5 Common Causes of Foot Pain

A minor problem in your foot, such as a blister, can have a disproportionately large effect on your life, as the simple act of walking becomes painful. Large or small, any time you're dealing with a problem in your foot, you need answers, and relief, as quickly as possible.

At LaSante Health Center, our extensive and diverse team of health care providers includes specialists in foot health. These podiatric specialists treat all kinds of foot and ankle issues, but here are five that we see most commonly.

Plantar fasciitis

Along the bottoms of your feet are bands of tissue called the plantar fascia, which stretch from the base of your toes to your heels. These tissues provide support for the arches in your feet.

If this tissue becomes stressed and damaged, it can lead to plantar fasciitis — a condition that sends 2 million people in the United States to seek treatment each year.

The pain that comes with plantar fasciitis is singular. It’s a searing pain across the soles of your feet and in your heels that comes after a period of inactivity, such as when you get out of bed in the morning.

Fractures

To call the anatomy of your feet complex would be an understatement. Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

When it comes to the bones, many are small and can break easily, whether it’s from something being dropped on your foot or fractures that develop over time and from overuse.

A fracture in your foot often leads to pain, as well as tenderness, and you may not be able to bear weight on your foot, depending on the bone.

Arthritis

Arthritis can affect any joint in your body, and as we learned above, your feet contain 33 joints each. In most cases, arthritis develops in your ankle or in the joints in your toes.

The pain from arthritis is often progressive, starting out as a periodic ache after heavy use, but becoming more steady as the disease progresses. The only exception to this is gout, a form of arthritis that causes painful flare-ups in your big toe.

Bunions and hammertoes

Many people develop foot pain because of deformities, such as bunions and hammertoes. For example, a large bunion at the base of your big toe can become swollen and tender, making wearing shoes nearly impossible. Hammertoes, too, can become painful because of footwear.

Each of these issues is progressive, so it’s a good idea to come see us at the first signs of a growing deformity in your foot.

Ingrown toenails

While seemingly minor, the pain that can come with an ingrown toenail is very great. Ingrown toenails most often develop in your big toe and occur when the side of the nail digs into the surrounding flesh.

Beyond leading to pain, what each of these issues has in common is that there are solutions for pain relief (and mobility). Whether we’re stabilizing a fracture, administering a joint injection, or removing the edge of a toenail, our podiatrists understand how to restore pain-free movement in your feet.

If you’re struggling with foot pain, we urge you to contact our podiatry department in Brooklyn, New York, today for answers and relief. We serve the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.