Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Foot Problems and Injuries

  • You can help prevent foot injuries and problems. Wear good athletic shoes, such as shoes with cushioned soles (especially heels) and good arch support. Physical therapists, orthopedists, podiatrists, and sports medicine health professionals can...

  • The following tips on good footwear may prevent toe, foot, or ankle problems or injuries. Have your feet measured regularly. The size of your feet may change as you grow older. Have both feet measured. Often one foot is larger than the other. The shoes should be fitted to the larger foot. Don't...

  • Tips to prevent foot cramps include the following: Take a warm bath and do some stretching exercises before you go to bed if cramps wake you at night. Avoid pointing your toes while you stretch. Try not to sleep with your toes pointed. Keep your...

  • Discusses common toe, foot, and ankle injuries. Covers home treatment and basic foot care. Offers injury prevention tips.

  • Many foot problems—such as bunions, calluses and corns, or hammer, claw, or mallet toes—will not become severely painful or disabling if you wear shoes with a wide toe box that gives your toes and the ball of your foot more room. Try to wear shoes that: Have low heels. Avoid high-heeled, narrow, or...

  • Footwear plays a large role in the development of foot and toe problems such as bunions, calluses and corns, and hammer, claw, and mallet toes. Shoes that don't fit properly make these conditions worse and more painful. But wearing the right shoes may help keep foot problems from becoming worse. A comfortable...

  • Normal changes occur in your feet as you age. Feet tend to spread, possibly causing shoe size to change. Have your feet measured each time you buy shoes. Do not assume that your shoe size has not changed. The bottoms of the feet lose the fatty pads...

  • Describes clubfoot and what causes it. Covers symptoms and diagnosis. Also covers treatment, including surgery and nonsurgical methods. Offers info on when clubfoot might point to a more serious problem.

  • Defines flatfoot, its causes, and who is affected by the condition. Lists symptoms and discusses treatment options. Offers pictures of exercises that may help.

  • If osteoarthritis in the joints of the hands or feet is so severe that function is impossible (rare with osteoarthritis), surgery may allow some pain-free motion. In the hands, the goal is enough pain-free motion to allow the person to do basic...

  • Tips to prevent foot cramps include the following: Take a warm bath and do some stretching exercises before you go to bed if cramps wake you at night. Avoid pointing your toes while you stretch. Try not to sleep with your toes pointed. Keep your...

  • Discusses common toe, foot, and ankle injuries. Covers home treatment and basic foot care. Offers injury prevention tips.

  • Guides through decision to have surgery for hammer, claw, or mallet toe. Includes symptoms of hammer, claw and mallet toe and describes nonsurgical treatment. Covers benefits and risks. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

  • Discusses causes and symptoms of hammer, claw, and mallet toes. Covers diagnosis (including specific tests and exams). Looks at treatment options, including surgery. Also offers home treatment tips.

  • Surgeons often use phalangeal head resection to correct hammer, claw, and mallet toes. In this procedure, the surgeon removes part of one of the toe bones, the phalangeal head, so that the toe can lie flat. The affected tendons are cut and then reattached to conform to the new, correct toe position. A wire or tape holds...

  • Guides through the decision to have surgery for plantar fasciitis to relieve foot and heel pain. Covers alternative treatments, including stretching exercises and orthotics. Discusses risks. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

  • Discusses open surgery and endoscopic surgery to help relieve foot and heel pain from plantar fasciitis. Describes how it is done and what to expect after surgery. Covers how well it works and the risks.

  • Covers plantar fasciitis, a common cause of heel pain. Discusses causes, including flat feet or tight Achilles tendon. Covers treatment to relieve pain and improve strength and flexibility. Discusses what increases your risk and offers prevention tips.

  • Helps you check symptoms of leg injuries caused during sports or recreational activities, work-related tasks, and work or projects around home. Includes bruises, swelling, sprains, pulled muscles, and broken bones. Discusses treatment and prevention.

  • Helps you check symptoms of leg problems not caused by injury. Covers symptoms like pain, swelling, cramps, numbness, tingling, weakness, and lumps and bumps under the skin. Includes pictures of bones of lower leg, thigh, and muscles and tendons.

  • Discusses exercises to stretch and strengthen the plantar fascia ligament and Achilles tendon. Has illustrations of exercises. Covers exercises to avoid. Offers other tips like resting or icing to help relieve heel pain.

  • Plantar fasciitis in athletes is often the result of overtraining. You will need to reduce your level of activity. Or you will need to switch to another type of activity that puts less stress on your feet. This, combined with stretching, anti-inflammatory drugs, and making sure that you have good-quality shoes, will...

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