Protecting Bones in Feet: Bone & Joint Health Action Week

Let’s talk bones in feet. Each of your feet has 26 bones and 33 joints, not to mention hundreds of muscles, ligaments and tendons. Because our feet carry our full body weight for hours each day, they can take a beating over the years. And that’s why, as your podiatrist serving Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers & Zionsville, IN, we want to help you keep them safe and healthy. 

But why choose this week to discuss this topic? Well, each year, the world marks Bone and Joint Health Action Week between the October 12-20th.  During this time period, podiatrists like Dr. David Sullivan focus on protecting their patients from conditions and injuries that affect bone and joint health. Ready to get proactive about your foot bone and joint health? Let’s dive in!

Bones in Feet: Injuries that Affect Bone and Joint Health

Any damage to the bones or joint in your feet can leave you dealing with chronic pain. Worse, a bone injury in your foot can impact your mobility, making it hard for you to get through your day, let alone to engage in exercise. 

Unfortunately, there are so many hazards facing bones in feet. First, you have to worry about traumatic injuries. When you drop something on your foot or stub your toe, it’s surprisingly easy to break a bone. As a result, if your pain doesn’t improve within a day or two of a foot injury, it’s important to come into the office for an x-ray. Otherwise, you could be walking on a broken bone. And that could lead to a longer recovery period or improper healing. 

Similarly, sports injuries can impact the health of joints and bones in feet. From turf toe to Jones’ fractures, playing sports on artificial surfaces—especially if they involve kicking, cutting and pushing off—can take a toll on your feet. Never play through pain. And always come see us if you experience foot, toe or ankle discomfort when you’re on the field. 

Medical Conditions that Target Foot Joints and Bones

Certain medical conditions and the aging process can impact your foot’s bone and joint health. Both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can impact your feet. Arthritis describes inflammation of your joints, and it’s a very common condition among older Americans. Symptoms of arthritis in your foot include pain, stiffness, and tenderness around the joint site. And, while we can’t cure this condition, seeking early intervention can slow disease progression and preserve your mobility.  Treatment options include physical therapy to maintain mobility and pain medications among other options. 

As you get older, you may also develop bone spurs on your feet, most often on your heels. (That’s why they’re often called heel spurs.) These bony outgrowths form because of pressure. On their own, they aren’t problematic, but they may rub against your shoes, causing pain and becoming inflamed. To treat bone spurs, we have to remove pressure from your feet. And we can usually do that by fitting you for custom orthotics. 

Now, there is one condition that affects bones in the feet of younger adults. Called an osteochondroma, this is a non-cancerous tumor that forms on the bone beneath the toenail. Again, these tumors aren’t inherently problematic. But they can cause irritation, and may become painful if they grow into your toenail.  If that happens, we may need to surgically remove the growth.