Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFracturePlantar FasciitisToe DisordersAchilles TendonitisCorns and CallusesBunionsTarsal Tunnel SyndromeSinus Tarsi SyndromeMetatarsalgiaMorton’s NeuromaUnderlying Medical ConditionsWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Fracture
Plantar Fasciitis
Toe Disorders
Achilles Tendonitis
Corns and Calluses
Bunions
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Sinus Tarsi Syndrome
Metatarsalgia
Morton’s Neuroma
Underlying Medical Conditions
When to See a Provider
Causes of foot pain include injuries, disorders of the toes, and underlying health conditions. Common reasons forpain in the feet, swelling, and difficulty walking includeplantar fasciitis,Achilles tendonitis,osteoarthritis, andbunions. Overuse injuries and health problems such asdiabetescan also lead to issues with your feet, which may be serious or minor.
At-home care can help you manage pain, but in certain cases, you will need to see a healthcare provider.
One of the most common causes of foot pain is trauma, such as a foot fracture. ALisfrancinjury, found at the bridge where the toes connect to thetop of the foot, is an example a fracture that’s often sports-related.
It can be hard to tell the difference between a fracture and a bruise, but if your foot is broken, you are more likely to have the following symptoms:
Pain From a Broken ToeIf you’ve broken your toe, you may also have a discolored toenail and/or your toe may appear bent, crooked, or misshapen. The pinky is the most prone to breaking.
Pain From a Broken Toe
If you’ve broken your toe, you may also have a discolored toenail and/or your toe may appear bent, crooked, or misshapen. The pinky is the most prone to breaking.
Foot fractures are usually diagnosed with an imaging test such as an X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scan.
The following can help the bone mend faster:
These injuries will often heal without surgery, but severe breaks may require surgery to repair the bone and any ligaments, muscles, or tendons that might have also been damaged.
The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. This is irritation and inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of connective tissue that spans the sole of the foot.
Experts suspect there are certain factors that raise the risk of developing plantar fasciitis. These include:
Foot pain from this condition is generally worse when a person first steps out of bed in the morning. It usually feels better once you get moving, although a dull pain often persists.
While not the cause of plantar fasciitis, individuals with this condition often also have heel spurs.Heel spursare bony growths that form around the heel. These may or may not cause additional pain.Bone spurs also can grow and cause pain on the top of the foot.
The treatment of plantar fasciitis is based on simple self-care strategies you can practice at home. They include:
If the pain persists, your healthcare provider may considerinjecting a steroidinto the foot where it hurts. Shock wave therapy also can help.
Surgery, which is meant to release part of the plantar fascia where it attaches to the heel bone, is rarely performed. If surgery is performed,large heel spursmay also be removed at this time.
Issues with one or more toes can cause local pain in that area of the foot. These can affect mobility and cause further complications
Ingrown Toenail
Aningrown toenailoccurs when the edge of a toenail grows or is pressed into the skin. Due to pressure from a shoe, it usually is found at the edge of the big toe. Even the smallest amount of ingrowing can hurt.
Besides pain, other signs of an ingrown toenail include red or swollen skin near the nail. The ingrown part of the nail is often unseen because it is buried beneath the skin.
Some factors that increase a person’s chance of having an ingrown toenail include:
Treatment of an ingrown toenail depends on its severity. For minimal to mild foot pain, redness, and no discharge, warm soaks and a tiny piece of cotton placed beneath the nail may be all that is needed.
If an infection develops, you may need anantibiotic. You also may need to have the ingrown part of the nail removed.
Hammer Toe
Hammer toeis a common condition found in the second, third, or fourth toes. It happens when the joint where the toe meets the foot (themetatarsophalangealjoint) extends upward and the nearest joint as you move up the toe (theinterphalangealjoint) flexes downward. This makes the toe bent like a hammer.
Muscle imbalance is believed to be a key contributor to hammer toe formation.Tight shoes, an underlying medical condition, and heredity are other common causes.
Various self-care strategies are used totreat hammer toe, such as:
If these measures fail, surgery may be recommended.
Tendons are cord-like structures that anchor muscles to bone. When they are overstretched or overused,tendonitiscan occur.
Achilles tendonitis refers to irritation or inflammation of the Achilles tendon. This tendon connects the calf and lower leg muscles to the heel bone of the foot.
This condition causes an aching or burning foot pain with activity or stretching. The affected tendon is usually painful to the touch. Mild swelling, warmth, and stiffness may also occur over the tendon.
Recurring TendonitisIf tendonitis keeps recurring, it may be a sign that the tendon is tearing and weakening. This issue is also known astendinosis.
Recurring Tendonitis
If tendonitis keeps recurring, it may be a sign that the tendon is tearing and weakening. This issue is also known astendinosis.
Treatment involves following the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression of the nerve, elevation of the foot) and taking non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Once the acute foot pain is eased, talk to your healthcare provider about heel lift orthotics and physical therapy. TheAlfredson protocol, a specialized exercise program, may be recommended.
Surgical repair may be needed for an Achilles tendon rupture.
Acallusis a thickened area of skin found on parts of the feet that deal with excessive amounts of pressure or friction.
Common causes of corns and calluses include:
Calluses are larger than corns. They are typically not painful unless they fissure, or split open. On the other hand, the central core of a corn is usually painful and tender to the touch. Both corns and calluses also look similar towarts, which may cause discomfort too.
If corns or calluses remain a problem, contact your healthcare provider. They mayremove the cornwith a scalpel and apply a salicylic acid plaster to help dissolve the corn or callus. They may also recommend a custom foot orthotic.
Bunions vary in size and are often found just below the big toe joint but can occur on the pinkie toe side of the foot too.
Certain foot types may be more prone todeveloping bunions, including people who have a very high arch.Wearing high heels, which forces the big toe to be squeezed into the second toe, also can cause a bunion.
Symptoms generally become more severe over time causing:
Bunion-related foot pain is often managed well with simple therapies such as applying ice, taking NSAID, padding the bunion, and wearing proper footwear.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome refers to compression of the posterior tibial nerve. This nerve passes through a space inside your ankle that’s called the tarsal tunnel.
Anything that places pressure on the posterior tibial nerve can cause tarsal tunnel syndrome, including:
People with flat feet also are more prone to developing this syndrome.
With this syndrome, you may feel foot pain described as burning, tingling, andnumbness. It radiates from the inside (big toe side) of the ankle and into the arch and sole.The pain tends to be worse at night, and sometimes travels up to the calf or higher.
To diagnose tarsal tunnel syndrome, imaging tests may be ordered to see if a structural abnormality is present in the foot.Nerve studies likeelectromyographyandnerve conduction velocitymay also be done.
A range of non-surgical therapies are used to treat tarsal tunnel syndrome. They include:
Surgery is considered if the nerve pain is severe or if it doesn’t respond to other therapies.
Sinus tarsi syndromecan cause the top of your foot to hurt in the area between the ankle and the heel. Ankle sprains are the most common cause.
An injury to theextensor digitorum brevismuscle, on the top of the foot, can lead to sinus tarsi syndrome. Between 70% and 80% of the time, the cause is an ankle sprain that rolls the foot outward.
Symptoms include pain near the ankle, especially with the foot turned in or turned out. The foot may feel unstable, and it’s difficult to walk on uneven surfaces.
Your provider may order images, including X-rays and MRI, to diagnose the syndrome. Ankle arthroscopy may be needed to assess tissue damage. Tests also may be needed to rule out other possible conditions.
Surgical treatment may be required in some cases of sinus tarsi syndrome. Generally, however, treatment can include:
Metatarsalgiarefers to pain found in the ball of the foot. It develops when the ligaments that connect your metatarsal bones (the five bones that make up yourforefoot) no longer offer enough support.
Issues that put you at risk for metatarsalgia include:
Wearing metatarsal pads is the primary treatment. Surgery may be an option if other treatments don’t provide relief.
Morton’s neuromais another common cause of foot pain. It causes shooting orburning painin the ball of the foot. Pain may spread between two toes (most often between the third and fourth toes). Your foot may be numb, or pain may get worse with activity or when wearing shoes. Many people say it feels like walking on a marble.
Technically, a neuroma is a benign (noncancerous) tumor of a nerve. Morton’s neuroma more accurately refers to a thickening of the tissue that surrounds one of the small nerves between the toes. These are called interdigital nerves.
While it’s not clear why certain people develop Morton’s neuroma, experts think that having flat feet or wearing tight, narrow shoes such ashigh heelsmay lead to increased pressure. This causes injury to the tissue surrounding an interdigital nerve increases your risk.
Treatment options include:
Several common medical conditions can affect your feet. These may cause issues with the joint or impede circulation, leaving you at risk for a variety of problems that lead to foot pain.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritisoccurs when cartilage in a joint breaks down from physical wear and tear, causing decreasedjoint space, worn cartilage, andother symptoms. Often, the pain and lack of mobility of foot osteoarthritis are found at the ankle joint, thesubtalar joint, and the big toe joint.
Bone spurs can contribute to osteoarthritis pain and may lead to a bump. They can cause foot pain on the top of the foot if they impact the toes. The midfoot and heel may also get bone spurs that are painful.
Osteoarthritis of the foot is first managed with simple measures such as:
Arthroscopy, or joint fusion or replacement surgery, is considered if the pain won’t go away or it interferes with daily function.
Diabetes
Foot problems are a common complication of diabetes, especially if your blood sugar isn’t well-managed.This results in hard-to-heal wounds and a type of nerve damage calleddiabetic neuropathy, which leads to loss of sensation and other symptoms in your feet.
The first step in treating diabetes-related foot problems is to make sure your blood sugar is controlled. These tips may also help:
Heart Disease
When you have heart disease, your heart has a more difficult time moving blood to the rest of your body, especially the more distant parts such as your feet.High blood pressurecan also lead to poor circulation.
Complications from these conditions can cause pain and other problems with your feet such as:
If you’re diagnosed with heart disease, your healthcare provider may recommend lifestyle changes like losing weight, exercising, andquitting smokingor alcohol consumption.They may also prescribe medications or suggest dietary changes to help treat yourblood pressureor reduce cholesterol.
Gout
Symptoms of gout can come on suddenly. They can include:
A gout flare will usually get better over the course of one or two weeks.When gout is untreated, however, the flares can get worse and/or more frequent.
The goals of treatment are to reduce pain and prevent flares. Some of these treatments include:
Pregnancy
Your body experiences many changes during pregnancy. Several of these can affect your feet and cause pain that may be temporary, but in some cases can continue to affect you after you give birth.
Foot-related issued during pregnancyinclude:
In addition to causing pain, you may have problems staying balanced on your feet. Even after giving birth, you may find that you have gone up a full shoe size due to the changes experienced during pregnacy.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Soaking, resting, and elevating feet may help with a wide range of soreness and pain, However, if you’re not able to control discomfort with at-home treatment, you should see a healthcare provider.
Any sign that an ingrown toenail or foot sore is infected requires antibiotic medical treatment. This includes oozing pus or discharge, redness, and inflammation around a wound.
If you have experienced Achilles pain and notice sudden, severe pain at the back of the leg or trouble bearing weight on your foot, it could be a sign of an Achilles tendon rupture. If this happens, seek immediate medical care.
Also, call your healthcare provider anytime you have pain from osteoarthritis, gout, or neuropathy that won’t go away or interferes with daily function.
Summary
Common causes of foot pain include plantar fasciitis, tarsal tunnel syndrome, metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, Achilles tendonitis, osteoarthritis, ingrown toenail, corns and calluses, bunion, and hammer toe.
Most of these problems can be managed with self-care measures like rest, ice, pain medication, wearing properly fitting shoes, and protecting the injury. However, for any problems that are persistent or that affect your quality of life, see a healthcare provider.
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