Foot Pain can be caused by many things, including wearing shoes that are not fitted properly. Common causes include arthritis, overuse, and injuries. Damage to nerves, ligaments, tendons, and bones may occur. One-fifth of Australians experience foot pain. Read on if you suffer from sore feet to learn the most common causes.

Foot pain symptoms

Pain can be felt in the arch of the foot, along the outer side of the foot, on the sole of the feet, or even in the ball. The pain may occur in the arch, outside the shoe, your prom, or your toes, heels, and ankles.

Depending on the cause, it may feel like a dull ache, a burning feeling, an inflammation, tenderness, or sharp pain. The pain may be intermittent, depending on the activity.

Several factors can cause foot pain.

Bunions

A bunion is a bony lump that forms on the big toe’s joint. Bunions can cause foot or immense toe pain, making walking and wearing shoes painful.

Corns

Small, round, thickened areas of hard skin can cause foot pain. Corns usually occur at the top or sides of the toes but can also be found on the soles of the feet. The grains are generally caused by friction and pressure on the feet.

Ingrown toenails can cause inflammation and pain along the edge of the toenail. This is most commonly the case with the big toe. Ingrown toenails affect mainly young adults. Ingrown toenails can be caused by several factors, including cutting the toenails short or in a curved shape (rather than straight across) and wearing high heels and pointed-toe shoes.

Arthritis, including gout

Foot pain can be caused by many common types of arthritis, including Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Gout can cause severe pain, swelling, and redness at the base of the big toe.

Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis can cause pain along the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia, a strong tissue band that runs across the sole and heel of the foot, is the cause of this condition.

The plantar fascia can tighten with repeated foot activity, which can cause traction on the attachment point of the heel bone. This causes inflammation and pain. A’spur,’ which protrudes from the bone at the end of traction, can develop. This is called a heel spur.

Sprains and sprains

Sprains or strains in the muscles and ligaments of your feet, such as an Ankle sprain, can occur from overuse or when you do more physical activity than usual.

Sprains and sprains can cause pain, swelling, bruises, and loss of mobility.

Stress fractures

Stress fractures, a crack in the foot bone caused by high-impact sports, are common in athletes. These injuries can cause bruising and tenderness of the skin, and foot pain.

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is a painful condition affecting the metatarsals, grouping five bones in the middle foot.

The ball of the feet – between the toes and the arch – may be inflamed. You may feel tingling or numbness or a burning sensation in the toes or ball of the feet. You may feel a pebble in your shoe or sock.

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma affects the ball of the foot. It is caused by a thickening of the tissue surrounding one of the nerves that leads to the toes. Symptoms include feeling like a lump or pebble in your shoe or burning, tingling, or numbness. Morton’s Neuroma is the most common type of Neuroma in the foot. It occurs between the third toe and the fourth toe.

Nerve damage can be permanent if the nerve is compressed and irritated.

Posterior Tibial TendonitisIngrown toenails

The posterior tibial tendons provide stability and support to the arch when walking. The tendon may be unable to support the arch if inflamed. Over time, the hook will begin to drop and result in flatfoot. This is the most common reason for flatfoot among adults.

Posterior tendonitis symptoms include pain on the inside of your foot or ankle. You may also experience a rolling inward of the ankle. There is also redness, heat, and swelling. The pain can shift to the foot’s outer side as it worsens.

Foot pain can also be caused by:

Flat feet (fallen arches)

If the tendons that generally support your foot’s arch are damaged or stretched out, then the angle can start to sag. It may even flatten. This is colloquially known as “fallen arches.” Torn ligaments, arthritis, and posterior tibial tendons can cause flatfoot and fallen arches.

Flatfoot symptoms include pain worsened by activity, pain around the ankles, and bony spurs at the top of the feet.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome

The compression of the posterior nerve causes the tarsal canal syndrome as it passes through the tarsal tube at the ankle.

Symptoms of tarsal tube syndrome include tingling or pins and needles along the inside of your ankle or foot. You may also feel numbness, burning, or shooting pains. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which affects the wrist.

Peripheral arterial diseases

Peripheral Arterial Disease affects blood circulation outside the heart and the brain. This includes the legs and the feet.

Plaque, a fatty deposit that narrows the arteries, limits the blood flow to the legs. Intermittent claudication is caused by the muscle being deprived of oxygen. This can include pain or cramps in the legs and numbness and aching. The pain can occur at rest and in the feet if the blockages are severe.

Diabetic neuropathy

Diabetic Neuropathy occurs when high blood sugar damages the nerves. Most often, it affects the nerves in the feet and legs.

The feet may feel tingling, numb, or even tingly. Burning sensations or sharp pain may occur. The condition is progressive, so that symptoms may worsen over time. They can also spread up the legs. People with diabetic nerve damage may not feel the heat, cold, or injuries to their feet. Regular foot examinations are necessary for people with diabetes.

Blisters

Blisters are small, tender sores that contain fluid. Blisters are often caused by friction in poorly fitting shoes.

Athlete’s foot

An athlete’s foot, known as tinea pedis, is a fungal infection affecting the toes or feet. The symptoms include itching, burning, and skin scaling, especially between the toes.

Fungal Nail Infections are also known as onychomycosis. The affected nails may show:

• Thickness and roughness
• Nail discoloration can be white, yellow, or even brown.
• Nail edges that are brittle and crumbling.
• Pain and tenderness that persist if untreated

Plantar Warts appear as small bumps on the soles. Infection with certain strains, the human papillomavirus, causes them. Sometimes they have black dots on their surface and can cause pain when standing or walking.

What should you do if your foot hurts?

If you are experiencing foot pain, it is best to consult your GP. In Australia, podiatrists may also diagnose and treat foot pain.

Podiatrists, or foot specialists, are health professionals who specialize in foot problems and foot care. To practice in Australia, podiatrists need to have a Bachelor of Podiatry.

Diagnosis for foot pain

Your feet, including your nails and soles, will be closely examined to diagnose the cause of the pain. Doctors or other healthcare professionals will ask when and where the symptoms began. You may be asked if you can perform a few simple movements.

Imaging can be helpful for diagnosis. This includes X-rays and CT scans. It also includes MRI scans. CT scans are more practical in showing ligaments and muscles than an X-ray. Ultrasound can show ligaments, tendons (including Achilles tendon), and nerves.

Bone scans are performed using a radioactive tracer injected into a vein. They can reveal differences in bone metabolism (also known as hot spots). They are suitable for detecting stress fractures and other fractures. The tendons, ligaments, and cartilage can be seen on the ankle and foot MRI.

Credit: NoRXPharmaUSA.com