Golfers teed off at foot or ankle pain interfering with their game should swing into action with a plan as simple as getting shoe inserts, doctors say.
The three most common foot conditions that stand in the way of the perfect golf swing are: heel pain, which makes it difficult to maintain the requisite solid stance during the tee-off; arthritis, which makes it tough to follow through on the swing, and pinched nerves, which can cause agony as weight is shifted from one foot to the other, according to experts at the American College of

Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Heel pain, which some equate to being jabbed with a knife, typically results from inflammation of the band of tissue extending from the heel to the ball of the foot, the specialists said.
Pain in the ball of the foot can result from neuromas, or compressed or irritated nerves that become thickened, enlarged and tender, they added.

Ankle arthritis -- which can affect the proper weight shift as the club is swung -- is a common complaint among athletes, some of whom develop chronic ankle instability from previous sprains that failed to heal properly, doctors said.
Achilles tendonitis also can become an Achilles` heel to golfers trying to keep their swing on course, they said.

The solution can be as simple as avoiding ill-fitting golf shoes to prevent corns and calluses, getting custom orthotic devices, or shoe inserts, or performing stretching exercises, experts advised.

Golfers also can improve their game by changing their medications, getting braces or steroid injections or subscribing to physical therapy, depending on their condition and its severity, doctors said.

If all these measures fall flat, surgery might be required, they said.
'Foot pain is not normal. With the treatment options available to your foot and ankle surgeon, a pain-free golf swing is clearly in view,' said Daniel Hatch, president-elect of the ACFAS. 'When your feet aren`t in top condition, your golf swing won`t be either.'