Foot pain is a common problem but to effectively treat the foot pain, you need to differentiate the underlying cause of the problem. Below are some common causes of foot pain.
Plantar fasciitis is pain in the bottom of the feet. The most common causes of plantar fasciitis is foot wear that does not provide appropriate support to the feet or muscles in the calf that are chronically tight.
The differential diagnosis is usually made on location. The focus of the pain is on the bottom of the foot in the anterior/front part of the heel bone (calcaneous) and can radiate towards the bones in the front of the foot (metatarsals).
One key symptom in plantar fasciitis is that the feet are very painful first thing in the morning when arising from bed. Some patients describe it like walking on broken glass.
A second potential cause of foot pain is peripheral neuropathy. The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes although chemotherapy can also cause this. Sadly, sometimes there is no known cause.
In peripheral neuropathy the patient will have pain numbness and/or tingling. It is usually in both feet, starts at the toes and progresses up the legs with time.
The underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy is usually that the distal nerves in the feet are not receiving adequate blood flow. Doctors may check the larger arteries for flow but it is usually the microvasculature/smaller arterioles that are affected and causing the problem.
Arthritis may also be a cause of foot pain although this is less common. Arthritis, which literally means inflammation of the joints will show up at the joints but not in other areas of the foot. X-Rays can show this type of foot pain.
A bunion can also cause pain in the foot. Bunions are usually caused by wearing shoes that do not fit correctly. Usually they are too tight.
The friction from the shoes causes bone growth just proximal to the big toe. Surgery can treat bunions and there are a number of devices that may also help.
