What Is A Bunion?

Bunion is the most common foot problems. A bunion is an abnormal bulging of bony growth that forms at the base of the big toe, causing it to push towards the other toes and cramping them together. The bunion forms partly because of the new angle of the big toe, and partly due to inflammation over the bunion surface. As the inflammation worsens, pain with shoe wear and simple walking will be experienced.

Contrary to popular beliefs that bunions are only caused by bad footwear, bunions are actually also a result of excessive rolling in of the foot. Towards the end of the gait cycle when the foot has excessively pronated, there is a tendency to roll the inside of the big toe pushing it towards the second toe. This forces the inner part of the foot, especially the big toe joint, bear the body weight. This repetitive motion over time pushes the big toe to assume this position permanently.

Flat-footed people can also suffer from bunion as the foot tends to pronate inward while walking. This long-term pronation will cause swelling and inflammation. The correct walking pattern needs to be learnt in order to re-educate the foot muscles to function properly again. Over-pronation does not only affect the feet and forms bunion, it also forces the lower leg to rotate unwillingly, injuring the knee in the long run.

What is Achilles Tendonitis?

The Achilles Tendon is the large tendon running from the calf muscles (the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) located in the back of the leg to the back of the heel. Achilles Tendonitis is a condition of irritation and inflammation of the large tendon in the back of the ankle. The usual complaint associated with Achilles tendonitis is pain behind the heel and the lower calf. You can have Achilles Tendonitis as a result of accumulated day-to-day irritations that inflame the tendon over a period of time.

For those who did not experience any trauma to the calves and feet, Achilles Tendonitis is sometimes associated simply with long periods of standing. Inadequate stretching before engaging in athletic or other physically-demanding activities can also be the cause.

Improper shoe selection, particularly using high heels over many years, increases your odds of developing the condition. This is because high-heeled shoes cause your calf muscles to contract, leaving the tendon with a lot less slack in it, if no stretching is done. This degeneration means that the Achilles Tendon does not possess its normal tensile strength and may be liable to rupture with continued sporting activity.

What Is Ankle Pain?

The ankle joint is comprised of the talus, an irregularly shaped bone with a dome, that sits between the specialized ends of the lower leg bones, the tibia and fibula. Together these two leg bones make the socket that holds the talus in place.

However, when we collapse on our ankle, not only can we sprain the ligament that holds the bones securely in place, but quite often the lower end of the fibula is pushed forward. The three bones no longer sit together properly in the joint, causing a positional fault.

If the talus bone is not seated correctly, it throws off the normal feedback loops and control mechanisms of the ankle, adversely affecting both balance and mobility.

Ankle pain is usually the result of a sprain or an injury or it could be from years of weakness and stiffness in the ankles because of lack of proper stretching and exercise. Reduced use of the foot will not have the ankle healed completely. Moreover, doing that will cause much hindrance to your lifestyle. If your ankle pain is a result of an old injury or weak ankles, it generally takes a little longer to eliminate the ankle pain, because there will be more scar tissue formation and a greater damage.