Heel pain usually builds up gradually and gets worse over time. The pain is often severe and occurs when you place weight on your heel. Usually, only one heel is affected, although it can occur in both heels. The pain is usually worse first thing in the morning, or when you first take a step after a period of inactivity. Sudden damage, or damage that occurs over many months or years, can cause tiny tears (microtears) to develop inside the tissue of the plantar fascia. This can cause the plantar fascia to thicken and become inflamed, resulting in heel pain and sometimes a heel spur. Most of the time the condition can be resolved without surgery.
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. It occurs when some of the bones in the front part of your foot move out of place. This causes the tip of your big toe to get pulled toward the smaller toes and forces the joint at the base of your big toe to stick out. This problem is often aggravated by improper fitting shoes.
“Hammertoes” is a term for progressive symptoms and joint changes that involve one or more of your toes. A hammertoe is when a joint on your toe is bent and the toe joint sticks up instead of lying flat. This deformity happens because of a muscles imbalance your foot or leg cause the tendons in the affected toes to pull abnormally.
Foot and ankle fractures are common. They may be caused by falls, twisting, or direct impact of a foot against a hard object. They cause considerable pain, which is almost always made worse by attempting to walk.Diagnosis of foot fractures usually requires x-rays, rarely, CT or MRI is required. Treatment of fractures depends on the bone fractured and the type of fracture, but it usually involves placing the foot and ankle in a splint or a specially designed shoe or boot with Velcro fasteners, and a rigid sole to protect the foot from further injury. They often heal in 6-8 weeks.
Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that is very painful. It usually affects one joint at a time (often the big toe joint). There are times when symptoms get worse, known as flares, and times when there are no symptoms, known as remission. Symptoms often include pain, redness and swelling of the affected area. Sometimes the flare will follow an injury, other times it happens after eating certain foods.
Arch pain can be the result of one or a combination of conditions that develop in the sole of the foot. Patients will often describe a tightness, pulling, strain, burning or ripping sensation through the mid arch of the foot, in front of the heel but behind the ball of the foot. The pain in the arch can come on suddenly as in a one off day of increased walking or a sporting event, or progressively over a period of time as in walking in inappropriate shoes. Arch pain can be present every day and can be consistently present, in that it interferes with day to day activity. It will often feel worse in bare feet or slippers or flat and flimsy shoes such as ballet flats.
A callus is a rough, thickened area of skin that appears because of repeated irritation or pressure to an area of skin. Calluses usually develop on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. Calluses are not usually due to underlying disease, though they may be due to abnormal boney prominece under the skin. Other causes include poorly fitting shoes, frequent use of tools or instruments, frequently walking barefoot, or frequent friction to an area of skin. A callus located on a toe is commonly called a "Corn".
Flat feet is a common condition in which the arches on the inside of the arch collapses when pressure is put on your feet. When people with flat feet stand up, the feet point a little outward, and the entire soles of the feet fall and touch the floor, leaving a footprint shaped like the one on the right in the picture above. Flat feet can occur when the arches don't develop during childhood. It can also develop later in life after an injury or from the simple wear-and-tear stresses of age. This condition can be painful in the arch and/or the inside of the ankle. The tendons and ligaments weaken and do not hold the foot and ankle in the proper position. You may need to get custom made arch supports and/or an ankle brace to relieve the pain.
The Achilles tendon is the large tendon in the back of your lower leg that goes from the calf muscle to the back of the heel. You use it to jump, walk, run and stand on your tip toes. It is the largest tendon in the body and has the most pressure on it. Overusing or damaging this tendon can lead to Achilles Tendonitis. Achilles tendonitis is when this tendon is inflamed and painful. It typically occurs in two specific places in the tendon. The middle of the tendon gets painful and inflamed when there are micro-tears of the tendon fibers in that area. This presentation tends to affect younger adults who are active. The lower portion of the tendon, where it attaches to the back of the heel bone can also become painful and inflamed. This presentation can affect people of any age, including individuals who aren’t physically active. If Achilles tendonitis gets worse, your tendon can completely rupture. Achilles Tendonitis often makes it difficult and painful to walk. You may need medication and a brace to relieve the pain and allow healing of the tendon.
"Arthritis" means "joint inflammation." Arthritis involves inflammation in and around the joints. Pain, stiffness, and swelling can result from inflammation. Arthritis can be an acute or chronic inflammation of a joint and its surrounding soft tissues. In arthritis, progressive joint deterioration occurs and the smooth "cushioning" cartilage in joints is gradually lost, resulting in the bones wearing against each other. Soft tissues in the joints also may begin to wear down. Arthritis can be painful and eventually can result in limited motion, loss of joint function and deformity of the joints affected.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis which is generally associated with aging and wear and tear. Someof the most common joints that arthritis affects are the ankle, the midfoot joints and the big toe joint. Non-surgical methods to treat foot and ankle arthritis include custom orthotics (Inserts that support the ankle and foot), anklle brace for joint support, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medicines/injections to reduce swelling and pain in the joints.
Metatarsalgia is condition in which the ball of your foot becomes painful and inflamed. You might develop it if you are active or stand for a long time. There are other causes as well, including foot deformities and shoes that don't fit properly. The pain is often in the ball of the foot and painful when standing, especially barefooted. It may feel as is there is something in your shoe putting pressure on your foot. Sometimes your feet ache after a long day of standing or walking. It is best not to ignore foot pain that lasts more than a few days.
Stress fractures are cracks in a bone. They're caused by repetitive force, often from overuse such as repeatedly jumping up and down or running long distances. Stress fractures can also develop from normal use of a bone that's weakened by a condition such as osteoporosis. If you start a new exercise program, for example, you might develop stress fractures if you do too much too soon. The most common stress fracture of the foot and ankle is in the 2nd metatarsal. At first, you might barely notice the pain associated with a stress fracture, but it tends to worsen with time and become red and swollen. The stress fractue often does not show up on x-ray because the fracture is so small, but after two weeks the body dissolves bone at the fracture site then starts to build new bone to heal the fracture. After two weeks the stress fracture is usually visible on x-rays. If you suspect that you have a stress fracture in your foot, make an appointment today for an evaluation. The foot will need to be braced properly to stop the pain, protect the foot from further damage and allow healing.
