Foot Excercises and Stretches
Strengthen Foot Muscles
Pull the towel under your foot with toes/arch for 3 minutes at a time. Repeat 3 times
Plantar Fascia Stretch
Fill a small plastic water bottle with water and freeze. Roll bottom of foot on frozen bottle for 10 minutes. Wait 50 minutes before repeating. Repeat 3 times throughout the day.
Heel Cord Stretch
Sitting on the table or ground, hold your leg straight out in front of you. Loop a towel or belt around the ball of your foot, holding the ends with one hand. With knee slightly bent, steadily pull the towel or belt toward you to stretch your calf muscles. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax. Repeat 10 times, 3 times daily.
Achilles Stretch
Face wall, about two paces away and with one foot in front of you. Keeping both heels flat on the floor, lean forward into the wall stretching out your calf. Hold for 30 seconds then relax, repeat 10 times, 3 times daily.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
Cysts are fluid-filled masses under the skin. Common cysts of the feet include synovial cysts, ganglia, and cutaneous mucoid cysts.
Most foot cysts are located under the skin, although occasionally they appear in tendon or bone. Synovial or ganglionic cysts are connected to a nearby joint or tendon, which makes them harder to treat. Mucoid cysts are not connected to a joint. Most cysts lead to mild pain as a result of the pressure created by wearing shoes. When any of these cysts enclose or press on a nerve, they can cause a sharp pain. X-rays, ultrasound, MRI, or CT scans are common methods for diagnosing cysts in the feet.
The best way to prevent cysts from forming is to wear well-fitted, comfortable shoes and avoid repeated foot injuries. Persistent ganglion cysts can be treated by numbing the area and extracting the fluid inside. A steroid or hardening agent may then be injected into the cyst to try to prevent it from filling again.