Here are common aches and pains—and easy foot pain cures to keep your feet healthy and strong. A stiff big toe: You could have…osteoarthritis Though experts don’t know how many people have OA of the big toe, they agree it is more common as we pass the half-century mark. “Because you push off the big toe with every step, it gets lots of wear and tear,” explains Erika Schwartz, DPM, a spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association. As the joint’s cartilage wears down, it may feel stiff or hurt when you walk, a condition dubbed hallux limitus. Eventually, the joint may stop moving altogether—a painful condition called hallux rigidus. Some people also develop an overgrowth of bone, or a bone spur, on top of the joint, which many patients mistake for a bunion.Treat it right: See a doctor as soon as you suspect a problem, says Bob Baravarian, MD, codirector of the University Foot and Ankle Institute in Los Angeles and chief of foot and ankle surgery at Santa Monica/UCLA and Orthopedic Hospital. At this point, he says, you may be able to control the OA with shoes that are long enough and have a deep enough toe box to keep your big toe from rubbing against the side of the shoe. A rigid sole should also help, as it prevents your big toe from bending and twisting. At an early stage, exercises help you regain range of motion, says Hylton B. Menz, PhD, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. His recommendation: Place a towel on the floor and put your foot on it, keeping your heel flush with the towel’s near edge. Using your toes, grip the fabric, moving it bit by bit toward your heel. Repeat 5 times. Do this 3 times a week until symptoms subside. You can also ask your doctor about OTC or prescription shoe inserts and medication, such as ibuprofen or a cortisone injection. Surgery is another option, says Baravarian. Depending on the type of operation you have, recovery time can vary from 1 to 2 months. MORE: 3 Moves To Strengthen Your Ankles A bump on the big-toe joint: You could have…a bunion This bony bump forms at the base of the joint and pushes the big toe against the others, causing swelling, soreness, or thickening of the skin, as well as limited movement. Your genes predispose you to bunions (also called hallux valgus), but tight shoes and high heels could also be a cause. Though you can develop a bunion at any age if you’re genetically predisposed (or if you’ve really abused your feet), the likelihood is more common as you get older. One study found that women in their 40s were 1 1/2 more times more likely to have bunions than 30-somethings. Those in their 50s were 3 1/2 times more likely; from 60 to 69, the likelihood rose to 6 times.Treat it right: When the big toe starts drifting inward, you might be able to coax it back to its normal position and keep a bunion from developing, says Menz, who is also director of the Musculo-skeletal Research Center at La Trobe University in Australia. He suggests sitting down, placing your feet side by side, and looping a thick elastic band around your big toes. Slowly pull your feet apart to tighten the elastic. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets once a day, every day, to maintain the improvement. You can also try a flexible splint, such as Bunion Aid (alphaorthotics.com), which can reduce mild displacement of the big toe. Menz warns that such devices do not cure bunions but simply help while they’re being used. If conservative measures don’t solve the problem, you could be a candidate for several types of outpatient bunion surgery. Recovery varies from a few weeks to 2 months, depending on the procedure you have. Heel pain: You could have…heel pain syndrome The cushiony fat pads in your heels can lose some of their elasticity due to aging or excess weight. The result is inflammation and a dull, chronic ache in the center of your heel, says Menz.Treat it right: He suggests wearing comfortable flats and using an OTC heel pad or heel cup in your shoe for extra cushioning. Or try icing, says Baravarian, who explains that chilling your heel reduces the inflammation that’s caus-ing the discomfort. For a quickie way to ice, freeze a plastic bottle filled with water, he says. Place the bottle on the floor, and roll your heel and foot over it for about 10 minutes a day until the discomfort subsides. Are your toenails at risk? Fully 65% of people age 65 and older have thick toenails, making it one of the most common foot problems, according to researcher Hylton B. Menz, PhD. Once nails thicken, they can even separate painfully from the toe bed. The prime culprit is athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis, which can hang out in your shoes for years before causing symptoms, says Robert Brodell, MD, a professor at Northwestern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. To fight a mild infection and begin growing new, thinner nails, you may need an OTC or prescription topical antifungal preparation. If topicals don’t work, the next step may be prescription oral medication. You can also control the problem by thoroughly drying your feet after they become wet. MORE: 7 Things Your Nails Say About Your Health
