We put a lot of strain on our feet every single day, so it should come as no surprise that are feet are a common location for injuries to develop. However, that doesn’t mean that these injuries always heal quickly. Lingering foot injuries can cause discomfort with every step you take, but why can foot injuries take so long to heal? In today’s blog, we share five reasons why foot injuries can be slow to heal.
Why Isn’t My Foot Injury Healing?
Foot injuries can be slow to heal for a number of reasons, and only some of these factors are controllable. Here’s a look at five reasons why your foot injury may not be healing as quickly as you expected it to heal:
1. Continued Stress – If you hurt your wrist, you can typically work to protect it throughout the day by using your other arm for most tasks. That’s not really true when it comes to your feet. You’re going to place stress on your feet every time you take a step, and that continued strain can end up slowing down your recovery.
2. Far From Your Heart – Your feet are the part of your body that’s farthest away from your heart, so it can be hard for them to get an ample blood supply. Your body needs a healthy dose of nutrient-rich blood after an injury, and it’s a little harder for your body to deliver it to your feet because they are naturally farther away from your heart.
3. Complex Structure – Your feet aren’t just made up of a couple of bones. There are 26 bones in each foot, and that can lead to unique injuries or damage to small structures that simply don’t have the best healing rates compared to larger bones in your body.
4. Complicated By Other Health Issues – As we mentioned in the second point, the fact that your feet are far from your heart can make it harder for them to get adequate blood flow, and this problem is only further complicated if you have underlying health issues that affect your circulation. Diabetes and heart disease can also work to inhibit healthy blood flow, and oftentimes the area of your body that is most affected by this is your feet.
5. Often Ignored – Finally, sometimes we only have ourselves to blame for a delayed recovery. It’s common to assume that foot injuries will eventually heal on their own or that you’ll be able to “walk it off,” but continuing to stress your feet can delay healing or even cause worsening injuries. If you really want to make sure that you put a foot injury in the past, connect with a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman who can provide a specific diagnosis and set you up with an individualized treatment plan.
