Dr. Sean Peden, a plastic surgeon specializing in feet and ankles.

MRI scans show the ankles of patients with Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis. Overuse and poor quality shoes or no shoes at home can cause these two common problems. You are looking at the ankle from the side. The upper arrow points to the Achilles tendon, showing some fluid or inflammation around its appendage. The lower arrow points to the plantar fascia, showing inflammation and thickening. These conditions can cause heel pain.

A patient who has suffered severe pain and deformity for a long time-a collapsed foot. She suffers from diseases such as diabetes and obesity, coupled with inappropriate shoes, causing the arch of the foot to collapse.

The same patient, after a complex operation to restore the arch, relieve pain and improve function, was very successful, allowing a person who mainly uses a wheelchair to regain independent walking with the help of crutches alone. Surgery involves rods and screws to restore alignment of the legs and relieve pain.

In the past 21 months, many people have worked from home, paddling their feet in the house barefoot or wearing only socks or slippers. Doctors have discovered a problem related to the COVID-19 pandemic: injured and unhealthy feet.

People generally postpone medical care and believe that their feet are not being taken seriously, thereby exacerbating the problem.

However, Dr. Sean Peden, a medical orthopedic surgeon at Stanford University’s Yale University, specializes in foot and ankle diseases. If left unattended, skin breaks, falling arches of the feet, and toes bruised by furniture can cause greater problem.

Peden said that collapsed arches are becoming more common.

"This is one of the more complicated situations I deal with. This is usually a situation that ultimately requires surgery," he said.

Peden said that “weight gain during the pandemic, coupled with the fact that they stayed longer in the house and did not wear good shoes,” may cause the arch of the foot to collapse. People will complain that "My arches are killing me. My feet are swollen," he said.

Peden said that this situation requires "lifetime replacement of shoes", while low-intensity exercise and weight loss.

A hard, inflexible sole is best, even slippers.

Sometimes, “surgery may be required to correct the arch of the foot and rebuild damaged or weak tendons and ligaments,” he said. "As we get older, this situation becomes more common."

"I wouldn't call it a crisis or something similar," he said. "People just don't go to the doctor so quickly. When they enter my office, the problem gets worse."

Another painful condition is plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the thick tissue that connects the heel to the toe along the sole of the foot.

Peden said this can be very painful and can happen when "a lot of high-intensity exercise is bad for the feet and tendons."

He said that doing powerful walking on the sidewalk or aerobics that require a lot of jumping will not help. Peden said that spinning, swimming, or “walking on a better surface, such as on a running track, or on a trail with some giving,” is better for the feet.

Peden said: "For me, the most important thing is those who have been standing for a while and want to start working out again." The important thing is "they choose the right shoes and spend time hiring coaches." He said it's best to Try on shoes in the store instead of ordering online, because you can’t try on suitable shoes.

He said, don’t believe those who say that there is only one shoe for everyone.

"A good shoe store is worth it in avoiding my office," Peden said.

Peden said he saw two main types of injuries in the winter: "People who came in quickly got hurt because they didn't wear proper shoes" or fell off an exercise bike.

The other is those who over-exercise, "may use a slightly wrong technique", which eventually leads to tendinitis or stress fractures.

Peden also recommends soaking, using lotion, and wearing socks for an hour to keep the feet moist. He said that the feet are one of the parts with the largest number of nerve endings in the body, and the pain is more serious because we put "six times our body weight" on the feet when we walk.

"Ignoring your feet, allowing the skin to become dry, cracked, and callused... will amplify the pain of other diseases (such as plantar fasciitis or arthritis)," Peyden said.

"When your foot has a dysfunction, it's difficult to adapt to it, it's painful," he said.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382

Ed Stannard is a journalist. His areas of expertise include Yale University, religion, transportation, medicine, science, and the environment. He grew up in the New Haven area and lived there most of his life. He received a degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medier School of Journalism and a master’s degree in religious studies from Sacred Heart University. He has been the editor of the New Haven Chronicle and the Anglican National Newspaper.

He loves art, travel and reading.