Ever wonder what exactly is the cause to foot pain? Foot pain may be caused by various differential factors depending on the conditions or injuries. The most common causes for foot pain are acute or repeated trauma, disease, or a combination. When you have repeated trauma to your foot, it is when outside factors or forces result in damage to the structures of the foot on impact. Though foot pain can sometimes be determined from faulty bioengineering of your own aligned foot structure, outside factors such as a certain type of shoe can also lead to pressure and pain on parts of the bones. For example, high heels can put stress into the balls of your feet or shoes that are tied much too tightly can the bones in your foot to ache due to the pressure, sometimes leaving bruising on the top of the foot.
Some common outside factors that can affect your feet and cause pain usually include the following:
Bunions: A bunion is an enlargement of the bone or tissue around the joint at the head of the big toe, also called the metatarsophalangeal joint. You will notice if you have a bunion forming if the big toe is turning inwards toward the second toe and that the tissues around the joint, just below the big toe, are protruding outwards. These tissues around the joint may lead to swelling and tenderness that causes foot pain. Some bunions do not need medical attention, but some major cases seek bunion surgery to get it removed due to discomfort and pain.
Corns and calluses: Corns and calluses are caused by pressure or friction on the skin. A corn thickens skin on the top or side of your toe. This usually happens when shoes are not fitting properly. A callus thickens skin on your feet as well, but is located on the soles. These are minor conditions and can be prevented by taking away the friction in which the foot is receiving.
Hammer toes: A hammer toe is a deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joint of either the second, third, or fourth toe. It causes the toe to be permanently bent and thereby resembling a hammer. In many cases, there is treatment which consists of physical therapy or wearing shoes that are soft and roomy. However, more severe cases may get corrective surgery.
Flat feet: Also known as fallen arches or pes planus, the condition is where the foot does not have a normal arch when one is standing upright. Flat feet are a common condition that occurs due to the tissues holding the joints in the foot altogether are loose. Infants and toddlers have flat feet and it is completely normal. In adults, most flat feet do not cause pain or any other problems. However, if there is pain due to flat feet, you should consider seeking medical attention for them to examine further.
Plantar wart: Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus that occurs on either the sole or the toes of the foot. It typically resembles a cauliflower with tiny black hemorrhages under the skin in the center. It is spread by contact with moist walking surfaces. It is a minor issue that may cause pain, but can be easily prevented by simply not walking barefoot in public areas such as showers, sharing things like shoes or socks, and avoiding direct contact with warts that may be on other parts of the body or on other people.
Minor foot pain can generally be taken care of with at-home treatments or simple resting and massaging remedies. However, if you have severe foot pain, you should consider seeing medical attention because this could be a sign of foot pain that can develop into long-term damage or disability.