Life is a luxury, and legs are the means of transportation through it, says a New Russian proverb. Sometimes this “transport” is plagued by all sorts of diseases that greatly complicate a person’s life. The reasons that provoke pain in the foot on the side, as well as on the external or internal side, can be associated both with injury to the joint and with the development of a serious pathology.
When a person has foot pain, this is a serious and alarming signal, meaning that you should not hesitate to visit a qualified doctor. The following are the reasons why foot pain occurs:
This pathology develops against the background of bone injuries or diseases. Its main symptom is the absence of specific symptoms other than pain in the foot. Occurring when a person is at rest, the discomfort becomes stronger when moving. The pain in the foot becomes even stronger after pressing on a bone located in an area close to the skin.
The reasons for the appearance of painful sensations, according to doctors, are associated with the leaching of calcium from actual bones. They appear against the background:
An accurate diagnosis can be made after a thorough examination by a doctor. Treatment of foot pain caused by osteoporosis involves taking vitamin D, hormonal and calcium-containing medications prescribed by the doctor.
A condition in which foot pain occurs in the morning is called plantar fasciitis. Modern doctors identify the following reasons for the development of this pathology:
Often, foot pain that occurs in the morning bothers people with congenital tissue (connective) weakness. The main symptom is considered to be a painful syndrome in the instep and side. If a person has to walk a lot, over time there is a risk of developing lameness.
In order to relieve pain and get rid of unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to receive timely treatment. It assumes a conservative approach. So, if the feet hurt due to the progression of fasciitis, the patient is recommended the following:
The phalanges of the fingers articulate with the heads of the necessary bones through joints. In these areas, bursae, or joint capsules, are located. As a result of thinning, which occurs due to age-related changes, there is a load on the bursae. This is the main answer to the question of why pain occurs in the joints, as well as in areas near the fingers.
The attending physician will tell you what to do after establishing an accurate diagnosis. Standard treatment involves the use of medications that relieve inflammation and relieve pain. You can also relieve pain by performing physical therapy exercises. In the most severe cases, if there is a very strong painful syndrome, injections are prescribed. If it is not possible to relieve pain using conservative methods, a decision is made regarding surgical intervention.
Inflammation of the ligaments, characterized by severe pain, is called ligamentitis. As the disease progresses, pain often occurs in the ankle joint, on the side, as well as in the instep and plantar areas. Pathology occurs due to microtraumas resulting from increased stress on the bone, or infectious pathologies.
A professional doctor will answer the question more accurately about why this disease is progressing and what should be done. The disease is supposed to be treated with antibiotics, hormonal injections and anti-inflammatory agents.
Sometimes a person complains that the top of his foot hurts. This prevents him from walking and causes severe discomfort. Painful sensations arising from above often indicate pathology of the entire actual area. In some cases, a painful syndrome that forms on top and interferes with walking is associated with wearing uncomfortable shoes. Other reasons for the formation of pain above the actual zone include:
Treatment is prescribed by a qualified specialist. If the patient has difficulty walking, the doctor may be called to the home.
Disorders and pain in the ankle joint are often associated with the development of vascular pathologies, which are characterized by poor circulation. Often, pain in the ankle joint occurs against the background of the development of such a dangerous pathology as arthrosis.
Arthrosis is characterized by the presence of specific symptoms.
Also, a patient diagnosed with arthrosis has a slight limp. Such a serious disease as arthrosis requires conservative treatment. In the first stages, treatment consists of prescribing non-steroidal drugs, then the patient undergoes a course of physiotherapy. If arthrosis cannot be treated, the doctor decides on surgical intervention.
Sometimes a sharp, aching or dull pain affects the arch. The main reasons why the arch hurts are:
The doctor will tell you what to do if one of these diseases is detected during the diagnosis. If the metatarsal bone hurts, then there is a very high probability that a displacement has occurred or a fracture has formed. The metatarsal bone is often treated surgically.
In order to avoid pain, it is important to correctly distribute the load on the lower limbs. Shoes should be very comfortable for the entire foot and toes in particular. It is also important to monitor your health by promptly seeking medical help.
If the outer side of the foot hurts, this phenomenon requires special attention, especially if there is no visible reason. In this case, you will need to consult more than one specialist. Depending on the location, pain in the foot from the outside on the side can be local - if a limited area on the inside of the foot is affected, or it can be diffuse, covering the entire inside of the foot. There is also pain at rest and during exercise. The pain on the inside can be stabbing, dull, or may have a pulling character.
If the foot hurts in the middle on the inside only under the influence of a certain load or compression, swelling usually does not appear, and there is also no hyperthermia or redness. The inner part of the foot may hurt due to diseases of the articular or bone apparatus. Often this is a sign of acute calcium deficiency or a symptom of osteoporosis.
Intensely expressed pain in the foot on the inner part appears when standing in an upright position for a long time, with excessive load - long walking or running, after a sharp gain in body weight, this may mean injuries in the ligamentous apparatus. At the same time, the pain in the foot is diffuse, there is no specific focus.
Other causes of pain on the outside of the foot may include:
If the inner side of the foot hurts precisely for this reason, this symptom does not require additional treatment. But we must remember that when walking for a long time in such products, even after the foot gets used to it and the pain stops, the deformation of the foot that has begun continues. And this is fraught with irreversible degenerative changes in the bone apparatus; over time, a protruding bone begins to appear on the side of the outside of the foot.
After a certain period of time, painful sensations in the foot area begin to appear again, but such manifestations will already indicate serious dysfunction in the articular and ligamentous apparatus. The disease will develop not only in the feet, but will also affect the spinal column.
The reasons why the foot hurts on the side can be certain injuries - sprain or fracture. They are divided into the following types:
If the foot hurts on the side as a result of an injury, therapeutic measures consist of fixing the sore limb; if a sprain occurs, a tight tourniquet of an elastic bandage is applied; if a fracture occurs, a plaster cast is applied. In addition, drug treatment is also prescribed using local drugs - ointments, creams, the purpose of which is to relieve pain, neutralize the inflammatory process, and accelerate regeneration. Sometimes, for severe injuries, surgical treatment is resorted to.
There are also reasons why a limb begins to hurt, associated with damage to the ligaments and tendons. Among them are:
Treatment of such diseases is usually carried out using conservative methods and only after a medical examination, examination and a treatment plan drawn up by the doctor for correcting the condition.
Therapeutic measures include:
The inflammatory process in the foot can be characterized as arthritis or arthrosis. The first disease has different causes. There are also a large number of varieties of this disease (rheumatoid, reactive, gouty).
Such pathological conditions are accompanied by certain clinical manifestations:
If the lesion is extensive, pain from the inside of the foot spreads to the outside.
Arthrosis is a large group of pathological processes in the joints, which are characterized by destructive reactions in the joints and inflammatory processes in the periarticular tissues. Against this background, dysfunction occurs in the microcirculation of blood fluid and a disturbance in the outflow of lymph. Because a sick person tries to remove the load from the sore joint as much as possible, shifting it to the outside of the foot. The result is rapid fatigue of the ligaments and pain on the outside of the sole.
In the presence of such pathological processes, it is necessary to constantly be under the supervision of a doctor, since the diseases are characterized by periods of outbreaks and remissions. After visiting a specialist, they are prescribed a treatment regimen. Usually these are conservative methods, physiotherapeutic procedures on the limbs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, if necessary, hormonal therapy is prescribed, if an infectious process is diagnosed, antibacterial drugs are used.
When gouty arthritis worsens, pain and other symptoms are relieved with the help of measures whose task is to remove excess uric acid from the body. Sometimes the doctor considers the advisability of prescribing surgical treatment. Regardless of what exactly caused the pathology and pain in the foot, it is important not to resort to self-medication, trying to eliminate only the symptom. It is important to find out the cause, and only after that parallel therapy is carried out, which is aimed not only at eliminating pain, but also at eliminating the underlying disease that caused the pain.
When the first symptoms appear, do not delay visiting the doctor. After the initial examination, additional examinations are prescribed, which may include radiography, Dopplerography of blood vessels, and, if necessary, computed tomography, magnetic resonance therapy, ultrasound, and capillaroscopy. After determining the cause of the pain, a treatment regimen selected by the doctor is prescribed.
Medicines are used whose task is to relieve pain and relieve the inflammatory process. Physiotherapeutic procedures are also used to relieve pain. A massage and a set of therapeutic exercises are prescribed, which are selected strictly on an individual basis, after identifying a specific disease.
It is mandatory to wear special shoes, which reduce the intensity of pain during physical activity, and at the same time correct the shape of the foot. Such products are equipped with a special instep support with an insole, which makes it possible to evenly distribute the load, protecting the limb from injuries and sprains.
Additionally, the specialist prescribes wearing a special bandage that fixes the position of the foot and prevents it from moving, stretching, or being injured. Such products are indispensable assistants during walking and other motor activities. Their type is selected strictly individually by a qualified specialist.
Pain on the outside of the foot appears quite often; this is facilitated by both physiology and the fact that the feet bear the main load. Many people associate painful sensations with static or dynamic stress, but this is only partly true, since there are injuries, inflammations, chronic diseases and a number of other reasons that signal their existence through pain in the foot. Any discomfort indicates a deviation in the normal functioning of the organ and should be investigated properly.
First, research the possible causes, compare the symptoms and, if necessary, visit a doctor for professional advice and proper examination.
There is a huge list of various diseases, injuries and other reasons that cause pain in the side of the foot from the outside. These include foot fatigue after prolonged or excessive exercise. For example, such pain often bothers people with standing jobs or athletes, as well as loaders. In this case, the unpleasant sensations are often of a pulling or aching nature, intensifying in the evening.
Various injuries become more dangerous sources of discomfort. These are severe bruises, sprains, broken bones and fractures. They are much easier to identify due to their pronounced symptoms - acute pain, characterized by stabbing and cutting sensations in the damaged area. If the injury is minor, then discomfort occurs only when walking or standing. More serious damage may completely prevent the ability to move independently.
Various physiological disorders, such as arthrosis and arthritis, are the most unpleasant source of pain.
At the same time a banal, but also quite dangerous source of pain in the foot. Very few people, when choosing shoes, ensure that they correspond to the orthopedic features of their feet, which leads to deformation and subsequent pain. It is noteworthy that if the shoes do not fit properly, you can get injuries, such as sprains or fractures. If you ignore the problem, you can cause damage to the ligaments, joints and even the spine.
You can find out about the inadequacy of the selected pair of shoes while wearing them, experiencing discomfort when walking or standing. Also, the main symptoms include severe fatigue of the lateral part of the foot after removing a pair, aching pain that intensifies in the evening.
The problem does not require special diagnostic methods, and its detection is based on the patient’s own observation.
The main method of treatment is to change an uncomfortable pair to an orthopedic one. In some cases, you can use anesthetic ointments. Do not forget also that after treatment, returning to these shoes will return the discomfort, but with renewed vigor.
Anyone can damage the ligamentous apparatus; to do this, you do not need to be an athlete who experiences serious stress on the foot.
A mild degree is characterized by aching and nagging pain that appears at rest. When moving, the patient may experience no problems or slight discomfort.
A moderate level of sprain means a tear in the ligaments; severe pain appears in the side of the foot on the outside, more often when walking. The patient has difficulty stepping on the foot, it may swell, and if there is a hematoma, the skin becomes purple in color.
Severe sprains are often accompanied by ligament rupture and severe pain that can cause loss of consciousness.
First of all, an X-ray examination is performed, which excludes the presence of bone cracks or fractures. Further diagnosis is based on palpation and history taking.
For mild and moderate injuries, it is recommended to limit mobility, immobilize the foot, and prescribe a number of medications that stimulate the healing of damaged tissue.
In case of ligament ruptures, surgical intervention is mandatory, otherwise the foot will lose its functionality and the person will become disabled.
Such injuries are cracks at the heel, navicular and metatarsal bones. Unlike most other injuries, stress fractures are the result of long periods of stress rather than short, intense stress. Often, such fractures worry athletes whose activities involve constant stress on the feet and ordinary people who are actively involved in sports. Stress fractures do not appear immediately, but rather as a result of prolonged stress.
A condition where the foot hurts on the side on the outside not only causes discomfort to a person, but also acts as a sign of problems in the body, which in some cases can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, when pain appears, it is worth thinking about its origin and finding out the reasons that cause the unpleasant sensation.
From the moment of birth, our legs have exactly the structure that nature laid down for the full performance of their functions. Small and fragile, at first glance, the foot is able to withstand everyday stress, providing sufficient stability for walking. Moreover, it plays the role of a kind of shock absorber when moving and dampens shocks from the ground, which thanks to it are not transmitted to the spinal column and do not negatively affect its integrity and mobility.
If pathological changes occur in the legs, they stop performing their functions, which leads to pain and reduces the protection of the spinal column. In this regard, if there is pain in the foot on the external side, it is recommended to visit a medical specialist and undergo diagnostics to determine the causes of the pathology and (if necessary) carry out thorough treatment.
The main factors leading to pain include:
Below we will consider in more detail all of the listed pathological phenomena.
A fairly common cause of the problem is shoes that may be too tight or, on the contrary, loose. In this case, a doctor’s intervention will not be required, but it should be remembered that constantly wearing uncomfortable shoes can, over time, lead to foot deformation and the development of serious diseases. In addition, shoes that do not match your foot size can lead to fractures or sprains.
An unsuitable pair is indicated by discomfort that occurs while walking or standing. Also, the main signs of the wrong choice of shoes include increased fatigue of the lower extremities, which becomes more severe in the evening. For intense pain, you can use pain-relieving ointments or gels, but the best solution to the problem would be to buy orthopedic shoes.
Traumatic injuries are another common reason why a person has pain on the outside of the foot. Conventionally, all injuries that occur on the outside of the foot can be divided into several types:
This disease is typical for athletes and people with excess body weight. Under the influence of constant loads and microtraumas, the plantar fascia on the feet is subject to inflammatory and degenerative processes, which manifest themselves as pain in the heel, outer part of the foot and sole. Pain occurs or intensifies with exercise and becomes more pronounced in the morning.
If plantar fasciitis is left untreated, over time the lower extremity will develop a heel spur, which is much more difficult to treat.
Often, pain on the outside of the foot is associated with flat feet, which is a consequence of weakness of the muscles of the bones, foot, lower leg and ligaments. In many cases, flat feet develop in women who wear high-heeled shoes, as well as in people of both sexes who work in a standing position, are overweight, and or wear unsuitable shoes. In addition to pain, flat feet are manifested by changes in the contours of the foot.
Joint lesions such as arthritis or arthrosis are often the cause of pain in the foot. These diseases primarily affect older people, although they can also affect young people if they are at risk (obese, have a hereditary predisposition, etc.). As the disease develops, the pain usually occurs closer to the toes, manifests itself constantly and is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness in the morning. If left untreated, arthritis or arthrosis leads to disability over time.
Tendonitis refers to inflammation in the tendons associated with infection, mechanical damage or physical stress. Its main symptoms include:
Ligamenitis is an inflammation of the ligaments that usually occurs after injuries or infections. Most often, the disease affects people who have to spend a lot of time on their feet - athletes, welders, masons, dancers. Its most characteristic symptom is pain, which is localized at the site of the lesion and radiates to other parts of the foot. In addition, slight swelling, a feeling of numbness, and increased pain after prolonged immobility may occur.
Other factors that cause pain on the outside of the foot include:
Diagnosis and treatment of pain on the outside of the foot is carried out by a traumatologist and an orthopedist. When visiting a medical facility, the doctor prescribes a series of examinations that will allow you to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The main diagnostic measures include:
The choice of one or another treatment method largely depends on the cause of the discomfort. For injuries, the doctor may prescribe pain-relieving ointments and fixation with a tight bandage (plaster for fractures). Arthritis and arthrosis, as well as inflammation of ligaments and bones, are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, and for flat feet, gymnastics and massages are prescribed. In many cases, physiotherapeutic procedures are used, selected according to the identified disease.
All of the pathologies described above are the most common causes of pain on the outside of the foot. After considering them and comparing them with your own sensations, you can roughly decide for yourself whether to go straight to the doctor or observe the condition of the lower limb. But in any case, if your foot hurts for more than 2-3 days, it won’t hurt to contact a specialist and get the necessary medical help.
Pain in the legs not only greatly complicates life and interferes with full work, but can also be a symptom of many diseases. Most of them require mandatory treatment, since pathologies of the musculoskeletal system do not go away on their own.
There are quite a few reasons why the foot hurts on the lateral side, and not all of them pose a health hazard. Sometimes it is enough to give your tired feet a rest or change your shoes to more comfortable ones. However, with constant exposure to negative factors, the disease can progress and lead to various complications.
Plantar, or plantar fasciitis, is a disease that has been ignored for a long time, attributing pain in the foot to fatigue. However, over time, the symptoms become more severe, and the pain does not go away even after rest.
With fasciitis, the plantar fascia, which connects the heel bone to the phalanges of the toes, becomes inflamed. The inflammatory process develops due to constant tension of the ligaments, as a result of which micro-tears occur in the fascia and the heel bone is damaged. The tears gradually enlarge, the surrounding tissues swell, and pain occurs in the foot.
Plantar fasciitis most often affects women, athletes, and older adults, but those outside of these categories are not immune to the condition. Provocateurs can be excess weight, uncomfortable shoes, foot deformities, heredity and high physical activity.
A characteristic sign of the disease is pain in the foot on the outside and sides. In the morning, pain immediately makes itself felt as soon as a person gets to his feet. If left untreated, fasciitis continues to progress and can lead to lameness.
Plantar fasciitis usually affects both extremities, but it can also occur on one side. The most common complication is a heel spur - a bone growth on the heel bone consisting of calcium salts. To treat plantar fasciitis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, massage, and therapeutic exercises are used. A prerequisite is the wearing of orthopedic shoes or special inserts - insoles and arch supports.
Inflammation of the tendons involving the plantaris muscles and the tibialis posterior muscle, which connects the tibia and fibula, is called tendinitis of the foot.
Symptoms can vary in intensity - from almost imperceptible discomfort to severe pain.
With tendinitis, the feet hurt when walking, resting on the heel and flexing the ankle joint. At rest, the pain subsides. Gradually, the pain syndrome becomes permanent, swelling and redness occurs in the affected area, and body temperature may rise.
Wearing uncomfortable shoes aggravates the situation, and in the absence of timely treatment, the disease becomes chronic.
The most informative method for diagnosing tendonitis is ultrasound, which allows you to see the condition of soft tissues and tendons and assess the degree of damage.
Treatment begins with immobilization of the diseased limb using a tight bandage or splint
To alleviate the patient's condition, anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications, topical agents and compresses are prescribed. If the disease is infectious, antibiotics are necessary.
After relief of acute symptoms, physiotherapeutic treatment, massage and a course of therapeutic exercises are carried out.
What to do if conservative methods do not work and the pain in the leg does not go away? In this case, surgical intervention is performed, which consists of excision of the aponeurosis and affected structures.
Despite their similar names, these two diseases are fundamentally different. In medical terminology, the suffix “itis” means inflammation, and “oz” speaks of destruction.
The inflammatory process in the joint during arthritis in 70% of cases is caused by infection of the articular tissues; the second most common cause is various foot deformities. Since one of the risk factors is increased physical activity, athletes most often suffer from arthritis. Excess weight and metabolic disorders can also negatively affect the condition of the joints.
As a rule, arthritis is bilateral, but only one leg can be affected - left or right. In the early stages of the disease, a person feels only slight discomfort after running or fast walking, but over time the situation changes for the worse - night pain and stiffness in the joint appear. Since the cause of pain is an infection, the causative agent is first identified. For this, a laboratory blood test is prescribed. To assess the extent of damage to the joint, an X-ray examination is performed. Synovial fluid analysis is performed by taking a puncture.
The success of treatment depends entirely on the stage of the disease; in advanced cases, surgical intervention is performed.
The clinical picture of calcaneal arthrosis resembles the manifestations of a heel spur - pain occurs in the sole, closer to the heel, the mobility of the ankle is limited, the skin over the joint becomes hot. As the disease progresses, growths appear on the heel bone (osteophytes), a crunching sound is heard when moving due to calcium deposits, and the joint reacts with pain to changes in weather conditions.
A distinctive sign of arthrosis is the subsidence of pain during periods of rest. While walking, a person tries not to step on the heel, transferring part of the load to the front and toes. This explains why the outer side of the foot, which takes over the functions of the damaged area, hurts. Comprehensive treatment of arthrosis includes medication, physiotherapy, tonic massage of the limbs and therapeutic exercises. In the 3rd and 4th stages of arthrosis, intra-articular injections are given; if conservative therapy is ineffective, arthroscopy and other types of surgical treatment are performed.
The cuboid bone of the tarsus, located in the middle of the foot, can be injured either as a result of a direct blow or when compressed by nearby bones - the metatarsus and heel. The purpose of the cuboid bone is to form and support the arch of the foot and ensure proper functioning of the tendons. If this structure is damaged in any way, the muscular functionality of the foot decreases sharply.
The cause of pain may be:
Diagnosis of cuboid bone fractures is somewhat difficult because symptoms do not appear immediately. At first, the discomfort and slight soreness in the instep and near the heel are not too disturbing, but soon the pain increases, intensifying towards the end of the day and after training. The fracture is not always visible on x-rays, so an MRI or CT scan is often prescribed.
Therapeutic measures begin with the application of a tight bandage or plaster splint to limit the mobility of the foot. Drugs such as Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, etc. help relieve pain and inflammation. Vitamin complexes with calcium are prescribed to speed up the recovery of bone tissue.
A stress fracture can occur not only in the cuboid, but also in two other bones of the feet – the navicular and metatarsal. As a rule, such fractures occur due to prolonged physical stress on the legs. You can get injured as a result of active and prolonged training, especially in the absence of proper rest.
With stress fractures, pain may occur on the outside of the foot or on the inside, closer to the heel. The pain syndrome gradually intensifies, and sports training can only be continued in a gentle manner. To treat injury, orthopedic shoe inserts, calcium supplements and vitamins are used.
Damage to the ligaments occurs mainly when the leg is twisted inward or an unsuccessful fall on the foot. When a sprain or partial rupture occurs, swelling forms on top of the foot, and the leg hurts both during movement and at rest. The pain syndrome is aching in nature.
Immediately after an injury, it is advisable to apply ice to the affected area for about 20 minutes to prevent hematoma and reduce swelling. Then secure your leg at the ankle joint with an elastic bandage and walk less.
With a complete rupture of the ligaments, the leg swells to the left and right of the ankle joint, as well as in the plantar region. Treatment for tears involves surgically suturing the fibers by making an incision at the site of the injury.
In some cases, ligament rupture is complicated by hemarthrosis, when blood accumulates in the joint. Then the patient is given a puncture, and then a plaster cast is applied to completely immobilize the ankle.
Damage to the ligaments, even in the case of a sprain, is a very painful phenomenon, complete healing takes approximately 2-3 weeks, but the prognosis is almost always favorable
Curvature of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe is called hallux valgus. When the joint deviates outward, the head of the first metatarsal bone forms a lump, which is called a “foot bunion.”
Both the left and right leg can be deformed, and the size of the thickenings may differ. Painful sensations appear while walking or standing for a long time, intensifying in the evening. Depending on the stage of the disease and the degree of curvature, the intensity of pain may vary.
A complication of hallux valgus can be chronic bursitis or Deichlander's disease (marching foot), in which the bone tissue is partially resorbed and replaced with new one.
Conservative treatment of valgus includes physiotherapeutic procedures, therapeutic exercises and the use of various orthopedic devices - splints, arch supports and interdigital spacers.
In advanced cases, an operation is performed, which can be of several types:
There are more than a hundred surgical techniques for treating hallux valgus; only the most common of them are presented here.
The initial stages of valgus respond well to treatment with conservative methods
The fusion of two or more bones of the foot is called a tarsal coalition. The disease is often asymptomatic and occurs in only 1% of people. In most cases, there is fusion of the talus and calcaneus, but calcaneonavicular and talonavicular coalitions are also possible.
This type of bone abnormality is congenital and manifests itself mainly in adolescence with the following symptoms:
Sometimes the tarsal coalition manifests itself in adulthood; in this case, consultation with a specialist is necessary, since degenerative processes in the joints may develop.
In some cases, they resort to surgical intervention - resection of the coalition or subtalar arthrodesis.
Damage to the vessels of the lower extremities causes a violation of tissue trophism: cells cease to receive sufficient amounts of nutrients and gradually die. As a result of this pathological process, pain of varying intensity occurs.
In the early stages, problems with blood vessels are manifested by the following symptoms:
Vascular diseases of the lower extremities occur in patients of any age; one of the first signs is a feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the legs after walking
As the disease progresses, the pain becomes a constant aching sensation and does not subside even at rest. If no attempt is made to treat, the pain increases, spasms become more frequent, the lower extremities quickly freeze even in the heat, and visible changes in the legs occur:
Why do such symptoms occur, what diseases contribute to this? First of all, these are pathologies associated with circulatory disorders:
Complex therapy for diseases of the circulatory system includes taking medications to strengthen the vascular wall and vasodilators. Severe forms of the disease require surgical intervention - bypass surgery, sympathectomy, etc.
Fortunately, we can prevent many foot diseases - to do this, you just need to follow simple rules: wear only comfortable shoes of the appropriate size, exercise and be examined by a doctor on time. If pain in the feet does not go away for a long time, you need to see a doctor and find out the cause.
Ligamentosis is characterized by severe, sharp pain in the heel or foot that occurs while walking. Flat feet are a common problem that leads to foot pain and other disorders.
Pain on the outside of the foot is caused by a number of reasons. Ankle sprains are the most common cause of severe pain on the outside of the foot (from ankle injuries).
35% of people who have an ankle sprain go on to have ongoing problems with pain and instability. Cuboid syndrome (see picture) is a less common cause of lateral foot pain, but is often diagnosed to result in symptoms that are present for a long time. With tendonitis, the condition worsens gradually over several weeks or months and the foot hurts especially severely when taking the first steps in the morning, as well as when starting activity after resting.
Tarsal coalition is one of the rarest causes of leg pain, occurring in approximately 1 in 100 patients. The result is pain, inflammation, redness and swelling around it. The medical term for bunion is hallux valgus. Tibialis posterior tendonitis causes pain on the inside of the foot.
More often the leg hurts due to rheumatoid arthritis. If the problem is related to injury, then most likely it is a sprained ligament or cuboid syndrome; if the pain came gradually, it could be a stress fracture or tendinitis. The foot may hurt completely or partially - in the toes, heel, Achilles tendon. There is no need to worry if your feet hurt after a long walk in uncomfortable shoes. Persistent foot pain may be a symptom of a medical condition.
Pain in the foot occurs suddenly and is felt most strongly in the first toe. Swelling appears and the temperature rises in the area of the affected joint. Flat feet cause deformation of the foot, pain in the legs and spine. If you regularly experience foot pain, consult a specialist.
The foot is the final section of the leg, which consists of the metatarsus, tarsus and toes. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are always prescribed based on the characteristics of the pain and the underlying disease. The pain occurs at rest and intensifies with physical activity. Swelling occurs in the evenings. Later, dilated, overstretched veins become visible under the skin on the legs. Pain and swelling of the feet in most cases are observed in the later stages of the disease.
In the early stages, you can use various creams and ointments for foot pain, wear elastic bandages or stockings. In more advanced cases, surgical treatment may be indicated. Doctors use various medications and may prescribe ointments and creams for foot pain.
Diabetic foot is a figurative name for changes that occur in the feet when blood flow is impaired. Trophic changes in the form of ulcers develop on the skin. Numbness and pain in the feet, weakness of the leg muscles indicate severe circulatory problems.
This condition is known as plantar fasciitis, and the main symptom is pain in the foot while walking. People who have congenital connective tissue weakness are most susceptible to plantar fasciitis. With this disease, there is pain on the side of the foot and in the instep.
Inflamed plantar fascia can ossify where it attaches to the heel bone. In this case, there is severe stabbing pain in the heel of the foot, which intensifies while walking.
If you feel tired or painful in your feet while walking, you should immediately stop and rest. The use of creams and ointments for leg pain, which are prescribed by an orthopedist.
Treatment is carried out using anti-inflammatory drugs that relieve foot pain, and physical therapy. Characterized by pain when bending the foot or other movements. This disease is also accompanied by damage to the ligaments, which causes pain in the right, left foot, or in both feet.
Severe swelling quickly occurs, and hemorrhages appear under the skin. The foot hurts even at rest; it is almost impossible to step on it. The foot can deviate forward, backward, or sideways. Dislocations of the talus, which is part of the tarsus, are also common.
It develops with age and is also called transversely spread foot in medicine. Of the purulent-inflammatory diseases that lead to pain in the foot, the most common are felons, when pathogenic microorganisms penetrate the toes. Signs of panaritium are severe stabbing or tugging pain in the toe, its swelling, and redness. After this, pain in the bones of the foot gradually increases, body temperature rises, and the patient’s condition worsens.
It can be on the inside (medial) and on the outside (lateral), in the arch, instep, in the upper part and on the soles, sharp and, on the contrary, aching. At the end of the article there is a simple diagnostic guide.
These are small cracks in one of the bones, usually caused by monotonous, repetitive movements while participating in sports activities. In this case, it usually does not hurt much at first, it drags, but gradually the condition worsens.
It causes some or all of the fibers of the ligament to tear, causing severe pain, swelling, bruising, and instability of the joint. This also contributes to future sprains. There is redness and swelling. If symptoms are accurately diagnosed and treated right away, they usually resolve within a few weeks. It is usually caused by frequent walking long distances, abnormal foot alignment, muscle imbalances and occurs after an ankle sprain.
There is pain and swelling in the feet, lameness. Treatment for foot pain will take 3 to 6 weeks. This can cause pain in the toes and joints of the foot, and disruption of their configuration. In the initial stages of flat feet, there is no pain in the foot.
The side of the foot hurts on the outside - this symptom is very often experienced by many people. Pain in the foot does not simply occur in the human body; it is always the cause of some pathology or injury. There is no need to wait for the pain to go away on its own, just as you should not self-medicate. A person needs to visit a traumatologist to find out the true cause of the discomfort.
Only after a detailed examination will it be possible to draw conclusions and prescribe treatment. You need to remember that only a highly specialized specialist can make a correct and competent diagnosis. It is irresponsible to treat the feet with folk remedies, because many diseases, the symptom of which is pain in the foot on the outside, can lead to disability if not treated in a timely manner.
Very often the feet hurt on the outside due to a fracture of the metatarsal bones. There are 5 of them in total. The 2nd and 5th metatarsal bones are most often susceptible to fractures. Moreover, when the fifth bone is fractured, the fourth bone is almost always damaged. The causes of injury can be very different - in athletes due to sudden movements during exercise, lifting heavy objects. For ordinary people - as a result of a heavy object falling on their feet, or during an unsuccessful jump. Often the cause of a fracture is ill-fitting shoes. The bones are constantly under stress; as a result of prolonged compression of the feet or under the weight of physical activity and extra pounds, they simply break. It is very difficult for your legs to support excess weight.
Symptoms of injury include aching pain, with pain on the outside of the foot. With each passing hour, the pain intensifies; after a day, the fracture site swells, the pain becomes stronger, and sometimes it is accompanied by deformation of the finger; it takes on an unnatural shape. Pain appears on the inside of the foot when walking. The fracture area turns blue. Fractures of the metatarsal bones can be closed or open.
Diagnosis is carried out on an inpatient basis by visual examination and x-rays. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate if your leg hurts and there is discomfort when walking.
This type of fracture is insidious in that it may not manifest itself and subsequently cause deformation of the foot.
Treatment involves the use of plaster casts and orthopedic insoles. During the rehabilitation period, physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises are carried out. In cases of displaced fractures, surgical intervention is possible.
Tendinitis is an inflammatory process that leads to the death of tendon tissue. If the disease is neglected, it can lead to damage to the tibialis posterior and plantaris muscles. As a result, a person may remain disabled for life due to the restrictions in movement that such pathologies will cause.
The symptoms are pronounced. All parts of the foot, the inside of the foot, hurt. This is due to the development of inflammation, which affects nearby healthy tissues. It hurts for a person to step on his foot or put on shoes. There are difficulties when walking. The foot may also hurt at night, but in this case the pain in the foot will be less intense and will intensify during movement.
Reasons why foot tendinitis develops:
Tendinitis almost always develops in people who run professionally. After all, any prolonged load is stress for the bones in the foot. Due to dislocations, sprains, and fractures, an inflammatory process may occur, which is accompanied by severe pain.
Injuries contribute to damage to joint fibers and nerve endings. Almost any injury to the foot is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic deformation of cartilage tissue and tendons.
Disturbed metabolic processes are accompanied by difficulty saturating the fibula and tibia with calcium. This element is vital for bone tissue. It is he who makes it strong and durable. With its deficiency, individual parts of the bones are deformed or broken.
In elderly people, due to the development of degenerative-dystrophic disorders in tissues and joints, peroneal tendonitis appears. People cannot step on the ground with their soles because of the pain, and the inner side of the foot is very painful.
Doctors recommend that at the first symptoms, you immediately contact a specialist, because, like any serious disease, it is better to cure tendinitis in the early stages than to carry out long-term treatment, which is not always successful.
After a thorough diagnosis and detection of foci of inflammation in the feet, a person is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, local injections, analgesics, and ointments.
Peroneal tendonitis
The ankle joints bear the majority of a person's weight. Their ligaments are dense connective tissue that gives the joint stability. Ligaments provide stability to the joint and limit its movement from side to side.
The reasons why a sprain occurs in the foot can be very different. For athletes, these are sudden movements and running. In ordinary life, a sprain can occur due to an unfortunate fall or dislocation.
Mild sprains cause minor injuries. In this case, the foot hurts only at rest. Moreover, the pain has a characteristic feature - it is aching. When moving, slight discomfort appears in a separate part of the leg. The foot does not swell.
The average degree of damage is classified as a ligament tear; acute aching pain appears when walking. It is difficult for a person to step on his foot - the foot hurts on the side and in the outer area. Moderate severity is characterized by the presence of a hematoma, the foot becomes purple in color.
A severe sprain of the foot is manifested by loss of consciousness, severe pain, hematoma and swelling. At the first sign of a sprain, you should immediately consult a doctor. Anti-inflammatory, painkillers, and fixatives are used for treatment. In case of ruptures, surgical treatment is prescribed.
In the first minutes after an injury, a person must quickly remove their shoes to gain access to the damaged area. If you do not do this right away, increasing swelling may interfere in the future. It is necessary to fix the leg and apply a cold compress.
Further actions are to call an ambulance or visit a traumatology department.
When the middle of the foot hurts, it may be a sign of arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints. It can develop not only in the legs. The reasons why pathology occurs may be different. These include various systemic diseases, viral and bacterial inflammatory processes in the body, and metabolic disorders. Often the cause of arthritis is diabetes, gout, and flat feet. Also, arthritis of the legs occurs against the background of hypothermia, after prolonged physical exertion, with a weakened immune system and during pregnancy. The disease manifests itself as pain in the foot, increased body temperature, general malaise, limited joint mobility, and difficulty walking. The outer area turns red.
Today, modern equipment is used for diagnostics, which makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.
The primary goals in the treatment of arthritis are to eliminate inflammation in the leg, eliminate symptoms and restore lost motor function. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory drugs are used, patients are prescribed to wear orthopedic shoes and devices, and in some cases surgery is performed.
What is a bunion? This is the name for swelling of part of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. This pathology is a common cause of big toe deformity, which causes severe pain in the foot. The main reason for the development of the disease is wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes. It can occur not only in the area of the thumb, but also near the little finger. Symptoms of the pathology are as follows: swelling, swelling, redness appear on the toe, and the inside of the foot hurts. Every day the foot becomes more and more distorted, and it becomes more and more difficult for a person to bear the pain in the foot, especially when moving. Doctors say that this disease is inherited.
The main symptom is a swollen finger that is turned towards the other phalanges. In an advanced stage, the pathology can transform into gout.
Painkillers, orthopedic devices, fixing pads, and splints are used for treatment. A person should definitely change shoes and choose a more comfortable model, especially in the sole area, so that the foot can balance the load of the body and is not compressed. The advanced stage is treated surgically.