Medical Facts Underlining the Pain and Inflammation in Your Feet
Undoubtedly, your feet have the most challenging job. They must carry your body weight as you walk, run or take part in other activities. Regular use of your feet can easily cause complications. Mechanical pain can also arise from poor biomechanics, overuse and muscle imbalances. All these parameters lead to lots of discomfort and foot pain. It is worth noting that the pain can also come from inflammation of the foot tissues, requiring thorough examination by a podiatrist. In this piece, you will learn about the conditions underlining the pain and inflammation in your feet:
Gout
Gout is one of the most notorious causes of foot inflammation and pain. It occurs when uric acid creates needle-like crystals in your feet. Typically, uric acid is a urinal secretion that accompanies urine from the kidneys. In some cases, your kidneys can produce high or low amounts of urine. That builds up in your foot joints as sharp crystals. These events trigger a response from your immune system, which moves in to eat up these foreign crystals. When this happens, there will be inflammation and pain.
The painful attacks are sudden and severe, and they happen at the base of your big toe's joint. Your podiatrist will administer a combination of medicine that will adjust the levels of uric acid and reduce the inflammation. This only comes after a comprehensive examination.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a condition where your immune system attacks your tendons, ligaments and joints. The internal attack by the immune system makes this an autoimmune condition. Usually, psoriasis comes before psoriatic arthritis. Psoriasis is a skin disorder characterised by red bumps on your skin. The bumps come from abnormal multiplication of your skin cells. Irregular nail development may also accompany this skin condition as you head towards an attack by arthritis.
The condition causes swelling of the toes, often referred to as sausage digits. You will also experience pain below the feet due to inflammation (plantar fasciitis). If you see any of the symptoms discussed here, make your way to the podiatrist as soon as possible. Prompt treatment is critical for restricting the spread of the disease to other joints in your feet.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is also an autoimmune disorder. It occurs when the body launches an attack on the synovium, a lining on one of your foot joints. Rheumatoid arthritis causes painful balls in your feet. You need to see a podiatrist for the right antirheumatic medication.
Contact a podiatry clinic to learn more.