Pain in your feet can stop you in your tracks. At BioPed Footcare, our goal is to help alleviate your foot pain with effective, high-integrity solutions that empower you to Do More in life! If you have pain in your foot due to an acute injury or chronic issue, you may benefit from taping or cortisone. Let’s dive into how both can help ease foot pain and get you back on the right track!
Taping
Taping is typically used for two reasons: to protect a joint from injury or to stabilize an existing injury. It can limit joint range-of-motion or support an ideal foot position to offer relief as a short-term modality. Taping is beneficial for sports and musculoskeletal injuries as it is effective in facilitating rehabilitation.
Zinc oxide tape is a type of rigid tape used to restrict the range of motion. Pain in your big toe joint may be caused by an injury such as Turf toe or due to chronic discomfort from arthritis. Spica taping can alleviate pain in this joint as it immobilizes it, limiting movement. Plantar fasciitis or pain on the bottom of the heel, occurs when the plantar fascia tears away from the bone causing inflammation and pain. Low dye taping helps off-load the strain on the plantar fascia and provides arch support. Basket weave taping is the gold standard for treatment following an ankle sprain to aid in rehabilitation and to prevent re-injury, as it supports the lateral ankle joint complex.
Cortisone
A cortisone shot is an injection of a medicine that treats inflammation and relieves pain. It is a manufactured corticosteroid that closely resembles a naturally occurring hormone in the body known as cortisol. If you suffer from heel pain or plantar fasciitis, pain in your big toe joint or have been diagnosed with a neuroma, a cortisone injection may be a viable treatment option for you! All three of these ailments can be successfully treated with a cortisone shot as it decreases inflammation and offers a localized relief from pain. This is accomplished by delivering the cortisone directly to the site of concern by injection. Cortisone shots are usually a mixture of the corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic. The local anesthetic offers immediate pain relief, numbing the area for a few hours afterwards.
A cortisone injection can significantly reduce localized inflammation anywhere between 6 weeks to 6 months. It is a great adjunct to other treatments like taping and even custom foot orthotics as it allows damaged tissue to heal. Most people are good candidates for a cortisone injection into the foot, except for the following; children, those with a medication specific allergy or those who are already taking corticosteroids to treat another issue.
We can help!
If you are unsure as to whether taping is a good choice or if cortisone is safe for you, it is best to ask your primary care professional or one of BioPed’s lower limb clinicians. BioPed’s lower limb clinicians are skilled in taping the foot to offer relief. Cortisone shots are offered at select BioPed clinics, where Chiropody services are provided. To find your nearest location, or to request an appointment today, For more information, contact your local clinic today.
