Step Into Comfort: Understanding Common Foot Ailments and Effective Treatments

Foot Pain and Etiology

Foot pain is a common yet debilitating result of various conditions, affecting up to 42% of the adult population and causing disability in almost half of these cases. The cause of foot pain varies significantly as it can result from damage to any tissue distal to the lower leg, including injuries to the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and vasculature. Injury to these structures can occur due to chemical, mechanical, or thermal stimuli from trauma, overload/stress, infections, nerve entrapment, or diabetic neuropathy.

The most common causes of foot pain in patients include tendonitis, stress fractures, corns, and calluses. Chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and even stroke and post-stroke neuralgias are also common causes.

Impact of Foot Pain

In addition to physical limitations, foot pain  can lead to negative effects on mood and behavior. Specifically, foot pain can decrease ambulatory capability, manifesting as reduced walking speed or loss of balance. The risk of falls increases significantly, posing a substantial risk for older patients as falls may lead to fractures. Limitations in ambulatory ability affect social life as patients are no longer able to participate in hobbies and activities integral to their lives before experiencing foot pain. Additionally, it impacts mood and behavior as patients commonly experience depressive symptoms due to these limitations. Together, these factors contribute to a reduction in patients' independence and overall quality of life.

Conventional Treatment Options

Given these impacts on quality of life, it is crucial to treat and maintain proper care for these conditions. Fortunately, much of the foot pain and associated symptoms can be treated with orthotics or shoe inserts designed to modify stance or areas of increased pressure, tailored to the individual patient. If this is not enough to eliminate or significantly reduce pain, other treatment options include steroid injections to decrease inflammation, along with physical therapy. If these conservative treatments are still insufficient, some patients benefit from podiatric procedures such as removal of any corns, calluses, or other outgrowths.

Novel Therapies: PRP by Regenexx

Another effective and recently popular option is regenerative medicine. This approach utilizes platelets, cytokines, and growth factors taken from a patient's own body in the form of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is reintroduced into a specific tissue via image guidance to help heal the affected area.

Dr. Matthew Kohler at Ospina Medical prefers using administering PRP by Regenexx. Through proprietary laboratory processing of a patient's provided blood sample, PRP b.y Regenexx therapy offers a higher concentration of platelets compared to standard PRP treatments. This enhanced strength and ability to tailor administered serums to each patient has been shown to significantly improve the healing process beyond the market standard. This method is a versatile option for treating various foot pain conditions. If you are interested in learning more or seeing what treatments could be right for your foot pain, an initial consultation with Dr. Matthew Kohler can help you take that first step.

Written By: Cherubina Rubannelsonkumar 

Edited By: Camden Rowe

Medically Reviewed By: Matthew Kohler, MD