Why are my feet killing me is a question many people are pondering. What they don’t consider is that their painful feet could indicate a more serious condition in another part of their body that may actually need medical attention.
It has been claimed by reflexologists and proponents of foot massage around the world, that manipulating points of the feet can improve the health of your internal organs. Even though aspects of the general health sometimes find expression in the feet, it still has very little evidence to support this theory.
Possible Symptoms Of Hurting Feet
When we stand or walk the feet bear the weight of the whole body. Did you know that the feet contain a quarter of the body’s bones? Each foot has 33 joints, 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments with numerous nerves and blood vessels that link all the way to the heart, spine and brain. Therefore, when the feet are out of line it’s not surprising that it affects the entire body. This makes keeping the feet in good condition vital to our well-being. Some symptoms of the feet might mean:
Muscle spams (charley horses) can be signs of deficiencies in the body, as dehydration which can mean the muscles are not getting enough oxygen and a lack or imbalance of electrolytes or nutrients as sodium, calcium, potassium or magnesium.
An enlarged big toe can indicate gout when red, hot, swollen and painful. Gout is a common type of inflammatory arthritis among men.
Cold feet might indicate poor circulation, diabetes, hypothyroidism or anemia. Feet that change color from red to white to blue may be a sign of Raynaud’s disease.
Swollen feet might indicate many problems from poor circulation and related heart failure, kidney or liver failure to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a blood clot, lymphatic buildup and cellulitis. Inflammation could mean infection.
Concave spoon-shaped toenails can be a sign of systemic disease mainly associated with nutritional deficiencies, especially iron-deficiency or anemia.
Yellow toenails are common for women who always wear nail polish but also can be a sign of tuberculosis, jaundice and even sinusitis.
Numbness or tingling can be a sign of circulatory problems or damage to the peripheral nervous system as sometimes of multiple sclerosis, tumor or a stroke.
Aching toe joints can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, which normally show up in the hands, feet, and ankles of 90% of people affected with the condition.
People who cannot lift the front part of the foot has “foot drop” which is a sign of underlying muscular, neurological or anatomical problems.
Persistent sores (neuropathy) are common symptoms of diabetes or damage to the nerves. Dry, cracked and peeling skin, calluses and poor circulation are other signs of diabetes.
Do not overlook the symptoms that your feet are trying to tell you about. It might not be life threatening but it could definitely be an alert advising you of a more serious problem. Pamper those feet and keep them pretty, but don’t forget to pay attention to what they tell you!