My feet hurt!
By Marcos Otero, Retired Physician Associate
Foot Pain Is A Common Complaint
Foot pain is a common complaint. It’s no surprise, considering the foot’s remarkable resilience. Comprised of twenty-six bones, along with all the ligaments, tendons, and muscles necessary for movement. Your foot, the foundation for every step, carries all your weight and propels you forward when you walk, run, and stand. Despite enduring punishment and wear and tear through daily use, it’s a testament to the body’s strength. Foot pain can affect any part of the foot, from the Achilles to the toes, and can cause knee, hip, and back pain.
Numerous Factors Can Cause Foot Pain
Foot pain can be caused by numerous factors, including injury, overuse, and inflammation of the bones, ligaments, or tendons. Arthritis is a common reason. As you can see from the extensive list below, foot pain can be caused by numerous factors, highlighting the issue’s complexity.
| Achilles tendonitis | Aging | Ankle Sprain |
| Arthritis | Athlete’s foot (Tinea pedis) | Avulsion fracture |
| Being overweight | Bone (heel) spurs | Bone Contusion |
| Bone fracture | Bone spurs | Bunions |
| Bursitis (joint inflammation) | Callus | Charcot foot |
| Claudication | Corns and calluses | Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes) |
| Flat feet – Fallen arches | Flexor tendons | Foot ulcer |
| Fracture – Broken toe | Fracture – Jones | Fracture – Lisfranc |
| Fracture – Malleolar | Fracture – Phalanx | Friedberg disease |
| Gout (arthritis related to excess uric acid) | Hammer toe and mallet toe | High heels or ill-fitting shoes |
| infection cellulitis | Ingrown toenail (onychocryptosis) | Injury |
| Lateral plantar nerve | Lumbar radiculopathy | Metatarsalgia |
| Midfoot Sprain | Morton’s neuroma | Osteoarthritis (a disease that causes joint breakdown) |
| Osteochondral lesion | Osteomyelitis (a bone infection) | Paget’s disease of bone |
| Peripheral nerve impingement | Peripheral neuropathy | Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) |
| Peroneal foot injury | Plantar fasciitis | Plantar warts |
| Psoriatic arthritis | Raynaud’s disease | Reactive arthritis |
| Retrocalcaneal bursitis | Rheumatoid arthritis | Septic arthritis |
| Sesamoiditis | Sever disease | Sinus Tarsi Syndrome |
| Sprains and Strains | Stress fractures | Tendonitis |
| Tumors | Turf Toe | Unsupportive shoes |
Self-Limiting
Most foot pain causes are self-limiting and can be relieved with simple home remedies. If your foot pain is due to an injury or overuse, it will often respond well to rest and cold therapy. You can effectively manage your pain by avoiding activities that may exacerbate foot pain and icing your foot for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications will also help with pain. They may assist with healing, giving you the power to take control of your foot pain.
Even with the best care, you may have foot stiffness or pain for several weeks, especially first thing in the morning or after you have been active.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention If You Have the following:
- Have severe pain or swelling.
- It’s an open wound or a wound that’s draining pus
- There are signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, and tenderness in the affected area, or you have a fever over 100 F (37.8 C)
- You can’t walk or put weight on your foot
- You have diabetes, and you have any wounds that don’t heal or are deep, red, swollen, or warm to the touch.
Schedule An Office Visit If You Have:
- persistent swelling that doesn’t improve after two to five days of home treatment.
- persistent pain that doesn’t get better after several weeks.
- burning, numbness, or tingling, particularly affecting most or all of the soles of your foot
More articles will be published to explore the most common causes of foot pain.
