Causes of painful feet

Introduction

Foot pain can be caused by a variety of the different things. Trauma, disease, or a combination of the two, are usually the most common causes of pain in the foot. Causes

Trauma usually results from outside force or direct impact on the foot which causes damage to it.

Ligament sprains, muscle strains, bruises and fractures are all injuries that can cause foot pain. They can all be caused by stress being put on the foot.

A sprain can occur when the ligaments that hold the bones together are stretched too far and the fibers tear. The looseness or tightness of the ligaments and joints might also be a determinant factor in a foot injury.

The bursa and fascia foot muscles can be strained by overstretching, overuse, bruising or being cut by a sharp object.

Sometimes blunt force injuries can cause pain, such as getting one’s foot stepped on, which can result in a contusion that will damage the muscles and ligaments of the foot.

A direct and hard blow to the foot can cause bruising, a breaking of the skin and even bone fractures.

Trauma of the toenails can also cause pain. It can cause a pooling of blood under the nail that can be very painful and cause the toenail to fall off. If the toenail is not treated correctly, then an infection could also occur.

Injuries to the skin that covers the internal structures of the foot can also be caused by repetitive small trauma. These minor injuries, which are usually referred to as micro-traumas, can be caused by running on a surface that is uneven, or surfaces that are too hard or soft. If the foot is constantly overstressed, it can cause stress fractures, tendonitis, plantar fascitis and chronic osteoarthritis in some cases.

The arches of the foot absorb most of the return force of the body when walking. If the plantar fascia is injured, there will probably be some pain in the arches of the feet.

When the plantar fascia is damaged, then there will be inflammation and this can often cause the pain. People who have flat feet, which means that they have either high or low arches, could also experience foot pain because of it.

One of the simplest but at the same time unexpected problems with foot pain is uncomfortable footwear.

Shoes that do not fit well can cause blisters, calluses, bruising and athlete’s foot. Sometimes ill-fitting shoes can lead to more long-term problems such as bunions, corns, irritation of the nerves and joints, misaligned toes or microtrauma.