Foot pain

Foot pain: Introduction

Pain can arise from a variety of causes ranging from accidental trauma to nerve conditions. Pain-like sensations often described as pins-and-needles, prickling or burning sensations are called paresthesias; see foot paresthesias. All pain or pain-like sensations need prompt medical investigation.

» Review Causes of Foot pain: full list

Causes of Foot pain:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Foot pain. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Simple reasons for foot pain include:
  • Over-use of feet
  • Poorly fitting shoes
  • New shoes
  • Tight shoes (see Limping)
  • Muscle strain
  • Ligament strain
  • Foot trauma
  • Foot injury
  • Sports injury
  • Obesity
  • Foot strain (type of Foot injury)
  • Jogger's trauma
  • Flat feet
• Foot fracture
  • Calcaneal fracture
  • Metatarsal fracture
  • Metatarsal stress fracture
• Iatrogenic foot disorder - see iatrogenic disorders
• Ankle conditions
  • Ankle pain
  • Ankle strain (type of Ankle injuries)
  • Ankle sprain
  • Ankle arthritis
• Joint conditions
  • Arthritis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis - a surprisingly common cause of foot pain.
  • Bunions
  • Gout
• more causes...»

See full list of 213 causes of Foot pain

» Review Causes of Foot pain: full list

Causes of Types of Foot pain:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Foot pain:

• Heel pain (15 causes)
• Heel burning sensation (12 causes)
• Heel paresthesia/ tingling (11 causes)
• more types...»

See full list of 10 types for Foot pain

Foot pain: Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Foot pain, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Symptom Checker

• Foot pain: Symptom Checker

Symptom Checker

• Foot pain and Nerve symptoms (90 causes)
• Foot pain and Pain (90 causes)
• Foot pain and Sensations (90 causes)
• Foot pain and Leg symptoms (73 causes)
• Foot pain and Foot symptoms (69 causes)
• Foot pain and Arm symptoms (49 causes)
• Foot pain and Hand symptoms (46 causes)
• Foot pain and Weakness (40 causes)
• Foot pain and Toe symptoms (39 causes)
• Foot pain and Swelling symptoms (37 causes)
• Foot pain and Numbness (37 causes)
• Foot pain and Limb symptoms (36 causes)
• Foot pain and Hand pain (34 causes)
• Foot pain and Balance symptoms (29 causes)
• Foot pain and Paresthesias (29 causes)
• Foot pain and Syncope (29 causes)
• Foot pain and Walking symptoms (29 causes)
• Foot pain and Dizziness (28 causes)
• Foot pain and Fainting (27 causes)
• Foot pain and Foot weakness (25 causes)
• more...»

See full list of 2671 Symptom Checker combinations related to Foot pain

Foot pain: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available related to Foot pain:

• Pain
• Arthritis & Pain
• Ankle Care & Injury
• Injury & Recovery
• Leg Care & Injury
• Knee Care & Injury
• more product offers...»

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Pain (5505 causes)
• Foot symptoms (1163 causes)
• Sensations (5742 causes)
• Nerve symptoms (6069 causes)
• Common symptoms (7552 causes)
• Leg symptoms (1585 causes)
• Limb symptoms (1192 causes)
• more symptoms...»

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Foot pain

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Foot pain:

• Toe pain (10 causes)
• Ankle pain (40 causes)
• Heel pain (15 causes)
• Leg pain (202 causes)
• Foot paresthesia (35 causes)
• Toe paresthesia (8 causes)
• Over-use of feet
• Poorly fitting shoes
• New shoes
• Tight shoes
• Muscle strain
• Ligament strain
• Foot trauma
• Foot injury
• Sports injury
• Obesity (247 causes)
• more symptoms...»

Diagnostic Guides for Foot pain

Medical Books Excerpts Read excertps from published book sections related to Foot pain from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Foot pain. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Foot pain

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Foot pain: Undiagnosed Conditions

Conditions that are commonly undiagnosed in related areas may include:

• Nerve Disorders: serious diseases commonly undiagnosed:
  • Diabetic Neuropathy -- Undiagnosed
  • Peripheral Neuropathy -- Undiagnosed
  • Multiple Sclerosis -- Undiagnosed
  • more ...»
• Chronic Pain Disorders -- serious medical disorders that may be undiagnosed:
  • Fibromyalgia -- Undiagnosed
  • Arthritis -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Pain Syndromes -- Undiagnosed
  • Migraine -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Foot pain: Research Related Doctors & Specialists

• Nerve Specialists:
  • Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
  • Neurology (Brain/CNS Specialists)
  • Pediatric Neurology (Child Brain Specialist)
  • Spinal Cord Injury Medicine
• Pain Specialists:
  • Pain Medicine
  • Rheumatology (Arthritis / Joint Pain)
• Arthritis & Joint Health Specialists (Rheumatology):
  • Rheumatology (Joint Health)
  • Pediatric Rheumatology (Child Joint Health)
• more specialists...»

Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:

• Rate Your Doctor by Taking a Survey Online
• Research Your Doctor
• View Online Patient Surveys from Other Patients of Your Doctor
• Research local doctors and specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Misdiagnosis and Foot pain

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other causes. See causes of leg cramps or misdiagnosis of diabetes....read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Foot pain

Diagnostic tests for Foot pain:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Foot pain. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Inspect the gait including limping and abnormal toe in or out
  • Inspect for any deformities - e.g. hammer toes, bunions, claw toes.
  • Look for any skin changes - e.g. signs of peripheral vascular disease such as cold skin, lack of hair, non- healing ulcers; focal redness may suggest cellulitis, osteomyelitis, other types of infections or erythermalgia ; plantar warts.
  • Feel the foot for tenderness
• more tests...»

See full list of 24 diagnostic tests for Foot pain

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Foot pain. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you had foot pain? - to determine if acute or chronic.
• Is it unilateral or bilateral? - if bilateral and "sock-type" pattern may suggest peripheral neuropathy.
• Where exactly is the pain in the foot? - e.g. toe, ankle, dorsum (top of foot), plantar surface (bottom of foot). The common S1 ( 1st sacral root pressure) pain is experienced on the outer border of the foot, into the fifth toe and on the outer sole and heel of the foot.
• How would you explain the pain in the foot? - e.g. burning type pain may suggest nerve entrapment, diabetic neuropathy or reflex sympathetic dystrophy; throbbing pain may suggest inflammation of the joints suggest as Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Reiter's disease, ankylosing spondylitis; severe episodic pain may suggest gout.
• Are there certain times of the day when the pain is worse? - e.g. pain under the heel worse when first stepping out of bed and standing after sitting suggests plantar fasciitis ; pain worse at night may suggest peripheral vascular disease, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, foot cramps or osteoid osteoma.
• more questions...»

See Diagnosis Checklist for Foot pain (24 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Foot pain) may include:

• Pain in other joints? - e.g. such as hands, spine, sacro-iliac joints - may indicate that the foot pain is part of an arthritis condition such as Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
• Foot swelling? - may suggest foot trauma, reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
• Recent diarrhea? - may suggest enteropathic arthritis (such as due to Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) or Reiter's syndrome.
• Skin rash? - may suggest psoriatic arthritis.
• Burning sensation with urination (dysuria) and penile discharge? - may suggest Reiter's syndrome.
• more symptoms...»

See Diagnosis Checklist for Foot pain (24 listings)

Home Diagnostic Testing and Foot pain

Home medical tests possibly related to Foot pain:

• Nerve Neuropathy: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Test Kits
  • Home Blood Glucose Testing Kits
• more tests...»

Stories from Users for Foot pain

Real-life user stories relating to Foot pain:

• foot pain and strange sensations
• child w/foot pain during the night
• Morning Foot Pain?
• Horrific foot pain,& swelling,started after sugery.Doctors dont know cause! HELP PLS!
• Three Years Of Sore Throat, Fatigue, Dizziness, Burning Feet, Etc.
• undiagnosed foot and hand pain 2+yrs
• 18yr Old Undiagnosed Leg/Foot Pain, Severe
• Numbness in foot and pain in leg
• sore heel
• Burning Pain in Foot Arch symptom
• Outside of the foot pain!?!
• Aching pains in hands, feet, and knees. Genetic. Please help!
• Painful leg and foot
• foot pain
• Intense and unexplained foot pain
• Severe pain in hands and feet!!
• Pain in top of foot
• Bad heartburnk, feel like insides on fire
• Pain in feet!
• Foot pain driving me insane!

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Foot pain or relevant symptoms:

• Musculoskeletal (Muscles, joints and bones) (663)
  • Joint and muscular pain after taking chantix
  • Arm pain after sneezing
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Joint swelling, stiffness, severe foot pain
  • Diastasis recti in adult male
  • More user stories
• Neurological (Nerves) (606)
  • Could this be MS?
  • Numbness and tingling all over
  • Eye twitch
  • Tingling/numbness in arms/hands/legs/face/head [more symptoms]
  • So many symptoms but no diagnosis...GGRRR
  • More user stories
• Endocrine (Growth and Metabolism) (160)
  • Symptoms of Cushing's - Tests all negative
  • Has anyone been diagnosed with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and are being treated??
  • I am at my wits end with these symptoms
  • Pitutary tumor
  • I think I have Cushings, can you help?
  • More user stories
• Integumentary (Skin) (432)
  • Itchy red bumps all over body? Hives?
  • Sensitive Skin to Touch
  • Painful skin and no answers!!!
  • Pinprick red dots, itchy skin, wrongly diagnosed
  • Skin blisters, joint & muscle pain, Photos..
  • More user stories
• Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (333)
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Purple-blue skin color
  • Palpitations, inner left arm pain
  • Hand numbness
  • Need help with diagnoses
  • More user stories

Videos for Foot pain

Patient Surveys for Foot pain

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about diseases related to your Foot pain
  Take Survey  View Results

Causes of Foot pain listed in Disease Database:

Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible causes of Foot pain as a symptom include:

• Erythromelalgia
• Freiberg's disease
• Gopalan's syndrome
• Hallux limitus
• Hallux valgus
• Iselin's disease
• Kohler first disease
• March fracture
• Morton metatarsalgia
• Pes planus
• Plantar fasciitis
• more causes...»

See full list of 213 causes of Foot pain
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Medications or substances causing Foot pain:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Foot pain as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Zalcitabine
• Hivid
• Disulfiriam
• Antabuse
• Thalidomide
• more causes...»

See full list of 20 medications causing Foot pain

Drug interactions causing Foot pain:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Foot pain as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Thalidomide and chloramphenicol interaction
• Thalomid and chloramphenicol interaction
• Thalidomide and cisplatin interaction
• Thalomid and cisplatin interaction
• Thalidomide and dapsone interaction
• more interactions...»

See full list of 32 drug interactions causing Foot pain

Organs affected by Foot pain:

The list of organs typically affected by Foot pain may include, but is not limited to:

• Foot
• Foot Muscles
• Foot Nerves

Detailed list of causes of Foot pain

The list below shows some of the causes of Foot pain mentioned in various sources:

• Achilles bursitis - see bursitis
• Achilles tendinitis - see tendinitis
• Achilles tendonitis
• Adult hypophosphatasia - foot pain
• Alcohol abuse
• Ankle arthritis
• Ankle conditions
• more causes...»

See full list of 213 causes of Foot pain

How Common are these Causes of Foot pain?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Foot pain. Of the 213 causes of Foot pain that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 8 causes are "very common" diseases
• 6 causes are "common" diseases
• 6 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 1 causes are "rare" diseases
• 4 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 202 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 213 causes of Foot pain

Conditions listing symptoms: Foot pain:

The following list of conditions have 'Foot pain' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Foot pain Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Foot pain based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: