No one looks forward to foot pain with joy. It can be unbearable to live a day in the grips of foot discomfort. Foot pain can be caused by shoes that are too tight, injury, or disease. Some of these problems can be treated easily, while others may require a visit to the doctor. Here are some common causes of foot discomfort. Poorly fitting footwear is often the root cause of foot pain. Shoes that are too tight or too loose can cause the feet’s muscles and bones to adjust in ways they weren’t designed. Too much space in the toe box can cause the toes cramp and bend, which can create further problems for the rest of your foot. Shoes that are too tight across their tops, whether they are too small or too tight, can cause pain in the upper foot. This can lead to more than just discomfort over the long-term.
Did you know?
High heels are also a contributing factor to foot pain. This is well-known among fashion footwear wearers. Heels force you carry your entire body weight on your feet. This forces your toes forward towards the pointed, unfriendly, front of your shoe.
- Microtrauma Injuries to the Foot – Running, jogging or any other exercise that involves repetitive impact on surfaces that are too hard, too soft, or otherwise uneven can cause microtrauma. Microtrauma injuries are caused by repetitive motions, such as jogging on concrete. They are not the same as macrotraumas, which are caused by one heavy blow or impact. Microtrauma injuries can also be caused by poorly fitting footwear. Foot pain can also result from disease.
- Gout – Gout can be caused by an overconsumption rich foods. Gout used to be considered a disease of the wealthy. However, today it is not associated with income and can be experienced by anyone who eats a low-calorie diet. Gout is caused by a buildup in uric acid in your bloodstream which causes crystal formation in your blood. These crystals can then build up in the ankle and foot joints, causing severe pain and swelling.
- Diabetes – Diabetes can cause foot pain and discomfort. Diabetics often suffer from blisters, corns, sores, or other wounds. These conditions are often caused by nerve damage. Foot pain can also be caused by pregnancy. The body’s growth outward and imbalance can cause a woman to be unable to balance, which can lead to foot problems.
- Changes in gait and stance can force the feet to make unfavorable adjustments. Fluid buildup in the feet can cause significant pain and discomfort. You should consult your doctor if you suspect that foot pain may be caused by disease. A diagnosis may be helpful in more than one way. Visit your doctor if you suspect that you have diabetes.
Remember
People tend to neglect their feet more often than any other body part. They tend to ignore conditions that are only cosmetic, even if they are causing real pain or concern. You can always cover your feet with socks and shoes. If the condition is not treated, it can lead to serious foot problems. It’s hard to tell if a condition is serious without consulting a doctor. These are signs that you should contact a podiatrist. If you have an open sore or cut on your feet that isn’t healing quickly, you should make an appointment with a doctor immediately. This is especially true if you have diabetes or any other condition that may be preventing your foot from healing quickly.
Cuts and sores on the feet are more susceptible to infection than those on other parts. It is important to have your feet checked. The podiatrist will be able to prescribe treatment that will speed up the healing process. Your feet can be a sign of something wrong with your body. It is important to remember that symptoms that appear in the feet may not be “foot-related” issues. Gout could also be a sign if one foot is different from the other. This is especially true if one of your feet is showing a lot more redness than the other. This could also indicate infection. To be certain, you need to see a podiatrist to have the problem evaluated.
A professional should be consulted if there is persistent, undiagnosed pain or swelling in the feet. It could be something minor or a serious problem that will only get worse if it is not treated. The best case scenario is that you have a strain or broken bone in your foot. To be sure that it’s not something more serious, a doctor should examine you. A qualified podiatrist should examine your feet if you notice any darkening or moles. These irregularly shaped spots could indicate skin cancer. Although it is rare, it should be examined to rule out any serious conditions. It is always safer to be safe than sorry when you are concerned about your health.
Pain on top
Because most people walk, foot pain is common in society. 26 bones make up the foot. They are joined together by a complex arrangement ligaments, muscles, and tendon. Multiple nerves and blood vessels also traverse the foot. The arch of the foot and heel are often the most problematic areas. However, the top of your foot is often the source of discomfort. This is due to the anatomy. It is the location where many of small bones of the foot interconnect. Additionally, many important nerves and blood vessels pass through it.
Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for pain at the top of the foot. Osteoarthritis can be caused by a disruption in cartilage metabolism. Cartilage is the gristle which provides the cushioning between the bones. It is composed of a matrix of collagen and proteoglycans. Complexes of sugars and proteins are called proteoglycans. The matrix is nourished and manufactured by cells called chondrocytes. A trauma trigger can cause a change in cartilage’s appearance. The cartilage begins to deteriorate as the chondrocytes produce destructive enzymes. Bony spurs form when the underlying bone reacts. These spurs, especially at the top of the foot can impinge on nerves and blood vessels
How can you recognise a gout attack?
There are several signs to help you recognise a gout attack: the attack occurs suddenly, often at night, during rest, with the onset of intense pain (burning, grinding sensation) in a joint. The pain is at its worst in 6 to 12 hours; Inflammatory disease affects just one joint (mono-arthritis), often in the legs, and generally in the joint at the base of the big toe. More rarely, it affects the knee or ankle. The affected joint is red, swollen, warm, large and extremely painful to the slightest touch. The skin and subcutaneous tissues are often very red and oedematous (swollen). Fever and chills may be associated.
What are the main signs of an acute gout attack?
Acute gout is characterised by inflammatory attacks, the typical form of which is involvement of the big toe of the foot, but other joint locations are possible. These are discussed in detail in a separate chapter. The attack itself usually affects a single joint, but this is not always the case in major gout sufferers. Sometimes, two or more joints may be the site of the inflammatory attack. In this case, they are often consecutive.
Acute pain, often nocturnal. This is usually the first symptom. The pain increases progressively and is often described as burning, tearing and even grinding, tearing or biting. It is often unbearable. The patient is said to have the impression of having his foot (for example) caught in a "wolf trap".
This pain is exacerbated by the slightest contact, and can lead to insomnia and impotence of the affected limb. It is often located on the inside of the joint. The signs resemble those of an acute infection, with tumour, redness, heat and exquisite pain. The surrounding skin is taut, warm, shiny and red or purplish in colour. There may be fever, tachycardia, chills and malaise. In the early hours of the morning, the attack generally subsides. Repeated attacks each night constitute a "gout attack".
What can a gout attack be confused with?
Various pathologies can resemble acute gout attacks. Microcrystalline arthritis or "diffuse articular chondrocalcinosis": is based on X-rays (calcium incrustations in articular cartilage and fibrocartilage) and the appearance of crystals in the synovial fluid (short, stocky, square-tipped, with little or no birefringence under polarised light). Inflammatory rheumatism: here are the main, non-exhaustive examples.
- Fiessinger-Leroy-Reiter syndrome
- Reactive arthritis
- Enterocolopathic arthritis
- Sarcoidosis
- Behçet
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriasis arthritis
- Algodystrophy
Can a gout attack occur with normal uric acid levels?
Yes, this can occur in up to 50% of patients. Blood uric acid levels at the time of the inflammatory attack are not always representative of the amount of urate crystals deposited in the joints. There are patients with overt attacks of gout who have normal uric acid, and there are also patients with elevated uric acid levels who nevertheless have few symptoms. A normal uric acid level in a blood test does not exclude a diagnosis of gout.
When to see a doctor if I have gout?
If you experience joint inflammation or recurrent pain without any justifying blow, especially in the big toe, instep, ankle or knee. You may also want to consult your doctor if your uric acid levels are consistently elevated in blood tests, especially if they increase significantly over the years or if they are particularly high, such as 9 or more. It may also be advisable to consult your doctor if there is a family history of gout in one or more members of your family and you suffer from hyperuricaemia.
Can gout be cured only by taking care of your diet and avoiding alcohol?
In most cases the answer is no. In the same way that high blood pressure is not usually solved by cutting down on salt in food alone. In the same way that high blood pressure is not usually solved by lowering the salt in food alone, but with daily antihypertensive medication, the gout patient also usually needs the help of drugs to be cured.
Most gout sufferers have been depositing urate in their tissues for years without knowing or noticing it, and these accumulations cannot be dissolved by diet alone (although this helps). To dissolve the crystal deposits and thus cure gout, we need to use medication that decreases purine production (allopurinol, febuxostat) or increases its elimination (uricosurics, such as benzbromarone).