Feet must balance the weight of the human body while remaining agile and flexible. It is no surprise, therefore, that despite their complex and intricately specialized design, they are quite prone to injury. The foot is full of small joints and bones, ligaments and muscles, each of which serves a vital purpose and each of which can be harmed while performing their function. This is why so many people suffer from common foot pain.
The causes of foot pain often originate with sports or injury causing trauma to the foot, but not always. One cause of common foot pain is diabetic neuropathy. In common parlance, the pain of diabetic neuropathy is caused by the death of nerves in the foot due to long periods of a hyperglycemic condition in the body.
Gout is another cause of common foot pain that has nothing to do with direct trauma to the foot. Rather, it is caused by a build-up of uric acid that crystallizes in the joints of the big toe. These increased levels of uric acid can be due in part to the overconsumption of rich foods, although forms of physical trauma and genetics can also contribute to the probability that a person will have gout.’
As previously stated, though, common foot pain is more often caused by injury or trauma to the foot itself. Plantar fasciitis is one example of a cause of common foot pain that begins and ends in the foot itself. It occurs when the plantar fascia, which is a piece of tissue that connects the heel to the toes, becomes irritated, and can cause pain in the heel and the arch of the foot. It can be treated by wearing shoes that have proper arch support and doing certain stretches. If it is necessary to relieve the pain caused by plantar fasciitis, an ordinary pain reliever such as Advil should be sufficient.
While plantar fasciitis affects the heel and arch of the foot, metatarsalgia causes pain in the ball of the foot. Again, this is an ailment caused by trauma to the foot in the form of extreme exercise or poorly fitted shoes. This is easily remedied with mild pain medication and a change of shoes.
Common foot pain caused can be a localized reaction to a systemic problem, or they can simply be a minor injury to the foot. Once the problem is identified, it is usually easy for the patient to correct, and could be something as simple as making sure that they stay off their feet for a couple of days.