Foot pain
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia isthe term for pain that occurs in the front section of the foot.
It's is often described as a burning or aching pain that ranges from mild to severe and gets worse when walking. It can affect one or several toes near the ball of your foot, or sometimes the entire foot.
Anything that puts extra strain or pressure on the ball of your foot can bring on the pain for example, wearing tight-fitting shoes for a long period of time, high impact sports, or being overweight. Older people are more susceptible to metatarsalgia.
Most cases of metatarsalgia can be managed using PRICE therapy (protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation), painkillers, changing your footwear and using shock-absorbing insoles. In rare cases, surgery may be required to repair underlying damage to the foot.
This long-term condition caused by wear and tear results in swelling of the tissues in and around the joints, including the big toe and heel joints.
Treatments include wearing suitable footwear to reduce the strain on your joints, painkillers, anti-inflammatory medication, physiotherapy and surgery in some cases.It almost always affects other joints too, so foot pain willprobably notbe your only symptom.
The main treatments includemedication to relieve symptoms and slow the progress of the condition,physiotherapy,and occasionally surgery. This is known as Achilles tendinopathy.
The pain can often be relieved with rest, ice packsand painkillers at home, although it may take several months toresolve completely.
If youexperience sudden and severe pain in your heel, which may have been accompanied by a "popping" or "snapping" sound, you may have ruptured (torn) your Achilles tendon.
You should seek medical advice as soon as possible if you think you have ruptured your Achilles tendon. Often this will be treated with immobilisation (wearing a plaster cast or plastic boot) for several weeks. Surgery may sometimes be required to repair the tear.
This is a build-up of fluid (mainly water) in the body's tissues, causing swelling to occur in the affected area.
Oedema will usually affect your whole lower leg as well. See your GP, or if the pain and swelling is severe, go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Foot pain is a common problem with a wide range of possible causes.
Common causes of foot pain
Common causes of foot pain include: sprains and strains gout verrucas blisters, corns and calluses bunions ingrowing toenails plantar fasciitis (heel pain) Morton's neuroma
Sprains and strains
Sprains and strains are very common injuries that affect muscles and ligaments (strong bands of tissue around joints that connect one bone to another). They often occur if you change direction or spee
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is the result of damage to the tough band of tissue (fascia) that runs under the sole of the foot, which causes pain in the heel. It most commonly affects people aged 40 to 60 who ar
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia isthe term for pain that occurs in the front section of the foot. It's is often described as a burning or aching pain that ranges from mild to severe and gets worse when walking. It ca
Anobject embedded in your foot
Foot pain can sometimes be caused by an object embedded in the foot. It may therefore be worth considering whether you havestepped on something sharp with bare feet and examining your foot for a wound
Diabetic foot problems
People with diabetes can experience a number of potentially serious problems affecting their feet,some of which can be very painful. This is because the condition can damage nerves and blood vessels i
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