Home  /  Health and Fitness  /  Foot pain – their types and causes

Foot pain – their types and causes

Foot pain – their types and causes

The problem with foot pain is that it affects mostly adults at any given time. There can be many sources of pain and they can be difficult to describe. This makes it difficult and challenging for healthcare professionals to get to the root of the pain. Different type of foot pain is caused due to different conditions.

Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis or heel pain is one of the common foot problem and it has many causes. The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis which is inflammation in the plantar fascia. Plantar fascia is a tight band of tissue that forms the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is usually painful when a person first steps out of bed in the morning. Although it improves with movement, a dull pain often persists which fades away as the day progresses.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
It is the foot pain caused by a pinched or an irritated nerve. Irritated nerve is a condition in which a nerve gets irritated due to surrounding structures, such as muscles. In this condition, a person may experience shooting, burning, aching, numb, or tingling pain that radiates from the inside.

Metatarsalgia
Also called as ball of the foot pain, it is a sharp pain in the area of the ball of the foot. The pain of metatarsalgia feels like a person is stepping on a stone. It is usually eased by sitting down. Though it can be worsened by walking barefoot. Metatarsalgia is often caused by faulty foot functioning, overuse, or a decreased fat pad on the sole of the foot.

Morton Neuroma
It is one of the common foot nerve problem. It causes shooting or burning pain between the toes. This is caused due to over pronation and/or wearing tight shoes can be associated with this condition.

Arthritis
It is the breakdown of cartilage within a joint from physical wear and tear. The joint damage worsens as the cartilage is worn out further and the bone spurs surrounding the joint. The person may feel pain at the ankle joint due to lack of mobility. The other less common forms of arthritis can cause foot pain includes gout, rheumatoid, and psoriatic arthritis, and lupus.

Corns and calluses
Calluses are the thickened areas of the skin over the parts of the feet that experiences maximum amounts of pressure and friction. Corns occur on the toe where they rub against the shoe. A tiny callus or corn can cause intense pain because it extends deep into the layers of the skin and presses on the nerves.