Athletic foot care

Whatever the type of athletic sport (running, athletics, team sports, etc), it is essential to have good balance and support in order to achieve the best performance and to reduce the risk of injury. This applies for all types of sports people, from beginners to professionals.

The choice of footwear is perhaps the most important piece of equipment for the athlete to consider. Footwear includes the right shoes, socks and orthotics and other supporting aids.

Many problems can arise from ill fitting shoes or from a lack of enough support to the arches in the feet. Frequently occurring problems include pain and aching in the feet, ankles, knees, back or even the shoulder and neck.

A supporting shoe combined with custom made Pedikom restorative orthotics will provide the ideal redistribution of the body weight over the feet, taking into account the individual's requirements and will realign the bones, joints, ligaments and muscles into the ideal and most optimum, balanced position for training and sport. This will greatly improve athletic efficiency and performance and will reduce the risk of injury.

Foot problems most frequently encountered by athletes, all of which can be treated by the use of Pedikom restorative orthotics, include:

• Achilles Tendinitis - Pain and tightness felt in the lower calf muscles, which can be more painful in the morning. Causes can be high heels, hill-running, shoes with too soft heels.
• Bunions - Fallen cross (transversal) arches with a noticeable lump on the first metatarsal joint, whilst the big toe turns outwards towards the other toes. This problem is often hereditary, but in some cases it is due to the use of tightly fitting (around the forefoot) high heeled shoes.
• Hip Pain - Pain in the outer hip area and around the buttocks muscles. It can be caused by structural weakness, overuse or trauma.
• Morton's Neuroma - Pain, burning, tingling or numbness that occurs between the third and fourth toes and metatarsal bones. The nerve gets trapped when the cross arch collapses. This condition can also be hereditary.
• Plantar Fasciitis - Pain felt along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the cross arch, often worse in the morning and at the end of the day. Can be caused by standing for a long period of time, obesity, unsupportive shoes, calf and Achilles tightness or if one leg is slightly longer than the other.
• Runner's Knee - Pain below the kneecaps, which increases when walking up stairs, hills or when sitting for a long period of time. This condition is mainly due to flat feet or weak thigh muscles.
• Shin Splints - Sharp pain around the shin bone, common when undertaking too much exercise too soon. The tightness of the calf and Achilles muscles can cause this condition. It can be overcome by regular stretching both before and after exercising and by wearing properly fitting shoes and arch supporting orthotics.

Other common foot problems are listed in the "Foot Health, Common Disorders and Symptoms" section of our website.