Name: Foot pain
Creator: Dr Karen Martin
Published: 2023-02-16T17:35:33.835Z

Most causes of foot pain will improve with some self-treatment. If you still have pain that is not improving after two weeks, then you should book a routine appointment with your doctor to discuss it.

You should seek more urgent medical attention if you have severe pain. If you are concerned, you have suffered a fracture or a nasty foot injury, you will likely require an X-ray.

If you have severe symptoms such as numbness, weakness, fevers, or a break to the skin and have other medical conditions such as diabetes, you should seek urgent medical advice from your doctor.

When should I see my doctor?

The doctor will ask you about your symptoms, medical history, relevant family medical history, and medications you are currently taking. They will examine your feet, check your temperature, and potentially do other tests such as blood tests or X-rays. 

If you go to the hospital, a doctor or nurse will examine you, and if there is a concern for a fracture, you will have an X-ray and various other tests. You will be advised of the best next step if a fracture is confirmed.  

Other causes of foot pain, like ulcers, bunions, cuts, and gout, may require specific tests and treatments.

What will my doctor do?

If you have had a  traumatic injury and have severe pain, you may require an X-ray. Symptoms that suggest a fracture are if you are unable to stand on the injured foot, if the foot appears to be at a different angle than normal, and if there's significant bruising and swelling around the area.  

Many simple causes of foot pain don’t require anything other than some self-treatment at home. Tight or badly fitting footwear and doing too much of one repetitive exercise can be common causes of foot pain. 

Do I need an X-ray?

Resting the foot, raising it, and taking some simple pain relief, such as acetaminophen, is a good place to start. If there has been an injury, an ice pack or bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel may provide some added relief. 

Your pharmacist is an expert and can recommend further treatments such as insoles, different painkillers, or treatments for many common skin, nail, and foot conditions. 

Healthwords pharmacists' top tips

The Achilles tendon is the large tendon just above your heel that you can feel like a cord when you move your foot up and down. It’s the largest and strongest tendon in the body and is prone to inflammation, causing a painful disorder called Achilles tendinopathy.

It’s not well understood why this tendinopathy occurs. One working theory is that micro-tears in the tendon accumulate from overuse, and in trying to repair, this results in pain and swelling, especially where the tendon attaches to the heel bone. Pain is often worse in the morning and improves throughout the day, but as it progresses it can be there all the time and interfere with activities including walking..

[Pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/pain-385) may restrict you completely from exercising, but if you do manage to, you may find that pain is worse when you start but gradually eases as you proceed with your workout.

Achilles tendinopathy is more common over 30 and in those who suddenly increase their exercise levels. Other contributors include obesity or a lack of strength or flexibility in your leg muscles.

Occasionally, the tendon may actually rupture. If you are unsure if you have [ruptured your Achilles](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/achilles-tendon-rupture), have a read through our article.

We’ve all experienced physical pain in our lives – a cut finger, a stubbed toe, an ankle sprain, headache, sore throat, or even perhaps after an operation. We understand that it varies from mild to severe, and can last briefly or a few days. 

*Pain serves a purpose* – if you break a bone in your leg, you avoid standing on it and rest up until the fracture heals.

We also have a psychological response to pain, and it can really help to reassure us (and therefore reduce its impact or intensity) if we can understand the cause of the pain. Let’s consider the broad causes of pain and then hopefully we can tailor solutions to get ourselves better.

Chronic pain is one of the toughest conditions to live with – either it’s unrelenting and making it impossible to get normal activities done, or it can come and go unpredictably, forcing you to cancel work or social plans. 

There are no clear figures as to how common chronic pain is but it may affect as many as one in three people. It's defined as persistent or episodic pain lasting more than three months and is a complex problem that isn’t just a simple physical one because it affects our mental health as well. As our nervous system adjusts to chronic pain, sensations become heightened and more widespread, and this complexity comes from our brain processing function, where pain can start to prevent everyday activities and dominate normal life. Our world becomes smaller and with less to distract us - and living in fear of pain - our pain sensation becomes even more heightened and worse. 

Chronic pain is more likely to come about from the slow pain fibers, which are loudly telling you that there’s injury: you should rest and recover by not moving much. This is opposed to the fast pain fibers that let you know your toe has been stubbed and makes you move away from the external threat (with much hopping and howling). But resting for months on end is not likely to serve any useful purpose, and often sets up new problems, both mentally and physically. 

We also now know there are two forms of chronic pain called primary chronic pain and secondary chronic pain. Chronic primary pain may affect around 1-6% of the population, and refers to the pain felt in conditions such as fibromyalgia, complex regional pain and chronic primary headache. Chronic secondary pain is more common and refers to pain from conditions such as low back pain, joint pain and shingles pain. 

Toe pain is common, and there are many different causes. If you have had some sort of trauma, like kicking something hard or dropping something on your toe, there may be the possibility of a [fracture](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/fracture-748) or broken bone. If you have not had any trauma, you may have a skin problem, such as [blisters](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/blisters) or ulcers, joint problems like [arthritis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/arthritis) or [gout](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/gout), and many more possibilities. If you have severe pain, or pain that is not subsiding with some simple [pain relief](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/treatment/pain-relief-735), then you may need to seek advice from your doctor.

Lower back pain is a very common symptom. Up to 80% of us will experience it at some time, with men and women being equally affected. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due in part to the ageing process but also as a result of sedentary lifestyles with too little exercise– but fortunately in most cases it’s not serious and typically gets better on its own within a few weeks.

Low back pain can often occur for no obvious reason – you can simply wake up with it, or it can happen during the day out of the blue – but it can also occur after lifting a heavy object or moving awkwardly. Other common reasons for back pain include [slipped disks](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/blank-634), muscle spasm and some conditions and diseases, such as [arthritis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/arthritis), spinal stenosis and [fibromyalgia](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/fibromyalgia).

In the majority of cases, lower back pain is typically on one side of your back and can spread down into the buttocks or into your thighs. It’s often eased or helped by lying down flat, and made worse by moving, sneezing or coughing.

You can reduce your risk of making your low back pain worse or preventing it from flaring up again by maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if you’re overweight, [giving up smoking](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/how-to-quit-smoking) if relevant, taking regular low-impact exercise and keeping your [stress](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/stress-563) levels to a minimum. If your job or hobby involves regular lifting, make sure you learn how to do this properly to protect your back, as this can leave it prone to injury.

A fracture is a break or crack in one of the bones in the body. Fractures are most common with increasing age as the strength of our bones decreases and our risk of falls increases.  

The main symptoms of a fracture are pain, swelling, and deformity at the site of the fracture. There may be swelling and a different shape to the affected area, which will be painful to touch. 

Small breaks may cause minimal pain, but large breaks, such as hip or leg fractures, can cause severe pain and make you feel very unwell. 

Joint pain: causes, symptoms and treatments

Joint pain is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Whether it's a nagging discomfort or a debilitating sensation, joint pain can significantly impact daily life and limit mobility. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and available treatments is essential for managing this condition effectively.

With many different possible causes, it’s usually best to speak to a doctor. Your doctor will narrow down different potential causes depending on how or when the pain started, how many joints are affected, and if there are any other symptoms alongside.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the common causes of joint pain and how to treat it.

## Understanding joint pain

Joints are the connections between bones in the human body. For example, the separate bones in the upper and lower arm are connected by our elbow joint. Joints provide the bones with stability and allow for easy movement, and are made up of several components including bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and synovial fluid. Joints can be rigid - such as the joints between your skull bones - or more commonly movable, such as in your shoulders, hips and knees.

However, when joints don’t function as they should, this can lead to pain. As complex parts of the body, there are many types of joint pain that people commonly experience. The medical term for joint pain is ‘arthralgia’ and refers to discomfort in any joint in the body. It’s important to realize that this is different from the term ‘arthritis’, which specifically means joint inflammation. It’s possible to have a joint that is painful but not inflamed, but you can also have a joint that is both inflamed and painful.

## Types of joint pain

Types of joint pain can affect various areas of the body, resulting in discomfort and restricted movement. Understanding the specific regions where joint pain commonly occurs is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment.

Some of the most common types include:

- [knee pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/knee-pain-causes-symptoms-and-treatments)
- [shoulder pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/shoulder-pain-when-to-do-something-about-it-158)
- [back pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/back-pain-tips-and-tricks-to-getting-better-and-when-to-see-a-doctor-466)
- [hip pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/hip-osteoarthritis)
- [foot pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/foot-pain), including your [ankle](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/ankle-pain-142) and toes
- hand pain, including your [wrist](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/wrist-pain) and fingers
- elbow pain
- [neck pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/neck-pain)

Tendonitis is a common painful condition that can affect tendons around a joint. In most cases, tendonitis is a self-limiting condition and will improve after a period of activity restriction. Tendonitis was previously believed to be a condition of inflammation within a tendon. However, it is now understood that tendonitis does not involve inflammation, but instead represents multiple micro-tears accumulating, with the tendon then generating a healing response. Most cases of tendonitis are caused by a sudden change or increase in your activity levels. 

Ankle pain is one of the most common types of [joint pain](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/symptom/joint-pain-causes-symptoms-and-treatments) and there are many different causes. If you have had a trauma like a high-impact sports injury, there may be the possibility of a broken bone. If you haven’t had any trauma, there are many different causes such as skin problems, joint problems like [arthritis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/arthritis) or [gout](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/gout), muscle and tendon problems like [Achilles tendinopathy](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/achilles-tendinopathy-688), and many more. If you have severe pain, or pain that is not subsiding with simple pain relief, you may need to seek advice from your doctor.

The Achilles tendon is the large tendon just above your heel that you can feel like a cord when you move your foot up and down. It’s the largest and strongest tendon in the body. If the tendon tears, or snaps then this is called an Achilles tendon rupture. A rupture can be partial or total, depending on whether any of the tendon is still attached.

A blister occurs when fluid collects in a pocket between two of the upper layers of the skin. It's very common and most often a result of friction such as shoes rubbing on the skin of your heel. The fluid that fills a blister is serum, the liquid part of blood. 

There can be other causes for blisters, such as a burn, abrasive substances, and sometimes viruses or medical conditions can cause blistering. 

Blisters should go away within seven days and the majority can be treated at home. Blisters caused by friction or heat or toxic substances are not contagious. Blisters caused by some viral infections (such as impetigo, herpes, shingles and chickenpox) can be contagious. 

Blisters on the feet are the most common type of blister and there are a number of reasons why these typically form: 

- Poorly fitting shoes that rub your feet 

- Wearing high heels that put pressure onto one part of the foot 

- Wearing shoes with no socks, or wearing socks that are too large and have wrinkles in them 

- Having hot or sweaty feet 

A bunion (or hallux valgus to give it its medical name), is a deformity of the big toe where - instead of pointing straight forwards - the big toe angles towards the second toe, causing a bony lump to form at the base of the big toe. This lump can rub on footwear and cause pain, swelling and redness around the area. At first the bony lump will be small but it can increase in size over time. There are things you can do to prevent the bunion from getting bigger and causing pain and difficulty walking. 

Chilblains are small, red, itchy patches that are the result of an abnormal reaction to the cold. This means that they're common in the US because of the typical damp, cold weather that occurs in the winter. When our skin gets cold, blood vessels near the surface get narrower, and if we then warm up the skin the blood vessels become wider again. If this happens too fast, the blood vessels near the surface of our skin can struggle to deal with this increased blood flow and this can then cause blood to leak into the surrounding tissue, and so cause the swelling, itchiness and sometimes pain associated with chilblains.

Chilblains often occur on your extremities, such as fingers, toes, ears and nose, but they can occur anywhere on the body. They tend to occur a few hours after exposure to the cold and can last up to a couple of weeks but usually clear up without treatment.

Wrist pain is common, and there are many different causes. If you have had some sort of trauma, like a high-impact injury such as a fall, there may be the possibility of a broken bone. If you have not had any trauma, there are many different causes such as skin problems, joint problems like [arthritis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/arthritis) or gout, muscle and tendon problems like [repetitive strain injury](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/repetitive-strain-injury-rsi), along with many more. If you have severe pain, or pain that is not subsiding with some simple pain relief, then you may need to seek advice from your doctor.

Plantar fasciitis – inflammation of the plantar fascia in your foot - is a painful condition characterized by discomfort under your heel when walking and is sometimes called ‘jogger’s heel’ although you do not have to be a jogger to develop it! It is quite common and is believed to affect up to 5-7% of adults at some stage in their lives, being slightly more likely to develop in women.

The condition is common in middle age, typically developing in people aged 40-60 and although the majority of cases improve on their own, it can cause significant discomfort in some people, having a huge impact on them.

Discomfort under your heel when walking can be due to many things, but one of the common issues is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is very common and is believed to affect **up to 1 in 10 adults** at some stage. The condition is common in middle age and most often develops in people **aged 40-70**. While in most cases it will improve on its own, it can cause significant discomfort and have a huge impact on sufferers.

Osteoporosis affects over 10 million people in the US. It is where the bones become more fragile, weak, and likely to break. Osteoporosis is a chronic condition that develops slowly over years and is usually not painful unless it progresses to a [fracture](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/fracture-748) (a break in the bone). Often, it's only after sustaining a fracture that most people find out they have osteoporosis.

The common sites for injuries and fractures are the bones in the spine (called the vertebrae), the hip, and the wrists, but fractures can occur anywhere.

Prior to developing osteoporosis, your bones will transition through a phase of [osteopenia](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/osteopenia). This is when you have a lower bone density than others your age. Developing osteopenia doesn't necessarily mean you will develop osteoporosis; there are things you can do to prevent it.

Corns and calluses: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Corns and calluses are areas of thickened and hardened skin caused by the repeated minor friction or rubbing of the skin, and they can often be painful. **In most cases, they are not serious and you can usually treat them yourself at home.**

Despite appearing similar, and being caused by repeated friction and pressure, corns and calluses are not the same thing.

Flexitol Heel Balm is a moisturizer used to prevent and treat dry and cracked skin on your feet. Various factors can lead to dry skin on your feet, including cold weather, medical conditions, nutrient deficiency (specifically potassium, fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, and E), wearing shoes that don’t fit, aging, and heredity.

Flexitol Heel Balm is especially useful for people with diabetes. This is because people with diabetes must look after their feet carefully to avoid cuts or damage that can lead to infections. High blood sugar levels caused by poorly controlled diabetes can damage nerves in your feet (peripheral neuropathy), making them less able to feel pain, cold, and heat. As a result, foot problems can go unnoticed. People with diabetes are advised to carefully manage dry and cracked skin to stop complications, and Flexitol Heel Balm is one of the ways to help with this.

Xanthelasma are fat deposits around the eyes, usually found near the inner corner of the eye and the inner upper eyelid. They tend to look slightly paler than the person's skin tone, and the lumps can vary in size. They are harmless themselves, but can represent a [high level of cholesterol](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/hypercholesterolemia) (a type of fat) in the body, although this is not always the case. Higher levels of cholesterol in the body can increase your risk of heart problems.

They do not need to be removed from around the eyes but can be removed for cosmetic reasons by a variety of methods, such as excision, laser, chemical, or freezing.

An X-ray is a type of scan that uses very small amounts of radiation to create a 2D black and white image of the inside of your body. X-rays send small amounts of radiation energy through the body and detect the amount that has passed through to the other side. 

Different tissues block or absorb different amounts of the X-rays depending on how dense they are. The denser the matter, the more radiation it will block and the lighter it will appear. For example, bone shows up as white as it blocks a large amount of the radiation, whereas air in the lungs allows more to pass through and shows up as much darker.

Trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, is a common condition. It usually affects middle-aged patients, especially manual workers required to frequently flex and extend their fingers. These repeated finger movements cause wear and tear to the finger tendons and result in inflammation, which eventually leads to [tendonitis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/tendonitis) (tendon swelling and thickening).

The swollen or thickened tendon can become trapped at the entrance to the tendon sheath -the fibrous tunnel that holds the finger tendon in position - and produces the triggering effect when the finger tendon is forcefully moved through the tunnel then releases.

Any finger can be affected, but the thumb and fourth fingers are most affected. You may notice that the finger clicks as it is bent, then when the hand is extended, the affected finger remains bent until it suddenly straightens with a snap. Sometimes, a lump (nodule) will be formed, and it can be felt along the tendon.

As the condition worsens, the affected finger may be trapped in the palm of the hand and can only be manually extended with the other hand. In the worst scenario, the flexed finger is completely trapped and cannot be manually released.

Sweaty palms are also known as palmar hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by excessive sweating beyond what is necessary for thermoregulation, can significantly impact the quality of life physically, emotionally and psychologically. Sweating is one of the key ways our body regulates its temperature and effectively cools down. Overactive sweat glands cause individuals to sweat more than needed - this can lead to the experience of sweaty palms. Sweaty palms do not usually indicate a serious problem, but on occasion, they can be caused by an underlying condition.

Swelling in the ankles, feet, or legs is often caused by a fluid build-up, and we call it edema. Your legs might look puffy, shiny, or stretched, and they might feel a bit sore or heavy and cause difficulty walking.

It's quite common in very warm weather, especially if you've been on your feet all day. It often goes away on its own, but it's reasonable to see your doctor if it does not improve after a few days or your symptoms are getting worse.

Your shin is the area over the tibia bone. This is the area between the knee and the ankle at the front of the leg. Shin pain is caused by inflammation of the muscles, tendons, or bone over the shin area.  

Named after the doctor who first described it in 1862, Raynaud's phenomenon – often just called Raynaud’s - is a condition that affects the circulation of blood in certain areas of the body, most often the fingers and toes, usually when exposed to the cold. It can cause the areas to change color (white, blue and then red in an attack), become painful, numb, and restrict movement.

It is a fairly common condition that affects women more than men and the most common type usually develops before the age of 30, sometimes running in families. It can be triggered by various factors like [stress](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/article/stress-563), cold weather (the most common trigger), and even excess [caffeine](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/treatment/caffeine). It is not usually a serious condition although it can affect people's quality of life, and sometimes can also be linked to other underlying medical conditions.

**Pressure ulcers are also known as bed sores.** 

They occur due to prolonged pressure on a particular area of the body, causing injury or damage to the skin and underlying tissue. They often affect bony areas which have thin layers of tissue overlying them, such as the lower spine, heels, hips, or elbows. But they can develop anywhere.

As the chances of developing a pressure sore increase the longer the pressure is applied, the highest risk comes to those confined to a bed or chair for long periods.

Early signs of a pressure ulcer developing are when the area starts to become pink and painful. Later the skin may start to become hardened or warm. If a pressure ulcer is not taken care of at this stage, it can then develop into a break in the skin. Over time this can lead to a wound or blister that begins to extend into the deeper tissues and, finally the muscle. At this stage, it is very painful.

Pins and needles are an odd sensation that feels like tingling or numbness on the skin. It can occur anywhere on the body but commonly occurs on the arms, legs, hands, and feet. Pins and needles are often a short-lived thing that happens when the blood supply to the nerve is stopped temporarily, for example, when you lie or sleep on a body part for a long time. Occasionally, there are also medical problems that can cause pins and needles. We will explain some of the varied causes below. 

It's common for children to get minor injuries to the hip, leg, or foot that could cause them to limp – this might be a cut or bruise, a blister on their foot, or a muscle strain or sprain.

While limping is not usually anything serious or that needs treatment, it's important to look out for signs that something more serious is causing a limp, and get them to their doctor for a thorough assessment. A good starting point is whether there's an obvious injury – they might remember falling over or playing sports, or you may be able to see the cause.

Minor injuries will not cause other symptoms, so look out for any fever, excessive tiredness or inactivity, warmth or redness around a joint, or pain that's not improving after a week or so. Inflammatory conditions, deep infections, broken bones, or developmental problems are serious problems that need specialist input.

DEXA is short for 'dual energy X-ray absorptiometry' which is the medical term for a type of scan that uses mild X-rays to measure how dense bone is. The density of bone helps determine how strong the bone is, so the lower the density, the weaker the bone is considered to be. A DEXA scan can be used to diagnose conditions such as [osteopenia](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/osteopenia) and [osteoporosis](https://www.healthwords.ai/us/condition/osteoporosis).

Osteoporosis is when your bone density is significantly lower than the normal range for your age and gender, and the bones are therefore at a higher risk of breaking easily. Osteopenia is a milder form of this with just a slightly lower than normal bone density.

Dr Karen Martin

Pharmacist and Head of US Content

Foot pain is common, and there are many different causes. If you have had some sort of trauma, like kicking something hard or dropping something on your foot, there may be the possibility of a broken bone.  

If you have not had any trauma, there are many different causes: skin problems like blisters and ulcers, joint problems like arthritis or gout, or muscle and tendon problems like Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis.  

If you have severe pain or pain not subsiding with simple pain relief, you may need to seek advice from your doctor. 

Foot pain

Do I need an X-ray?

Healthwords pharmacists' top tips

When should I see my doctor?

What will my doctor do?

Related topics

Achilles tendinopathy

Pain

Chronic pain relief

Toe pain

Lower back pain

Fracture

Joint pain: causes, symptoms and treatments

Tendonitis

Ankle pain

Achilles tendon rupture

Blisters

Bunions

Chilblains

Wrist pain

Plantar Fasciitis

Painful bottom of foot

Osteoporosis

Corns and calluses: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Flexitol Heel Balm

Xanthelasma

X-ray scan

Trigger finger

Sweaty palms

Swollen ankles

Shin pain

Raynaud's

Pressure ulcer

Pins and needles in the hands

Limping in children

DEXA scan