Modern Medicines Answer to Foot Pain

While you may not pay much attention to it, your foot is one of the sturdiest and most amazing parts of your body. Every day, it is subjected to loads of pressure while having to cross busy intersections, climb stairs, stroll over tough roads, and stand through hours and hours of just being upright.

When the foot is aggrieved, abused, or injured, it elicits pain to warn the body that something is wrong. It may start with simple corns or calluses, but if you continue to resist these signs, pain will eventually ensue. While pain killers are common and at times effective solutions to masking the aches and discomforts, there are other effective heel pain solutions that give you long term relief and injury recovery.

The use of ice packs have been proven to relieve inflammation, while keeping them soaked in warm water can help soften blisters and calm skin discomfort. Foot massages also bring their own brand of comfort. Then there are those pains that can simply be relieved by taking off your uncomfortable stilettos and giving your toes and heels time to breathe and relax.

Healthcare manufacturers have also introduced an array of different systemic and topical medications to help address the issues of common foot injuries, and here we round up nine of the most popular and effective ones.

Over the Counter Medications

• Painkillers – also referred to as analgesics, painkillers are types of drugs that are used to bring about pain relief. By blocking the entry of pain signals to the brain, these analgesics trick the body into believing that there is no pain. They can easily be bought without prescription, so patients are usually advised to be extra cautious when popping these pills.
• Topical Painkillers – if you are uncomfortable with orally taking your medications, you can always opt for topical analgesics, which are applied directly to the skin. These painkillers are sold in the form of lotions, creams, and gels and are specifically designed to penetrate the skin to alleviate pain. A bevy of these topical solutions are created with eucalyptus or menthol that numbs the nerves to camouflage the pain.
• NSAIDs – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are typically sold under the names aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Over the counter NSAIDs are generally sold at lower concentration to guard against misuse, but for more serious foot pain such as tendonitis or sprain, your doctor may prescribe these drugs at a higher dosage. These medications may trigger adverse effects, so consulting with your physician first is a must.

Prescription Medications

• COX-2 inhibitor – a prescriptive variety of non-steroidal drugs, COX-2 exhibitors are marketed as celecoxib or Celebrex, and are prescribed to treat pain and inflammation. When taken, celecoxib will work to minimize inflammation-causing hormones as well as reduce the possibility of bleeding. When prescribed with this type of drugs, always ask your doctor about the possible side effects and health risks to keep yourself well informed on what to expect.
• Narcotic Analgesics – also called opioid analgesics, this type of prescriptive medications treat pain by targeting the central nervous system. As it enters the system, opioid analgesics, such as codeine, calm the senses by limiting the pain signals that pass through the brain. As such, they are able to provide a more potent and immediate relief.
• Nerve Pain Medications – when pain is triggered by nerve damage, your physician will need to resort to nerve pain medications to effectively address your condition. The most popular types of pain killers that target the nerves include amitriptyline, an anti-depressant drug that tones down the pain signals, and gabapentin, an anti-convulesant medicine that works by disrupting brain signals.
• Nerve Blocks – administered through the use of alcohol or phenol injections, nerve blocks go directly into the spine and block the pain from reaching the brain. Nerve blocks are prescribed to identify the source of the pain itself and treat its symptoms. These are quite powerful, and should be left only for those under severe pain or about to go under the knife.
• Corticosteroids – specifically designed to replicate cortisol, a hormone naturally produced by our adrenal glands that can significantly mitigate pain and inflammation. They are sold as pills, injections and as topical creams.
• Ultrasound – while this is not a medication per se, ultrasound does work to hasten the healing process and reduce swelling through the use of its high frequency sound waves.

There is an obvious difference between merely stubbing your toe and a foot condition that makes every movement pure agony. Fortunately, there are several solutions to match the level of pain. Just make sure that you speak with a medical professional before taking anything on a regular basis. The best solution is to make sure that you don’t let minor aches develop into something more. This is where a good podiatrist can get you on the right track.

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