Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses Without SwellingCauses With SwellingTreatmentWhen to Have a Foot Scan
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes Without Swelling
Causes With Swelling
Treatment
When to Have a Foot Scan
Pain on the top of the foot can occur from injury or as a side effect of a medical condition. You may also experience swelling, numbness, tingling, or burning—depending on the cause of your foot pain. Conditions such as osteoarthritis, extensor tendonitis, and gout can cause pain on the top of the foot.
This article discusses additional causes of pain on the top of the foot, what you can do at home to relieve your symptoms, and when it may be time to see a healthcare provider for your foot pain.
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Causes of Pain on Top of Foot Without Swelling
Pain on the top of the foot from chronic medical conditions or injuries to specific structures, such as nerves, can cause pain without swelling.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritisis a condition that causescartilage(material providing padding between bones in a joint) to break down. This condition develops over time and is due to wear and tear.
While the foot isn’t the most common site for osteoarthritis, five areas of the foot are sometimes affected:
Osteoarthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.Swelling may be present with osteoarthritis, depending on theseverity of the condition.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathymay occur from direct trauma to the nerve that supplies sensation to the top of the foot—thecommon peroneal nerve, a branch of thesciatic nerve. Some medical conditions may also cause peripheral neuropathy, including the following:
In addition to pain, peripheral neuropathy can cause:
What Causes Nerve Pain in the Foot?
Causes of Pain on Top of Foot With Swelling
Gout
Goutis a type of arthritis that develops when there is too muchuric acidin the body, causing crystals to form in a joint. While gout can affect any joint, it commonly affects the big toe.
Symptoms of gout come and go. During flare-ups, symptoms typically include:
Extensor Tendonitis
Symptoms of extensor tendonitis often include:
Lisfranc (Midfoot) Injury
Injury to theLisfrancjoint complex can cause pain on the top of the foot. This joint complex is located in the middle of the foot, where the long bones (beginning at the base of the toes) meet the smaller bones in the ankle—also called the tarsometatarsal joints.
Lisfranc injuries typically cause damage to the bones, ligaments that attach bone to bone, and cartilage that provides padding on the ends of the bones. These injuries often include broken bones and torn ligaments, leading to dislocation of the foot bones.
Symptoms of Lisfranc injury include:
Tendonitis of the Ankle and Foot
Treating Top of Foot Pain
You may be able to manage top-of-foot pain at home with the R.I.C.E. method or over-the-counter (OTC) medications. However, if an underlying condition causes your pain, you’ll need to work with a healthcare provider to determine the appropriate treatment plan.
Teatment for Conditions that Cause Inflammation
Conditions that cause inflammation—such as osteoarthritis, extensor tendinitis, gout, and Lisfranc injury—often benefit from the R.I.C.E. treatment method:
Healthcare providers often recommendnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Aleve (naproxen), Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen), and Bayer (aspirin), to help decrease pain and swelling with these conditions.
Pain medication, such asTylenol(acetaminophen), can also be helpful.
In some cases, conditions causing foot pain require a period of immobilization using a splint or cast while the injured tissues heal. If you have a broken bone or torn ligament, your healthcare provider will probably recommend a period of immobilization.
Physical therapyis a common approach to help manage pain and improve function for people with conditions that cause foot pain.
Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy
The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.Treatmentfor this condition targets the underlying cause and focuses on maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.This can include medications, such as over-the-countertopical capsaicin, and lifestyle behaviors, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
If you have a foot injury, foot pain without an apparent cause, or experience difficulty walking on your foot, see a healthcare provider. They may order a foot scan to identify the cause of your pain. Types of imaging healthcare providers may use to examine your foot closely include:
Sometimes, other tests—such as blood work—help healthcare providers diagnose the underlying issue to determine appropriate treatment.
Summary
These conditions are treated with home remedies, medications, immobilization, and physical therapy. Imaging tests—such as X-rays—are often used to help diagnose the underlying cause of pain on the top of the foot.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thomas MJ, Peat G, Rathod T, et al.The epidemiology of symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis in community-dwelling older adults: cross-sectional findings from the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot.Arthritis Res Ther. 2015;17(1):178. doi:10.1186%2Fs13075-015-0693-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis (OA).National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Health Service.Extensor tendinopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lisfranc (midfoot) injury.Arthritis Foundation.Tendinitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thomas MJ, Peat G, Rathod T, et al.The epidemiology of symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis in community-dwelling older adults: cross-sectional findings from the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot.Arthritis Res Ther. 2015;17(1):178. doi:10.1186%2Fs13075-015-0693-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis (OA).National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Health Service.Extensor tendinopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lisfranc (midfoot) injury.Arthritis Foundation.Tendinitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Thomas MJ, Peat G, Rathod T, et al.The epidemiology of symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis in community-dwelling older adults: cross-sectional findings from the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot.Arthritis Res Ther. 2015;17(1):178. doi:10.1186%2Fs13075-015-0693-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis (OA).National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.National Health Service.Extensor tendinopathy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lisfranc (midfoot) injury.Arthritis Foundation.Tendinitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.
Thomas MJ, Peat G, Rathod T, et al.The epidemiology of symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis in community-dwelling older adults: cross-sectional findings from the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot.Arthritis Res Ther. 2015;17(1):178. doi:10.1186%2Fs13075-015-0693-3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis (OA).
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
National Health Service.Extensor tendinopathy.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lisfranc (midfoot) injury.
Arthritis Foundation.Tendinitis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Type 2 diabetes.
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