{"id":27727,"date":"2013-06-03T08:38:39","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T08:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/?p=27727"},"modified":"2026-06-21T14:20:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T14:20:52","slug":"forma-when-your-soles-hurt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/forma-when-your-soles-hurt\/","title":{"rendered":"FORMA: When Your Soles Hurt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>About one in ten people will experience foot pain at least once in their lifetime. And although the symptom is quite common, the causes behind foot pain can vary greatly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What causes the pain<\/strong><br \/>\nFoot pain can stem from simple issues such as prolonged standing, intense physical activity, or inappropriate footwear. However, it should not be overlooked, as it may indicate more serious conditions like metatarsalgia or Morton&#8217;s neuroma.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, pain under the &#8220;ball&#8221; of the foot (as it\u2019s commonly called) can result from overpronation or flat feet.<br \/>\nAs the foot rolls inward, the arch collapses, increasing stress on the forefoot. This pressure often leads to pain and can begin to affect other areas of the body, such as the knees and spine.<\/p>\n<p>Metatarsalgia presents as a burning sensation on the sole of the foot and is often described as walking on stones.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Spur Syndrome<\/strong><br \/>\nThis refers to the inflammation or injury of the strong fibrous band that stretches across the sole and supports the foot. Continuous microtears and lack of appropriate treatment can worsen the condition, possibly leading to a heel spur. The main cause is often fallen arches\u2014or sometimes very high arches\u2014which overload the plantar fascia. Pain is usually sharp in the morning and during the first steps of the day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hallux Valgus \u2013 \u201cBunion\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nBunions aren&#8217;t hereditary\u2014but poor foot posture is! Bunions are accompanied by pain, displacement of the big toe, and sometimes overlapping of the first and second toes. Walking difficulties, arthritis, and stiffness are common symptoms. Other toe deformities, such as hammer toes or claw toes, in combination with tight footwear, can limit mobility for both walking and sports.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chronic Overuse Syndromes \u2013 Tendonitis<\/strong><br \/>\nTendon inflammation and pain often result from using improper (flat) shoes (e.g., Achilles tendonitis), incorrect walking mechanics, or overtraining\u2014such as iliotibial band friction syndrome in runners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lower Back and Spine Issues<\/strong><br \/>\nLow back pain, sciatica, poor posture, scoliosis, numbness, and cramps may sometimes originate from foot problems. When your sole strikes the ground, everything changes! So the cause of your back pain could actually be your feet\u2014and the way you walk!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diabetic Foot, Peripheral Neuropathy, Peripheral Arteriopathy, Charcot Foot<\/strong><br \/>\nFor diabetic patients, pain sensation is often diminished, which increases the risk of injury. Due to compromised immune function, healing is also delayed. Diabetic footwear must be specially designed to avoid excessive pressure. Women with diabetes should avoid high heels. The foot must be properly supported and offloaded with specialized insoles based on foot pressure analysis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple Tips to Protect Your Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid tight shoes and high heels, as they put pressure on the metatarsals. Toes get squeezed and pushed forward.<\/li>\n<li>Maintain a healthy weight. Sudden weight gain puts excessive pressure on the feet, especially during activities like running.<\/li>\n<li>Limit intense physical activity and prolonged standing.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid sitting cross-legged for long periods.<\/li>\n<li>Get a foot analysis (pedograph test) \u2013 A simple, painless, radiation-free test that digitally maps the foot and records pressure distribution during walking. It provides valuable diagnostic insights into musculoskeletal issues (e.g., flat feet or leg length discrepancy).<\/li>\n<li>Use custom orthotic insoles \u2013 Based on the foot scan results, a specialist may recommend custom-made insoles tailored to your foot. These correct posture, support the feet, and relieve pressure to help resolve the root issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Proper footwear should:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Support the arch<\/li>\n<li>Have a flexible sole to reduce impact<\/li>\n<li>Avoid squeezing the big toe and metatarsals<\/li>\n<li>Have a low heel (up to 4\u20135 cm)<\/li>\n<li>Fit securely at the heel without excess space<\/li>\n<li>Adapt to your feet\u2014not the other way around!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Wearing improper shoes\u2014whether at work, during exercise, or due to sudden increases in physical activity\u2014can strain the soles, heels, and spine.<\/p>\n<p>Consulting a physiotherapist for shoe fitting based on gait and foot biomechanics (using a pedograph) can be very helpful.<\/p>\n<p>Properly designed orthotic insoles, using appropriate materials for shock absorption and support, can prevent worsening and contribute to resolving foot-related issues.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If the pain lasts more than two days or doesn\u2019t go away with rest and changing shoes, consult a specialist (orthopedist, pediatrician, podiatrist, physiotherapist).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read the full article (PDF)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magazine<\/strong>: <strong>FORMA<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Publication Date<\/strong>: <strong>June 2013<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>By<\/strong>: Fay Efthymiou<br \/>\n<strong>In collaboration with<\/strong>: Mimi Marcellou PT, M.Sc. \u2013 New York University, Physiotherapist &amp; Executive Director, Praxis Physiotherapy<br \/>\nand: Christos Sioulis, Orthotic Insole Specialist \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.somaigia.gr\">www.somaigia.gr<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About one in ten people will experience foot pain at least once in their lifetime. And although the symptom is quite common, the causes behind foot pain can vary greatly. What causes the pain Foot pain can stem from simple issues such as prolonged standing, intense physical activity, or inappropriate footwear. However, it should not be overlooked, as it may indicate more serious conditions like metatarsalgia or Morton&#8217;s neuroma. Additionally, pain under the &#8220;ball&#8221; of the foot (as it\u2019s commonly called) can result from overpronation or flat feet. As the foot rolls inward, the arch collapses, increasing stress on the forefoot. This pressure often leads to pain and can begin to affect other areas of the body, such as the knees and spine. Metatarsalgia presents as a burning sensation on the sole of the foot and is often described as walking on stones. Other Problems Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Spur Syndrome This refers to the inflammation or injury of the strong fibrous band that stretches across the sole and supports the foot. Continuous microtears and lack of appropriate treatment can worsen the condition, possibly leading to a heel spur. The main cause is often fallen arches\u2014or sometimes very high arches\u2014which&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-physiotherapy-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27727"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27730,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27727\/revisions\/27730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}