Painful foot

Pain in the Foot

Pain in the foot is a very common condition. Almost the every person has experienced pain in the foot at some point in life. The foot consists of more than 20 bones and more than 30 joints. It also contains hundreds of nerves, ligaments and muscles. Any of these parts can be affected with a disorder which can cause pain. Painful foot can be caused by tight shoes or an injury or it can be a consequence of some more serious condition. If the pain is mild and goes away on its own after a while, you do not need to be concerned. However, if the pain is severe, persistent and causes problems while standing of walking, you should seek medical help.

Causes

If your shoes are too tight or they do not fit properly, they will certainly cause pain in your feet. Pain in the foot can appear if you have walked or run more than usual. This means that you simply overused your feet. People who are obese put extra pressure on their feet, so they may have more problems with feet than people with normal weight. There are a lot of medical conditions which cause pain in the foot. People who have flat feet experience more pain in the foot. Achilles tendinitis, bunions hammertoe, metatarsalgia, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are some of the disorders which can cause pain in your feet. Sprained muscles, injuries, bone fractures and inflammation of the joints in the foot can cause a lot of pain.

Treatment

In mild cases, just apply cold compressions on your foot and keep it elevated in case the pain is accompanied with swelling. You can also take some painkillers to relieve the pain. In severe and chronic cases of painful foot, medical care is necessary because if you do not receive proper treatment, you may have permanent damage of your foot. If the pain is caused by some disease, you will receive the treatment for the underlying cause. In case of bone fracture of some other injury on the foot, your doctor will recommend the treatment which can includes surgery.

Prevention

In order to prevent pain in toy feet, wear proper shoes. You should maintain tour weight normal. Try to take short breaks if you have been standing or walking for a long time. The pain and swelling of your feet can be avoided if you lift your feet while you are lying down.