How do you know if foot is hurt?

Answer 1

There are many bones, joint surfaces, muscles, and connective tissues of the foot. Without more detailed info I wouldn't give out a guess as to what is wrong with your foot or what to do about it. If the pain is severe or isn't getting better, you should consider having a doctor check it out.

If the pain is not severe, you should start by offering more information about where it hurts, what movements or positions cause the pain to appear or increase, and what activities have you done recently that could have caused the problem.

Some things to consider:

1. What high impact activities are you doing such as dancing, running or jumping that could be putting chronic stress on the foot? You might need to reduce or stop doing activities like these for a bit and see if the foot improves.

2. Are you spending a lot of time on your feet standing or walking? Pay attention to how you distribute your weight on your feet while you're standing, or how the foot interacts with the ground as you're walking. When you're standing does your weight always shift more to one leg? Does your weight shift more to your heels or the outer edges of the feet? When you walk does one foot seem to move or feel differently when it strikes the ground, or when it propels you forward? If you observe any of the things I mentioned, try making small adjustments to how you stand or walk and see if it provides more comfort to your foot.

3. Have you introduced new foot wear recently that you're not used to wearing? If yes, consider wearing different foot wear for a while and seeing if your foot improves.

4. Do you have old footwear that maybe doesn't support your foot as well anymore due to wear and tear? If yes, buy new shoes.

5. Do you wear high heels or any kind of foot wear that puts the foot in an unnatural position for long periods of time? If yes, consider reducing or eliminating the amount of time you spend in this type of footwear.

6. Do you have any conditions that would affect your blood circulation to your feet? If yes or maybe, consult a doctor.

7. Do you have any conditions that would affect the nerves that connect to the feet? If yes or maybe, consult a doctor.

If you insist on continuing the activities that are stressing your foot, you might consider enlisting the help of a well qualified professional to help you condition your foot to handle higher amounts of physical stress. Regardless of which profession you seek out, do your homework to make sure the practitioner you seek out is experienced and has success with foot issues. Some various suggestions are:

1. A physical therapist. Being a licensed medical professional, a PT has many potential tools in their tool box to help with various ailments. This could be corrective or therapeutic exercises, soft tissue work such as Active Release Therapy, icing, ultrasound or infrared therapy, dry needling, kinesio taping, making custom shoe orthotics, etc. A big benefit of a PT is that most of them take medical insurance.

2. A massage therapist. There are many styles of massage as well as massage therapists that specialize in working with certain types of clients. I would recommend working with one that is licensed by the state you're in, and has experience working with clients in either a clinical or rehab setting or an athletic performance type of setting. Some massage therapists can also take medical insurance.

3. A personal trainer, licensed athletic trainer, or strength & conditioning coach. While personal trainers and strength coaches are not licensed by the state, if you find a good one that has sought out advanced specialized education and has many years of experience working with clients, they might be able to help you. Most fitness professionals don't have much specialized education with the foot, but it doesn't mean they don't exist. A fit pro to consider is one that has sufficient education in biomechanics and anatomy, particularly in the foot. In addition if you can find one that has specialized training in something like Muscle Activation Techniques or Neuro Kinetic Therapy, they would have more tools in their toolbox to help you with. Licensed athletic trainers can do many of the same taping methods as a PT, and they do have some degree of ability to diagnose certain types of injuries.

Answer 2

If anything hurts for an extended period of time, gets worse, or concerns you - go to a doctor. Do not ask your friends or strangers soon the internet for medical advice (which you can't trust!)

Answer 3

Ice the part that hurts and keep it elevated, or go see a doctor

Answer 4

if it hurts...