What causes foot pain?

Foot pain has many possible causes, from injury to disease. Some of the most common causes include:

• Plantar fasciitis: heel pain from tendon damage

• Bone spurs: tiny bony heel hooks

• Gout: painful arthritic condition, often affects big toe joint

• Bunions: big bump on the side of your foot

• Arthritis: pain in your foot or toe joints

• Edema: fluid retention, leading to serious swelling

• Fractures: bone breaks 

• Neuromas: ball of nerve tissue, usually between toes

Dr. Martin treats not only feet but also ankles and lower legs. He’s an expert diagnostician who uses hands-on exams, X-rays, ultrasound, digital gait analysis, and other high-tech tools to determine the cause of your foot pain. Then, he prescribes treatment to get you pain-free.

How do you treat foot pain?

At Foot & Ankle Specialty Clinic, Dr. Martin approaches each case of foot pain according to a patient’s unique needs and condition. Available treatments include:

Plantar Fasciitis - Dr. Martin uses a different approach than many other podiatry practices, relying on nonsurgical and noninvasive pain relief whenever possible. He often prescribes at-home remedies, including special stretching exercises, shoe inserts, ice application, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 

After charting progress with noninvasive care, Dr. Martin offers surgical options if necessary. Most patients get lasting pain relief without surgery. 

Bone Spurs - Dr. Martin typically treats bone spurs with padding and custom orthotics. If you need surgery, he takes the most minimally invasive approach.

Gout - Steroid injections often relieve the intense inflammation, swelling, and pain associated with gout. You may also need oral prescription medications.

Bunions - If your bunion doesn’t hurt and isn’t triggering secondary issues, the best treatments often include steroid injections, shoe inserts, padding, taping, or bracing. These can relieve stress, reduce pressure, prevent friction, and keep the toe joint stable. 

In some cases, surgery may be needed for bunions. With surgery, Dr. Martin can realign the joint and remove the bony bump.

Arthritis - Steroid injections, padding, and bracing are effective solutions for arthritis pain and inflammation.

Edema - Dr. Martin manages edema with regular office visits and preventive care. He may prescribe oral medication to help flush away excess fluid and offer specific treatments to address the underlying conditions causing the edema.

Fractures - Dr. Martin treats foot, toe, ankle, and lower leg fractures on-site at Foot & Ankle Specialty Clinic. Some fractures heal with bracing and other noninvasive treatments, while others may require surgery.

Laser therapy may also be a good option for many causes of foot pain. Dr. Martin takes your foot pain seriously, and his top priority is helping you live without pain.

How do orthotics help with foot pain?

Custom orthotics are an excellent treatment or treatment supplement for many causes of foot pain. Dr. Martin performs a digital foot scan at Foot & Ankle Specialty Clinic and then sends your prescription to a leading orthotics lab. He does a custom fitting when the orthotics arrive. 

Orthotics can redistribute weight, optimize your gait, protect your feet, and relieve foot pain for 3-5 years on average. Foot & Ankle Specialty Clinic also offers children’s orthotics and high-quality non-custom orthotics on-site for your convenience. 

Utah Podiatry, a foot and ankle clinic, treats all types of foot pain. Reach out to either office by phone or through online booking today.