Most people who experience pain in their feet in the morning are accustomed to considering this a common occurrence, attributing it to fatigue and uncomfortable shoes. Cutting, aching and stabbing pains can occur after waking up, or can be companions throughout the working day . How not to miss a disease that manifests itself with similar symptoms and how to help in a specific situation, we will analyze further.
If unpleasant sensations occur after a hard day at work or intense physical exertion and go away on their own, then we are talking about non-pathological causes, which also include the following manifestations:
The most common pathologies in which the feet hurt after sleep include:
The most severe pain in the morning is observed with arthrosis. They manifest themselves in the form of stiffness and burning of the entire surface of the foot, numbness of the toes. With bursitis, the pain is shooting, aching and burning. In the presence of arthritis, unpleasant sensations manifest themselves in the form of numbness of the foot, tingling and pain, radiating to the knee joint.
With bursitis, the pain is localized in the area of the big toe, spreading over the entire foot. Arthritis and arthrosis are determined by the presence of pain in the entire foot, accompanied by swelling and redness.
The presence of degenerative processes in the foot can be determined using research methods such as:
If the inflammatory process is provoked by pathogenic microorganisms, antibacterial drugs are selected that can suppress their vital activity: penicillins and cephalosporins. Drugs from the NSAID group will help reduce the inflammatory process: Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Naklofen, Diclofenac, Diclak. Milurit and Allopurinol can reduce the concentration of salts. Chondroprotectors that promote the regeneration of cartilage tissue: Artradol, Theraflex, Glucosamine. For external use, ointments and creams that have a freezing effect are used. Compresses based on Dimexide also help well, as they ensure unhindered penetration of medications into the painful area.
The following are used as auxiliary treatment methods:
There are three diseases of the lumbar spine, the progression of which leads to pain in the feet in the morning when stepped on:
The pain is acute, mainly appears after a long rest or night sleep.
Usually, if there are problems with the spine, discomfort transmitted to the foot area is localized in the area of the toes and heel, without affecting the fascia (connective ligament).
In case of radiating pain that is related to the spine, consultation with a traumatologist or surgeon will be required. The following methods are used for diagnosis:
In particularly difficult cases, when diseases of the lumbar region promise a person a loss of motor activity , surgical intervention may be required. In all other cases, drug therapy supplemented by physiotherapeutic procedures will be quite sufficient.
Analgesics, as well as novocaine blockades, which are injected directly into the source of pain, help relieve acute pain. To reduce the inflammatory process, drugs from the NSAID group are used. It is important to wear a bandage that helps the spine take the correct position, eliminating compression of the vertebrae and pinching of the nerve roots.
Very often, doctors hear complaints from patients about foot pain when walking. This symptom in various diseases can be of a different nature: aching, sharp, cutting, burning, etc. Depending on the place of manifestation, it can be localized or diffuse. Therefore, before self-medicating and taking painkillers, you need to consult a doctor and find out the cause.
Clinically, two diseases can cause unbearable cutting burning pain in the foot:
Funicular myelosis is a disease associated with deficiency of vitamin B12 or impaired absorption of it when the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is affected. The development of pain is associated with disruption of nerve conduction in the spinal cord.
Painful neuropathy is primarily expressed by intense pain in the feet. Most often, this disease is associated with diabetes and alcoholism. With diabetes, patients feel pain in the foot when sugar is not yet high. Therefore, with such pain, it is necessary to conduct research on a hidden increase in sugar.
Morton's neuroma also causes pain in the forefoot under the toes. The pain is burning and shooting in nature. When walking, the pain intensifies. With this disease, thickening of the interdigital nerves occurs.
This is a benign tumor that grows from the myelin sheath of nerves. The disease is believed to be persistent chronic irritation of the nerve by improper foot position. Walking in high heels puts stress on the forefoot. This results in tissue swelling, bones pulling together (especially on the outer edge of the foot), and pressure that irritates the nerve and leads to tumor formation.
When examined, the foot is always deformed in this case. When a compressed nerve begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the cells, the area it innervates also begins to suffer from impaired tissue trophism. Calluses, corns, and other trophic changes in the skin occur.
Treatment consists of wearing orthopedic shoes or orthopedic insoles. Introduction of an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drug into the area of impaired trophism (not into the tumor itself). As a last resort, surgical intervention is suggested.
Plantar or plantar fasciitis manifests itself as pain in the heels and feet when getting out of bed, which intensifies when walking. This is one of the most common reasons why patients seek medical help. The patient experiences unbearable pain that does not allow him to walk.
The disease occurs as a result of inflammation of the ligament, which is involved in the formation of the arch of the foot. The ligament loses its elastic properties. In this condition, microtears occur. The disease can occur with flat feet, excess weight or during menopause. More than 15% of women may experience this condition. Walking in shoes with low heels brings relief. In this case, the heel acts as an instep support.
Treatment consists of prescribing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Since this is a pain that occurs in the morning, you should massage your foot before getting out of bed. It is recommended to perform an exercise to stretch the fascia of the foot.
One of the innovations in the treatment of the disease is the injection of Botox into the plantar ligament. This drug relaxes the ligament. If the patient does not seek medical help and tries to get rid of the pain on his own, fasciitis can cause the development of heel spurs.
A heel spur is mainly a consequence of longitudinal flatfoot, in which the longitudinal arch of the foot flattens and its length becomes slightly longer than normal.
With flat feet, the shock-absorbing function of the foot is lost. As a result of deformation, inflammation occurs in the heel bone, which leads to excessive growth of the periosteum in the form of a spur.
Since all the nerve endings are located in the periosteum area, a person’s foot hurts when walking. Mostly the pain is localized in the heel area. The list of therapeutic measures includes:
If the measures taken are ineffective, radiotherapy is recommended. For severe pain, blockades with an anesthetic are prescribed. But frequent blockades can lead to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis develops as a consequence of insufficient calcium salts and minerals in the bones. The disease mainly manifests itself in old age. Menopausal women and overweight people suffer more often. Pain from osteoporosis may worsen with movement. In a later period, when pressing on the foot, patients feel an unpleasant aching pain.
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Inflammation of the heads of the synovial bursa of the foot joints leads to pain in the toes while walking. The patient experiences swelling and deformation of the joint. On palpation, pain appears in the area of inflammation. There may be hyperemia of the skin.
The diagnosis is confirmed by x-ray examination. Treatment includes the prescription of anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs. In the subacute period, physical therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed. The ineffectiveness of therapeutic treatment for chronic bursitis is an indication for surgical intervention.
Metabolic disorders and deposition of uric acid salts in the joints of the foot lead to gout. Usually this condition is caused by impaired kidney function, poor diet, consumption of large amounts of animal proteins, and alcohol. The deposition of salts in the joint causes inflammation - gouty arthritis.
Patients suffer from severe unbearable pain when moving. Seizures can occur even at rest. Inflammation is accompanied by redness of the joints, swelling and increased local temperature. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, patients are required to be prescribed a therapeutic diet and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Flattening of the arch of the foot (longitudinal and transverse) is a common reason why the foot hurts when walking. The ankle joint also suffers. This disease leads to changes and deformities of the foot, deviation of the toes (valgus foot). Even light physical activity or walking can cause pain in the foot. Wearing uncomfortable shoes leads to an increase in symptoms.
Traumatic injuries, fractures, dislocations, and ligament tears are accompanied by pain, swelling and deformation of the foot and ankle joint. In such cases, urgent immobilization of the limb and hospitalization of the patient is necessary. An ingrown toenail can also cause swelling and pain in the foot. In this case, the patient must seek help from a surgeon.
With this autoimmune disease, mainly the small joints of the extremities become inflamed. Pain in the joints of the foot can occur after hypothermia, infectious diseases, excessive physical or emotional stress. Typically, patients, in addition to painful sensations, note morning stiffness in the joints and general malaise.
If such symptoms appear, you should contact a rheumatologist. The diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical blood tests and x-ray examinations. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is complex, long-term and includes quite a lot of measures.
The cause of pain when walking can be manifestations of vascular diseases - varicose veins, obliterating endarteritis, phlebitis. In this case, a metabolic disorder occurs in the lower extremities, the tissues suffer constant oxygen starvation, which leads to trophic ulcers.
Pain in vascular diseases can be burning and baking in nature. The patient often feels numbness and tingling in the foot. With obliterating endarteritis, patients cannot walk even 20 meters without stopping. This condition is called intermittent claudication. In the later stages, when there are trophic ulcers and changes in the skin, patients may experience acute excruciating pain that is not relieved by conventional analgesics. Violation of tissue trophism in some diseases can lead to the development of gangrene (tissue necrosis). In this case, surgical intervention is necessary.
The most common and serious complication of diabetes mellitus is diabetic foot. High sugar in the patient's blood leads to damage to small blood vessels. Impaired blood flow leads to pain, swelling and the development of non-healing trophic ulcers.
Pain in the foot when walking can be localized in the toes, sole, Achilles tendon or heel. The causes of discomfort are often associated with the development of ailments of the musculoskeletal system or injury to the limbs.
What should you do if your foot hurts badly and what are the causes of discomfort? We will try to answer these questions.
Why might my feet hurt when walking?
The human foot consists of 24 bones, which form the longitudinal and transverse arches. Every day, the legs are exposed to quite serious stress caused by walking, running or jumping.
In this case, pain in the foot can signal the presence of injuries and diseases, which include:
The list of reasons that cause discomfort in the legs after a long walk is incomplete. Therefore, if there is a problem, you should consult a specialist to diagnose the disease and adequately treat the disease.
If your feet hurt badly, first of all, you need to determine the location of the unpleasant sensation. Thus, it is possible to at least approximately determine the possible types of diseases that led to the problem.
In what areas may discomfort occur?
To better understand the nature of the origin of discomfort, let's consider the most common types of pain in different areas of the foot.
If you have severe pain in the feet near the heel when walking, in 20% of cases this indicates the development of a disease such as Achilles tendinitis. It is characterized by degenerative changes in the Achilles tendon, accompanied by inflammatory processes.
Burning and shooting in the heel are the main symptoms of this disease, which can be caused by:
The second possible cause of foot pain after a long walk may be a heel spur. This disease occurs when a growth forms in the heel area, where the tendons are attached.
The following factors can trigger the development of the disease:
As already noted, if the middle of your feet hurts a lot when you walk for a short time, this may indicate the development of plantar fasciitis. This disease is characterized by inflammatory processes in the fascia - connective tissue located on the sole.
The “stimulus” for the occurrence of the disease is:
Discomfort in the middle of the foot during long walking also appears due to the occurrence of metatarsalgia. The pathology disrupts the biomechanics of the joints, tendons and muscles of the foot, which is accompanied by painful sensations. When the articular surfaces are displaced, inflammatory processes occur, so those suffering from metrotarsalgia feel a strong burning sensation, pain and short-term lumbago in the leg.
The disease occurs for the following reasons:
What should you do if your feet hurt a lot when walking? The first step is to seek help from an orthopedist or neurologist. The specialist will perform an examination to find out the cause of the problem.
This is the only way to overcome the disease, and not to “heal” the symptoms by removing the pain syndrome.
Adequate treatment can only be prescribed by a physician and then after a full examination. As a rule, problems with legs do not appear immediately, but gradually. Those. To eliminate the cause itself, it is necessary to exclude the probable factors that influenced the occurrence of the pain syndrome.
How to deal with the problem?
In cases where pain is caused by certain diseases, doctors prescribe conservative treatment using drugs aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease. Often tingling and burning sensations are caused by muscle weakness. To strengthen them, orthopedists recommend taking a course of kinesiological treatment, which is aimed at activating atrophied muscles.
What should be the treatment if your feet begin to hurt when walking?
The method of eliminating the problem directly depends on the cause of the pain. It may involve the development of ailments of the musculoskeletal system or injury to the tendons and muscles of the foot. Be healthy!
HIV is a dangerous fatal disease that gradually destroys all human organs and systems. Most infected patients complain of the rapid development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. How are HIV and legs connected? Conducted studies prove that this disease can affect the limbs, regardless of the stage of spread of the pathology, gender or age of the patient.
When HIV develops, your legs hurt. This symptom is the first sign of polyarthralgia. According to statistics, every third patient suffers from deformation of bones and joints, accompanied by sharp and severe pain. Sometimes a patient with AIDS may develop artiritis, Reiter's syndrome, osteomyelitis and other lesions of the musculoskeletal system. However, it cannot be said with complete confidence that pain in the legs is the first sign of HIV. Rheumatological manifestations occur only in 30-70% of cases of the disease.
It has not yet been fully proven that immunodeficiency infection is directly involved in the development of rheumatic pain. Such manifestations can occur with profound immunodeficiency, as a consequence of the course of an opportunistic infection complicated by reactive arthritis. A large number of autoantibodies appear in the blood serum of an infected patient. However, the relationship between them and rheumatism has not yet been definitively established.
Medical specialists have been looking for an answer to the question for a long time - why do legs hurt with HIV? No one can say for sure yet, but most likely this is due to the development of immunodeficiency and a weakening of all the body’s protective functions. In the initial stages of the disease, a person feels some discomfort in the knees, ankles, shoulder and elbow joints. As the infection progresses, severe pain occurs in the joints of the upper and lower extremities. There are cases when a patient's legs completely fail due to HIV.
The most common rheumatic diseases that develop against the background of immunodeficiency include:
To see how AIDS manifests itself on the leg, you can look at photos on the Internet on special websites and thematic forums. Every person should closely monitor their health. If alarming symptoms are detected, you should immediately contact a medical specialist.