ANKLE SPRAINS
The ankle is one of the
most common places in the body for a sprain. Every day thousands of people
sprain their ankles. Landing wrong on your foot can cause the ankle to
roll to the side. This can stretch or tear ligaments. Ankle sprains can
occur at any time, such as when you step off a curb or play sports. Once
you've had an ankle sprain, you may be more likely to sprain that ankle
again.
Symptoms
Your symptoms depend on how badly the ligaments
are damaged. You may have little pain and swelling if the ligaments are
only stretched. If the ligaments tear, you will have more pain and
swelling. The more severe the sprain, the less you’ll be able to move the
ankle or put weight on it. The ankle may also turn black-and-blue and the
bruising may extend into the foot and leg.
BUNIONS
A bunion is a deformity of
the foot where the big toe turns toward the outside of the foot. Also, a
bump forms on the inside of the foot where the big toe begins. This is
caused from improper alignment of the bones in the foot with the ankle and
leg as you walk. It is a genetic, developmental problem that usually
begins at an early age.
Symptoms
A
bunion often causes pain and swelling around the joint at the base of the
big toe. The skin may become red or warm. If the big toe pushes under the
second toe, a painful corn may form on the top of the second toe. In some
cases, bunions cause no symptoms-other than making the foot harder to fit
in a shoe.
HEEL PAIN
Wearing shoes with poor
support and no cushioning can irritate the tissue in the foot known as the
planter fascia. Being overweight or standing for long periods of time can
also irritate this tissue. Any sport or activity that puts stress on the
foot can cause tears in the planter fascia and even fractures in the heel
bone.
Symptoms
You
may feel pain on the bottom or on the inside edge of your heel. The pain
may be sharp when you get out of bed or when you stand up after sitting
for a while. You may feel a dull ache in your heel after you've been
standing for a long time on a hard surface. Running can also cause a dull
ache. If a nerve is irritated, you may feel burning or a shooting pain in
your heel.
METATARSALGIA
Metatarsalgia is often
caused by wearing shoes with thin soles and high heels. This puts extra
pressure on the bones in the ball of the foot. Standing or walking on a
hard surface for long periods also puts added pressure on the bones,
causing pain. The pain can occur under any of the five metatarsal bones.
Bent or twisted toes and bunions can make the problem worse. So can being
overweight. Sometimes high arches or arthritis can also cause
metatarsalgia.
Symptoms
The
most common symptom of metatarsalgia is pain in the ball of the foot. It
may feel as if you have a stone in your shoe. The ball of the foot may
also become red and inflamed, and a call us may form under the end of the
metatarsal bone.
NEUROMA
Wearing tight or
high-heeled shoes can cause a neuroma. Shoes that are too narrow or too
pointed squeeze the bones in the ball of the foot. Shoes with high heels
put extra pressure on the ends of the bones. When the bones are squeezed
together, they pinch the nerve that runs between them.
Symptoms
The
most common symptom of a neuroma, is pain in the ball of the foot between
two toes. The pain may be dull or sharp. It may feel as if you have a
stone in your shoe. You may also have tingling or numbness in one or both
of the toes. Symptoms may occur after you have been walking or standing
for a while. Taking off your shoes and rubbing the ball of your foot may
relieve the pain.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
The
plantar fascia is a ligament-like band running from your heel to the ball
of your foot. This band pulls on the heel bone, raising the arch of your
foot as it pushes off the ground. But if your foot moves incorrectly, the
plantar fascia may become strained. The fascia may swell and its tiny
fibers may begin to fray, causing plantar fasciitis. This can also be the
beginning of a heel spur.
Symptoms
With plantar fasciitis, the bottom of your foot
may hurt, when you stand, especially first thing in the morning. Pain
usually occurs on the inside of the foot, near the spot where your heel
and arch meet. Pain may lessen after a few steps, but it comes back after
rest or with prolonged movement.
TOES
Mallet, hammer, and claw
toes are most often caused by wearing shoes that are too short or heels
that are too high. This jams the toes against the front of the shoe and
causes one or more joints to bend. Rarely, disease can cause the joints in
the toes to bend. Mallet, hammer, and claw toes are among the most common
toe problems. They occur most often in the longest of the four smaller
toes.
Symptoms
You
may feel pain in the toe or in the ball of your foot. A corn (a hard
growth of skin on the top of the toe) may form where the toe rubs against
the top of the shoe or a callus (a hard growth of skin on the bottom of
the foot) may form under the tip of the toe or on the ball of the foot.
Corns and calluses can also be painful.
WARTS
A wart is an infection
caused by a virus, which can invade your skin through small cuts or
breaks. Over time, the wart develops into a hard, rough growth on the
surface of the skin. A wart is most commonly seen on the bottom of the
foot (plantar wart), but can also appear on the top. Children, teens, and
people with allergies or weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to
the wart virus.
Symptoms
Warts may appear spongy, with tiny red, brown,
or black spots. They can grow up to an inch or more across, occurring
alone (solitary) or with smaller warts clustered nearby (mosaic). Warts
are sometimes mistaken for corns or calluses. They can persist for years
and recur in the same spot. If left untreated, warts can spread to other
parts of the foot or even to the hands or other areas of the body.
BLACK-AND-BLUE NAILS
A
black-and-blue nail is usually caused by sudden or repetitive injury to a
toe. This might occur during sports that involve running or stopping
quickly, such as tennis or basketball. The injury may also result from a
heavy object falling on a toe.
Symptoms
The
big toe is most often affected. Bruised, broken blood vessels cause the
black-and-blue colors under the nail. If the condition is the result of a
sudden injury, pain may be severe.
INGROWN
NAILS
An ingrown nail is the result of a nail growing into
the skin that surrounds it. This often occurs at either edge of the big
toe. Ingrown nails may be caused by improper trimming, inherited nail
deformities, injuries, fungal infections, or pressure.
Symptoms
Ingrown nails may cause pain at the tip of the
toe or all the way to the base of the toe. The pain is often worse while
walking. An ingrown nail may also lead to infection or inflammation. If
it's infected, you might see pus or redness.
THICKENED NAILS
Abnormally thick or
crumbling nails may be caused by injuries, pressure from shoes, fungal
infections, or conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis, or vascular
disease. Eventually, the nail may loosen and fall off.
Symptoms
Along with thickening, the nail may appear
ridged, brittle, or yellowish. The nail may also feel painful when
pressure is put on it.
The
Foot & Ankle Institute