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Foot pain

Definition:

Pain or discomfort can be felt anywhere in the foot, including the heel, toes, arch, instep, sole, or ankles. See also ankle pain and heel pain .

Alternative Names:

Pain - foot

Common Causes:

Foot pain can be caused by:

Ill-fitting shoes often cause these problems. Aging and being overweight also increase your chances of having foot problems.

Morton's neuroma is a type of foot pain that is usually centered between the third and fourth toes. It results from thickening and swelling of tissue around a nerve in the area. Symptoms include tingling and sharp, shooting, or burning pains in the ball of your foot (and sometimes toes), especially when wearing shoes or pressing on the area. Pain gradually gets worse over time. Morton's neuroma is more common in women than men.

Other common causes of foot pain include:

References:

Hochman MG. Nerves in a pinch: imaging of nerve compression syndromes. Radiol Clin North Am . Jan 2004; 42(1): 221-45.

Noble J. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine . 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001:1214.

Kay D. Morton's neuroma. Foot Ankle Clin . 2003; 8(1): 49-59.

American College of Radiology (ACR), Expert Panel on Musculoskeletal Imaging. Chronic foot pain . Reston, VA: American College of Radiology; 2002.

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