Our feet are supposed to look the same. When you are experiencing pain, a good thing to do is to look down to see if your feet look the same. Is there swelling, redness, both, or something else that is different about one foot? Having a good one to compare the bad one to does make it easier for us to make an accurate diagnosis. It’s also easier for you to determine whether you should be concerned.
A common condition that happens just below the ankle often makes one foot look different than the other. Sometimes the appearance is subtle and sometimes it’s quite obvious. The affected foot often has swelling and sometimes redness.
To see it best, looking down while you are standing gives you the best picture. Pain and swelling in this area are a sign of a common form of tendinitis. This condition usually occurs without an injury.
Women who are over 40 years of age are more prone to this condition than are males. People with flat feet typically are the most prone as well.
There is a simple test you can do at home that indicates whether this tendon is the culprit. It would be best to hold onto the wall or something while doing it.
- Start with keeping one foot on the floor and the other raised just off the floor.
- Try to go up on your tiptoes on the foot that’s on the floor.
If this is no problem for you, then the tendon isn’t affected.
Switch to having the other foot on the floor and the opposite raised, and then try going up on tiptoes again. It’s a classic sign of this major tendon being a problem when the affected foot can’t raise up onto the toes.
When there is pain and swelling caused by this form of tendinitis, ICE, rest, better shoes, anti-inflammatories, and physical therapy will have a minimal effect. The longer this condition exists, the higher the risk of the tendon tearing. Remember, our feet are supposed to look the same.
