Your feet bear weight when you’re standing and help you get where you need to go. Because of this, foot pain is common. The pain can range from mild to severe, and it may last a short time or be an ongoing issue. Many measures can help relieve your foot pain.
Foot pain refers to any pain or discomfort in one or more parts of the foot, such as the following:
- toes
- heels
- arches
- soles
Various medical issues are closely associated with foot pain.
Your feet are especially susceptible to the pain that occurs due to arthritis. There are 33 joints in the foot, and arthritis can affect any of them.
Diabetes mellitus can also cause complications and several disorders of the feet. People with diabetes are more prone to:
- nerve damage in the feet
- clogged or hardened arteries in the legs and feet
- foot ulcers or sores
You’re also more at risk for having foot pain if you:
- have overweight or obesity
- are pregnant
- have a foot injury such as a sprain, fracture, or tendinitis
Other potential causes of foot pain include:
- Corns
- Calluses
- Bunions
- Warts
- Ingrown toenails
- Medications that cause swelling of the feet
- Morton’s neuroma, which is a thickening around the nerve tissue between toes near the ball of the foot
- Hammer toes
- Athlete’s foot
- Haglund’s deformity, which is an enlargement of the back of the heel bone
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
- Fallen arches
- Plantar fasciitis
- Gout, especially affecting the great toe near the ball of the foot