includes evidence-based medicine toward symptoms and causes evaluation, continuous wear of dry, cotton socks, antifungal creams and washes, and/or oral pills.
Broken Toes
To continue to stay upright and balanced all day long, take care of your broken toes as soon as possible with available care including early diagnosis, evaluation of it as a stable fracture or compound fracture, and then cast immobilization and non-weight bearing or possible surgery and then cast-immobilization based on the fracture type.
Bunions
A bunion deformity can become raised, rotated, or skewed, causing a painful bump that can also progressively worsen without proper treatment. Non-surgical treatment such as rest, ice, elevation, medication, injection, or custom orthotics is available, as well as last-resort surgical treatment.
Fractures
When addressing proper foot care, it’s also important to know if you have a fractured or sprained ankle. A fracture is a full break in one of your bones. A sprain, however, is a soft tissue injury. Both can be very painful and worsen, but proper treatment options and plans can differ greatly between these two types of injuries such as the treatments for fractures or an ace bandage for your foot in the case of sprains.
Other Breaks
There are many different breaks possible in your legs, feet, and toes, as well types of breaks and other similar injuries, including stable breaks, compound breaks, fractures, and sprains. Experiences can differ, including whether you can move the injured area or walk with your injury, and a medical opinion can make all the difference toward your health and safety.
The Right Diagnosis and Treatment of Your Foot Pain
Knowing more about some of the top foot pain myths as well as the effective diagnosis, treatment, and equipment options available can help you to have better foot care and pain relief. The Foot and Ankle Specialists of Illinois are ready to start working toward your diagnosis and attuned treatment for the best specialized, accurate, and comprehensive foot care today. If you are in the Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, or Barrington areas, come visit us today.
