Do you know where and what sesamoid bones are?
You probably know if you have been suffering for a while. Maybe you don't exactly know about sesamoid bones but thats what we are here for, to keep you informed on all things feet.
Until they start to hurt most people don't even know they HAVE sesamoid bones. To sum up, on the bottom of your foot behind your big toe joint there are two sesamoid bones inside the tendon. Their job is to help absorb the pressure from weightbearing, reduce friction, and protect the tendons. Sesamoid bones also help by acting as a lever for your big toe when pushing off for each step. While little of us know their existence, they help us exisit!
Did You Know?
Walking puts one to one-and-a-half times our body weight on the bottom of our feet and it is even greater if you are running or jumping. The ball of your foot at your big toe joint is where this is impacted the most. Sesamoiditis or inflammation of the sesamoids is common in people who overwork or over strained their tendons. It is very commonly seen in ballerinas. We often see it in people who wear high heels as well as there is a lot of pressure on that big toe joint and high-heeled shoes. Sesamoiditis feels like pain under the ball of the foot and sometimes will be accompanied by bruising or swelling. People often say that they feel that they cannot bend their big toe as well.
What We Can Do For You!
In our office we can take x-rays to see if the sesamoids are fractured most sesamoid cases do not require surgery and can get better just by doing conservative treatment such as
1. Stopping the activity that caused the pain
2. icing the foot
3. switching to low heeled shoes
4. taking an NSAID
5. cortisone injections
6. custom molded foot orthotics
7. Laser therapy
8. Stem cell injection if these methods do not succeed surgery may be required to remove the fractured sesamoid.
There is no reason to suffer in pain you deserve to live worry free. Give us a call to book an appointment with us today!
