Foot pain may begin as an inconvenience, but failure to get treatment can lead to problems that spread throughout the entire body. Patients who limp or alter their postures for a painful foot and ankle condition may place stress on previously uninjured parts of the body, affecting their natural gait. Many patients are forced to give up physical activities, leading to further complications due to lack of exercise. As a person’s physical health suffers, so may his or her quality of life—so it is no exaggeration to say that foot pain can severely affect a person’s current and future well-being.

Lasting Foot Pain Relief for Patients Across Maryland

At Greater Washington Advanced Podiatry, we believe that no one should be forced to suffer from painful feet. No matter how long you have been struggling with a congenital or acquired condition, our footcare specialists can find the right intervention to put an end to your foot pain for good. Fill out our contact form or call us at (301) 515-3338 and we will be in touch with you shortly to set up your free initial consultation.

While there are countless reasons patients can suffer pain in their feet, the most common involve:

  • Toe deformities. Toe problems can be a result of genetic factors, footwear, lifestyle activities, or all of the above. The constant wearing of tight or ill-fitting shoes can cause a patient to suffer a contracture in the joints of the toes, known as hammertoes. Although bent toes may allow for a smaller shoe size, the abnormal bending can cause the joints of the toe to rub against the top of the shoe, causing calluses, blisters, and open wounds. Similarly, a patient whose sports or recreational activity requires repeated pushing off of the big toe may develop pain at the joint where the big toe attaches to the rest of the foot (turf toe). Turf toe can cause swelling at the toe joint, difficulty bending and straightening the toe, or inability to run or jump without pain.
  • Growths. Benign growths such as bunions, cysts, and neuromas can develop on the surface of the skin or along the joints and tissues on the underside of the foot. Common foot abnormalities include bunions (painful bumps on the big toe joint or the outside of the foot), ganglion cysts (a swollen, fluid-filled sac on the top of the foot), or Morton’s neuroma (a tumor causing severe pain in the ball of the foot). These progressive deformities often become larger and more painful over time, causing a patient discomfort even when he or she is at rest.
  • Friction injuries. Foot deformities or improper footwear can cause excessive rubbing against the inside of a patient’s shoe, forming corns and calluses. We can examine your feet carefully and alleviate the pain and pressure on your skin from bone growths, bunions, and other irregularities.
  • Inflammation. The connective tissues of the foot absorb much of the body’s impact, and excessive walking and running may cause the tendons and ligaments below the leg to swell. Extreme pain along the inner side of the lower leg, ankle, or foot may be due to Posterior Tibial Tendonitis Dysfunction (PTTD), a condition where the tendon becomes strained due to overuse or over-pronation of the foot.
  • Nerve compression. Pain on the underside of the foot may be caused by tarsal tunnel syndrome, a condition where compression of the posterior tibial nerve causes the nerve to become inflamed. The earlier a patient seeks treatment for a foot problem, the more likely it is that he or she will benefit from non-invasive treatments—while those who wait to see a podiatrist may worsen to the point where surgery is recommended.

Our Maryland podiatrists have offices in Germantown and Silver Spring and our West Virginia podiatrists have an office in Greenbrier, making it convenient for our patients to get the help they need as quickly and painlessly as possible across the tri-state area. Call our office today at (301) 515-3338 or fill out our online contact form to learn more about our interventions and treatments.