Foot health is essential for overall well-being, enabling mobility and supporting daily activities. However, various foot disorders can affect people across all populations, regardless of race. This article focuses on foot health issues prevalent among African American women, including pes planus (flat feet) and plantar fasciitis, and emphasizes the importance of proactive foot care.
Pes Planus (Flat Feet)
What do Angelina Jolie, Usain Bolt, and Elton John have in common? They each have pes planus, or more commonly flat feet. Pes planus is a condition where the arches of the feet are lower than usual or completely collapsed. It can be either congenital or acquired, occur in one or both feet, and may affect people of all ages. In some cases, arches never develop properly during childhood. Most children with congenital pes planus develop an arch by age five to 10, and any symptoms should resolve.
If not congenital, people can acquire flat feet from traumatic injury, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. While flat feet are common and often painless, they can lead to discomfort and other complications if not properly managed. Pes planus has a 17% prevalence in non-Hispanic whites and a 34% prevalence in African Americans.
According to Dr. Zerah Ali, podiatrist with the SOS Foot & Ankle Team, “We welcome patients with flat feet and aim to work with them to manage their condition. SOS has a variety of resources to treat ailing feet and provide relief.”
Management and Treatment
In most cases, flat feet can be managed with non-surgical methods including supportive footwear and orthotic devices, exercise, and weight management. The SOS Shop provides education and professional fittings in a relaxed atmosphere for customers with flat feet and other foot ailments. “A pedorthist can help people with the dysfunction and discomfort of flat feet by providing custom foot orthotics and proper fitting shoes,” says Maureen J. Kaljeskie, C. Ped., SOS Shop.
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Physical therapy can help improve foot mechanics and reduce discomfort. Caitlyn J. Hennessey, PT, DPT, SOS Orthopedic & Sports Therapy, comments, “Our goal for treating pes planus is to improve the function of the tendon running along the inner ankle and foot.”
If a person experiences persistent pain, swelling, or difficulty walking, it's important to consult a healthcare professional. The experts at SOS will work with you to navigate treatment and care to ensure your feet are healthy. Flat feet are common and typically manageable, but patients should take proactive steps to help alleviate symptoms and maintain foot health.
Here is a summary of the risk factors associated with hallux valgus:
| Risk Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Female Sex | Women are more prone to hallux valgus. |
| African-American Race | Higher prevalence in African-Americans. |
| Older Age | Risk increases with age. |
| Pes Planus | Flat feet can contribute to the development of hallux valgus. |
| Knee/Hip Osteoarthritis (OA) | Associated with lower-extremity OA. |
Other Common Foot Disorders
A 2010 study out of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine had some interesting findings about African Americans’ foot health. The study followed common foot disorders of individuals from various racial backgrounds over 5 years. Researchers then culled statistical information specific to race. With obesity removed as a factor, bunions and hammertoes were twice as prevalent in blacks as in whites.
The study suggests that race does seem to play a role in who is afflicted with certain foot disorders. But clearly, common foot disorders such as flat feet, bunions, hammertoes, and corns are going to affect people across the entire population, regardless of race.
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According to board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. No matter your ethnic background, problems that affect your feet will eventually affect your quality of life if you don’t take steps to fix them. If you’ve got a history of aching, swelling, throbbing, or numbing pain in your feet, make an appointment with us at our office in Centreville.
Top 3 Stretches for General Foot Pain
Plantar Fasciitis
If you've ever felt a sharp pain in your heel or winced with each step, you're not alone. Heel pain often comes from a condition called plantar fasciitis, caused by stress on the tissue at the bottom of your foot from repetitive activities. Plantar fasciitis happens when the strong fibre-like tissue (plantar fascia) that connects the heel bone to the bones in the ball of the foot gets irritated, stretched or torn (see fig.
The plantar fascia, which has three parts originating from the heel bone, is important for normal foot movement and helps support the arches (curvatures) of the foot while absorbing shock. Despite its name suggesting inflammation (-itis), there are no inflammatory cells involved in this condition. Each year, it is estimated that approximately one million people globally see their primary care doctors (General Practitioner or GP) due to foot pain.
Plantar fasciitis is quite common, affecting around 10% of people globally at some point in their lives. Women aged 40 to 60 years are affected most. Among adults, it's the most common cause of heel pain. While it can be triggered by various activities, most cases (about 5% to 10%) occur in both serious and casual runners. Specific information about how common plantar fasciitis is in African countries are negligible. One hospital based review of ten cases from Nigeria documented patterns of occurence that were similar to the global situation and concluded that the condition is most likely underdiagnosed in the country.
Plantar fasciitis often happens due to small tears in the plantar fascia, caused by repetitive stress on the foot. Excessive inward or outward rolling of the foot can all play a role. Occupational factors: Jobs that involve a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces, such as factory work or teaching, can also increase the risk of plantar fasciitis.
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Symptoms and Diagnosis
Pain. This is the most significant complaint that you have with plantar fasciitis. The pain occurs more commonly in one foot and rarely in both. You may feel it more in the inner and lower parts of your heels. In severe cases, it may spread forward towards your toes or upward into your leg. Standing or sitting for a long time can make your pain worse. You feel more soreness on touching and moving your foot or toes, usually at the spot where the plantar fascia connects to the heel bone (see fig.
Doctors usually diagnose it by where the pain is felt on the inside of the heel bone. Whether your foot pain is accompanied by numbness or tingling sensations. If you report recent increased activities that involve standing or walking.
Treatment Options
Most people with plantar fasciitis get better within a year without surgery. Most of the time, simple treatments work well. These can include pain relievers, wearing a splint at night, doing specific stretches, and seeing a specialist if the pain doesn't improve after six to twelve months.
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons suggests adapting treatment to fit each person's symptoms, lifestyle, and activity level rather than following a strict treatment plan. This is because many treatments don't have strong scientific evidence, even though they often help when used.
Your physical therapist can show you how to use stretch exercises to relieve your foot pains and strengthen your calf muscles. Your therapist can also teach you how to support the bottom of your foot by taping. This involves adjusting the ankle joint to reduce stress on foot. Research has shown that taping can provide short-term relief from the discomfort of plantar fasciitis.
Your therapist may use dry needling and acupuncture to treat your plantar fasciitis. It is believed that the procedures work by changing the local blood flow and biochemical environment. Your therapist might recommend the use of a night splint during sleep to keep your ankle dorsiflexed or neutral to avoid contraction of the calf muscles. Your therapist might recommend that you use special products made to support the arch of your foot.
Temporary pain relief may be achieved by injecting steroid medication directly into the painful area. To promote healing, sound waves are aimed at the heel pain location. This is for long-term plantar fasciitis when more conservative measures have failed. With the help of ultrasound imaging and using a minimally invasive technique, a needle-like probe is inserted into the injured plantar fascia.
After that, the injured tissue is broken up by fast vibrations at the probe tip. Surgery is rarely required to separate the plantar fascia from the heel bone. Usually, it is only a possibility if all other forms of treatment have failed and the pain is severe. Surgery should only be thought about if nothing else works, usually after trying non-surgical treatments for six to twelve months.
General Foot Care Tips
We depend heavily on our feet to keep us moving throughout the day, so it’s essential they get the proper care they deserve. Whether it’s cramming into uncomfortable shoes or wearing shoes that are too worn out, we often take our feet for granted.
- First, create a routine for removing excess dead skin on your heels, this is especially true for women if you want to keep your feet looking fabulous in those cute, open back shoes.
- Try soaking your feet in warm water with liquid soap for up to 20 minutes to soften the skin and keep them smooth.
- Don’t wear the same shoes everyday if possible.
- Flip flops and flat shoes should be worn sparingly as they do not usually provide proper arch support.
- If you stand for long periods of time, be sure to use a shoe insole which makes you shoes more comfortable.
