Common Ailments

The hip joint is the socket where the ball of the thigh bone joins the pelvis. The symptoms of the condition are pain, swelling, tenderness around the hip joint, the upper thighs or buttocks and also limping or difficulty during sleep on the back. This is signified by strain in the soft muscles and tissues that surround the hip joint, which could be a result of muscle stiffness, sitting/sleeping in the wrong posture for long time or a sprain. The diagnose of this condition usually involves a physical examination. The symptoms sometimes could also be a result of causes like osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis.

As the name simply suggests, this condition is the pain in or around the knee.This could be temporary caused by some injury or accident, or even sudden aggressive exercise or it could be a chronic condition, resulting in pain, swelling and sensitivity in the knees over a long period of time. This condition can affect one or both the knees. The knee joint is divided into four components, namely the femur, tibia, fibula and patella and any of these can get affected by repetitive strain, injury or even diseases like osteoarthritis or cyst.

A leg cramp is a sudden and sharp contraction of the leg muscles, resulting in shooting pain that generally lasts for a few seconds. This can occur at extreme times, like sleeping or while exercising. For immediate relief, stretching the muscles can help. However, if this condition reoccurs constantly, then it is best to consult a doctor to find out root causes and underlying disease conditions like thyroid issues or deficiencies.

This condition affects the tissues that connect the bones of the leg to the foot. If caused by a sudden twist of the ankle or an injury, it can be termed as ankle sprain. An inflammation of any part of the ankle, like the bones, muscles, tendons can result in pain in the ankle. Further conditions associated with this pain would include swelling, redness, numbness and weakness. While the mild pain in this condition can almost be treated at home, it is best to consult a specialist in case of severe pain.

This is a condition which weakens the ankles due to previous injuries or due to a birth condition. Weak ankles result in soreness and pain even during everyday activities like walking and standing. Depending on the acuteness of the condition, the doctor might suggest imaging of the ankle to evaluate better. Weak ankles may take time to heal and some times the condition may extend to months and even require surgery.

This is a condition affecting the muscles, bones and nerves of the back. Generally the doctors do not look for a specific cause for this condition as it largely caused due to mechanical problems, like bad sitting posture that strains the muscles and joints of the area. If the pain is accompanied by other symptoms like fever or weight-loss, a specialist might suggest further evaluations for better diagnose. Based on the duration for which the pain lasts, it can be classified as acute, subchronic or chronic. Indications of this condition are pain in the back, especially during movements like lifting, twisting and bending.

These are spasms in the arch of the foot , top of the foot or around the toes. They can freeze the muscles and cause mobility for the little duration for which the cramp lasts. While these occur for short durations, their repeated occurrence should be consulted with a doctor. Based on the understanding of the underlying cause of the condition, the specialist might suggest the best treatment. The causes may vary from, dehydration, poor nutrition, exertion or something as simple as tight shoes.

Achilles Tendon, also known as the heel cord is found at the back of the ankle. Its inflammation is known as Achilles Tendonitis. Achilles Tendon is the thickest tendon in the human body and connects the back portion of the leg, from the calf muscles to the heel bone. This condition occurs when the calf muscles contrast, hence pulling up the tendons and cause the foot to rise. The symptoms for this condition are pain, stiffness and swelling around the area and the tendons becoming tender to touch. This pain is aggravated at the start of any movement or exercise.

This condition affects the bottom part of the feet and is mainly caused by plantar fasciitis. Plantar Fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue, that attaches the bottom of the foot from the heal bone to the toes. It is one of the most common complaint received by any orthopaedic doctor. An injury, over exertion or strain on the arch of the foot can also lead to this condition.

Heel pain syndrome can be a result of two conditions. The first is caused by repetitive stress on the foot, caused by obesity. The excessive impact and pressure on specific areas of the foot leads to pain and discomfort. This condition, which is mainly due to pressure on foot can also be caused by heel-shoes that are low or a sudden increase in activity. The second reason for this pain is attached to biomechanics problems and plantar fasciitis. This occurs in combination with arch pain.

This foot condition is characterised by thickened and hard skin over an area of the foot, generally around the toes or at the ball of the foot. It occurs as dead skin cells get accumulated in the area as a result of excessive and repeated friction, pressure or other irritation. Calluses are generally not harmful but should not be left neglected for long as they can lead to infections. The common causes of hard skin are wearing tight/small size shoes or high-heeled shoes for long, obesity resulting in increased pressure on the foot, flat foot, abnormalities in the walking cycle, high arched feet or even bony prominences resulting in increased friction.

Foot corns are mainly a result of friction, which can occur due to wearing tight shoes or standing/ walking for a long time. These are hardened layers of accumulated dead skin and appear as coneshaped, yellowish, lumpy patches. These can commonly occur, mainly around the sides or base of the foot in areas like the heels of toes. They can also occur between the toes and are known as soft corns. They can be treated and also precautions can be taken to prevent them from spreading further.

Shin splints is the pain along the inside edge of the foot or the tibia. It involves small tears in the leg muscles where they attach to the shin bones. It is generally caused by excessive exercise and overexertion of muscles and is hence the most common complaint among runners and athletes. As a doctor would say, the overexertion is aggravated by poor biomechanics and overpronation. This condition subsidies with resting but complications can also lead to stress fractures. The two types of shin splints are – anterior and posterior.

Heel Spurs are calcium deposits on the heel bone. The heel bone is the largest bone of the foot and is subjected to maximum pressure. These spurs appear like a bony protrusion and can extend to upto half-an-inch. A doctor might go in for an X-ray to get evidence of this condition. This condition can lead to pain in the foot while standing, walking due to the increased pressure on the heel bone and the tissues around the area.

This is a foot condition which is a result of extended problems of being a diabetic. Diabetes, a chronic disease results in low levels of insulin in the body resulting in higher levels of glucose in the body. This condition damages the tissues in the body and can affect different body organs, including the foot. Diabetes can damage the foot nerves hence affecting the foot’s sensitivity to heat, cold or even pain. It could also lead to reduction in blood flow in the foot due to which any cuts or sores take longer to heal than usual.

Bunions are also known as Hallux Vagus and mainly affects the forefoot. These are bony, bulging bumps that form around the biggest toe and lead to pressure on the other toes. They could be a result of excessive stress on the foot or a medical condition like arthritis. Due to extended pressure on other toes, the toes displace to make space and rest on each other. This causes discomfort for the patient and also disturbs their walking. Consultation with the right orthopaedic can help treat or prevent this condition and avoid surgery.

Metatarsalgia is a condition that affects the ball of the foot. It can be a common complaint for athletes, who are involved in constant running and jumping. The excessive pressure on the ball of the foot causes it to inflame and also become painful. Also this is not a very serious foot condition and can often be treated with home remedies, a doctor’s advice on the right footwear can keep the condition at bay.