10 Leading Causes of Foot Pain

Your feet get you out of bed in the morning and take you where you need to go, making them one of the most important parts of your body. When you get pain in your feet, it can make it extremely difficult to get your to-do list done.

Foot pain can be varied in how you experience it and have a number of different causes. When your foot pain is making it difficult to go about your day, board-qualified podiatrist Ryan Golub, DPM, of Arizona Foot Health in Phoenix, Arizona, recommends getting your pain evaluated for a quick diagnosis and faster resolution to your pain.

Learn 10 of the most common causes of foot pain and how your foot pain can get treated.

Understanding foot pain

Almost everyone has experienced foot pain at some point in their life. Foot pain can range from mild to severe, and it can be sudden, chronic, sharp, dull, achy, or cause numbness and tingling.

Moderate-to-severe or ongoing foot pain can mean you have a foot condition that needs professional treatment to get better.

The 10 leading foot pain causes

Foot pain can come from a vast number of sources. Ten of the most common problems indicated by foot pain are:

1. Injury

Any trauma or injury your foot experiences can cause pain, which can be minor or excruciating depending on the severity of your injury. Injuries you can get in your feet include sprains, broken bones, and fractures.

2. Bunions

Bunions occur when your big toe turns inward, and a bony bump develops next to the bottom of the inside of your toe. Bunions can be quite painful and can make walking, especially in shoes, hurt.

3. Arthritis

Arthritis causes inflammation and swelling in your body and often develops in the foot or ankle. Arthritis can make your feet feel painful and tender.

4. Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy damages nerves in your body and often occurs in the feet of people with diabetes. It can make you feel tingling, prickly sensations, and numbness in your feet, as well as sharp or burning pain.

5. Bursitis

Bursitis occurs when you have inflammation in the fluid-filled sacs in your foot or ankle. It can make your feet feel stiff, achy, and hurt when you put pressure on the area.

6. Stone bruises

Stone bruises are deep bruises you can get in the ball of your foot or heel. Stone bruises can be painful when you walk and make it feel as if you are walking on a hard stone.

7. Hammertoes

Hammertoes occur when your toes incorrectly bend at the joint nearest to the top of your foot. They can make you get painful calluses and corns on your toes and make it difficult to comfortably move your toe.

8. Tendinitis

You get tendinitis when your tendon becomes irritated or inflamed. This can cause tenderness and pain in the area around your foot or ankle joint that is inflamed.

9. Feet structural issues

If your feet have structural irregularities, including flat feet and high arches, this can make walking painful.

10. Ingrown toenails

You develop an ingrown toenail when your toenail improperly grows into the skin next to it. This causes pain and irritation in the area where your toenail has ingrown.

Treating your foot pain

The treatment of your foot pain depends on the condition causing your symptoms. To create a treatment plan, Dr. Golub evaluates your feet, including ordering further testing and imaging if needed, to determine why you are experiencing pain.

Some types of foot pain can resolve through conservative home care, including resting and icing your foot and taking over-the-counter medications. For more invasive pain and conditions, Dr. Golub might also suggest physical therapy, prescription medications, orthotics, corticosteroid injections, immobilizing your foot through a brace, splint, or cast, and pulse wave therapy.

If you’re experiencing chronic or severe foot pain, make an appointment today online or by phone at Arizona Foot Health for a customized treatment and pain relief plan.