Blog &amp; Columns

When knee pain makes you afraid to walk

Patients tell us their knees are swollen and painful, every step is hard, and going down stairs makes them nervous. Often the lower back is uncomfortable too. Because it hurts, they walk less; because they walk less, their legs get weaker; and then it hurts more. They come to us after living inside this loop.

When only one foot hurts, but it started on the other side

Patients tell us their foot hurts as if it's tearing when they take their first step getting out of bed in the morning. It eases a little after walking, but gets worse as the day goes on. Often the sole and the area just above the heel hurt together. What's distinctive here is that it's only on one side. In many cases, the person has been favoring the other side for a long time.

When your feet tire quickly and changing shoes doesn't help

Patients tell us their soles feel heavy after walking just a little. Thinking the shoes were the problem, they've tried several pairs, but nothing changed. They also say their lower back feels heavy the day after a light walk, and they assumed it was just low stamina. Pain patches and massage help for a while, but within a few days it comes back, again and again.

When your lower back hurts more standing than sitting

Patients tell us they thought their back hurt from sitting too long, but it's actually worse when they walk or stand. That detail is the clue. They also mention the soles of their feet burn and they get tired after walking just a little. They talk about the feet and the back separately, but when we ask, the two come up together. They've tried pain patches and stretching, but nothing changed.

Why we look at the feet first when your child's body seems to lean to one side

Parents tell us that in a photo, one of their child's shoulders looks higher and the back looks rounded. They come in about posture, but when we ask, the feet come up. They also mention the child doesn't like walking for long, often asks to be carried, and wears down the soles of the shoes on one side only. When the base is unsteady, the parts above take over the load.

Can high foot arches be a problem too?

They can. People usually only talk about flat feet with collapsed arches, but feet with arches that are too high can also cause trouble because they can't let impact flow through. The arch is a bridge-like structure that sinks slightly with each step to absorb impact. If it's too high, there's no room to sink, so the impact travels straight up. Calluses form easily on the outer edge of the foot, ankles get sprained often, and

Can Bunions Get Better Without Surgery?

It's hard to reverse the angle of a toe that has already bent without surgery. However, the pain and how fast it bends further can be managed without surgery. There's a reason we make this distinction first. If you take "it can be corrected without surgery" at face value, you'll expect the shape to go back to normal. That doesn't happen. As the big toe bends toward the second toe,

Do Flat Feet Always Need to Be Corrected?

No. Many people have flat feet and no discomfort at all. If it doesn't hurt and doesn't get in the way of walking, we don't intervene. We don't recommend treatment just because your feet are shaped differently from other people's. What we go by is discomfort, not shape. If we don't hold to this line, we end up giving treatment that isn't needed. When there's recurring pain in the feet, knees, or back,

How Are Store-Bought Insoles Different from Custom-Made Ones?

Store-bought insoles are made to fit an average foot shape. Custom-made insoles decide which points to support, and how much, based on your own arch height and where your weight passes. Both are useful. If your feet have no particular problems and you just want to feel less tired when standing for a long time, store-bought ones are enough. If your arch has collapsed, your feet differ left to right, or there's already a painful spot

I Had Shockwave Therapy but It Didn't Help. What Should I Look At?

It's not that the treatment was wrong; you need to look at whether the conditions that caused the pain are still there. If the collapsed arch and the way you walk stay the same, the inflammation comes back even after it's calmed down. People who ask this have usually already had several sessions. They say it's a bit better during treatment, but after a while the pain returns. Then the next step isn't more of the same treatment

Why Does Plantar Fasciitis Keep Coming Back?

Because only the pain is calmed down while the way you use your feet stays the same. Even after the inflammation settles, if the same force keeps landing on the same spot, it swells again. A typical sign is a stabbing pain in the heel with your first step in the morning. After a few steps it eases and seems to be getting better, but after walking or standing for a long time, it hurts again. This cycle often goes on for months