Common Foot & Ankle Problems
» Ankle Sprains
» Bunions
» Heel Pain
» Metatarsalgia
» Neuroma
» Plantar Fasciitis
» Toes
» Warts
» Ingrown Nails
» Thicken Nails
ANKLE SPRAINS
The ankle is one of the most common places in the body for a sprain. Every day thousands of people sprain their ankles. Landing wrong on your foot can cause the ankle to roll to the side. This can stretch or tear ligaments. Ankle sprains can occur at any time, such as when you step off a curb or play sports. Once you've had an ankle sprain, you may be more likely to sprain that ankle again.
Symptoms:
Your symptoms depend on how badly the ligaments are damaged. You may have little pain and swelling if the ligaments are only stretched. If the ligaments tear, you will have more pain and swelling. The more severe the sprain, the less you'll be able to move the ankle or put weight on it. The ankle may also turn black and blue, and the bruising may extend into the foot and leg.
BUNIONS
A bunion is a deformity of the foot which causes the big toe to turn toward the outside of the foot. Also, a bump forms on the inside of the foot where the big toe begins. This is caused from improper alignment of the bones in the foot with the ankle and leg as you walk. It is a genetic, developmental problem that usually begins at an early age.
Symptoms:
A bunion often causes pain and swelling around the joint at the base of the big toe. The skin may become red or warm. If the big toe pushes under the second toe, a painful corn may form on the top of the second toe. In some cases, bunions cause no symptoms — other than making the foot harder to fit in a shoe.
HEEL PAIN
Wearing shoes with poor support and no cushioning can irritate the tissue in the foot known as the planter fascia. Being overweight or standing for long periods of time can also irritate this tissue. Any sport or activity that puts stress on the foot can cause tears in the planter fascia and even fractures in the heel bone.
Symptoms:
You may feel pain on the bottom or on the inside edge of your heel. The pain may be sharp when you get out of bed or when you stand up after sitting for a while. You may feel a dull ache in your heel after you've been standing for a long time on a hard surface. Running can also cause a dull ache. If a nerve is irritated, you may feel burning or a shooting pain in your heel.
METATARSALGIA
Metatarsalgia is often caused by wearing shoes with thin soles and high heels. This puts extra pressure on the bones in the ball of the foot. Standing or walking on a hard surface for long periods also puts added pressure on the bones, causing pain. The pain can occur under any of the five metatarsal bones. Bent or twisted toes and bunions can make the problem worse. So can being overweight. Sometimes high arches or arthritis can also cause metatarsalgia.
Symptoms:
The most common symptom of metatarsalgia is pain in the ball of the foot. It may feel as if you have a stone in your shoe. The ball of the foot may also become red and inflamed, and a callus may form under the end of the metatarsal bone.
NEUROMA
Wearing tight or high-heeled shoes can cause a neuroma. Shoes that are too narrow or too pointed squeeze the bones in the ball of the foot. Shoes with high heels put extra pressure on the ends of the bones. When the bones are squeezed together, they pinch the nerve that runs between them.
Symptoms:
The most common symptom of a neuroma is pain in the ball of the foot between two toes. The pain may be dull or sharp. It may feel as if you have a stone in your shoe. You may also have tingling or numbness in one or both of the toes. Symptoms may occur after you have been walking or standing for a while. Taking off your shoes and rubbing the ball of your foot may relieve the pain.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
The plantar fascia is a ligament-like band running from your heel to the ball of your foot. This band pulls on the heel bone, raising the arch of your foot as it pushes off the ground. But if your foot moves incorrectly, the plantar fascia may become strained. The fascia may swell and its tiny fibers may begin to fray, causing plantar fasciitis. This can also be the beginning of a heel spur.
Symptoms:
With plantar fasciitis, the bottom of your foot may hurt when you stand, especially first thing in the morning. Pain usually occurs on the inside of the foot, near the spot where your heel and arch meet. Pain may lessen after a few steps, but it comes back after rest or with prolonged movement.
TOES
Mallet, hammer, and claw toes are most often caused by wearing shoes that are too short or heels that are too high. This jams the toes against the front of the shoe and causes one or more joints to bend. Rarely, disease can cause the joints in the toes to bend. Mallet, hammer, and claw toes are among the most common toe problems. They occur most often in the longest of the four smaller toes.
Symptoms:
You may feel pain in the toe or in the ball of your foot. A corn (a hard growth of skin on the top of the toe) may form where the toe rubs against the top of the shoe, or a callus (a hard growth of skin on the bottom of the foot) may form under the tip of the toe or on the ball of the foot. Corns and calluses can also be painful.
WARTS
A wart is an infection caused by a virus, which can invade your skin through small cuts or breaks. Over time, the wart develops into a hard, rough growth on the surface of the skin. A wart is most commonly seen on the bottom of the foot (plantar wart), but can also appear on the top. Children, teens, and people with allergies or weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to the wart virus.
Symptoms:
Warts may appear spongy, with tiny red, brown, or black spots. They can grow up to an inch or more across, occurring alone (solitary) or with smaller warts clustered nearby (mosaic). Warts are sometimes mistaken for corns or calluses. They can persist for years and recur in the same spot. If left untreated, warts can spread to other parts of the foot or even to the hands or other areas of the body.
INGROWN NAILS
An ingrown nail is the result of a nail growing into the skin that surrounds it. This often occurs at either edge of the big toe. Ingrown nails may be caused by improper trimming, inherited nail deformities, injuries, fungal infections, or pressure.
Symptoms:
Ingrown nails may cause pain at the tip of the toe or all the way to the base of the toe. The pain is often worse while walking. An ingrown nail may also lead to infection or inflammation. If it's infected, you might see pus or redness.
THICKENED NAILS
Abnormally thick or crumbling nails may be caused by injuries, pressure from shoes, fungal infections, or conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis, or vascular disease. Eventually, the nail may loosen and fall off.
Symptoms:
Along with thickening, the nail may appear ridged, brittle, or yellowish. The nail may also feel painful when pressure is put on it.