Common Causes of Foot Pain: A Physio’s Guide

A disaster recently struck one of our patients. He had planned a weekend at his favorite amusement park–only for his foot to start hurting an hour into his first day. Unlike our physiotherapists, he wasn’t familiar with the causes of foot pain, so he hobbled his way through his vacation and hoped for the best. Fortunately, we were there to help when he got home.

The first step in addressing musculoskeletal pain is identifying what’s causing it. Otherwise, you’ll just wind up treating the symptoms without resolving any underlying injuries or conditions. At Key Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre, we can help you better understand why your foot is hurting–and then provide a personalized program to address it!

Today, we want to explore some common causes of foot pain and provide suggestions for what you can do about them. Already dealing with foot pain? Schedule an appointment at our Halifax, NS clinic to get started!

Five Potential Reasons Why Your Foot is In Pain

Plantar Fasciitis

• If your heel and/or the bottom of your foot hurt, there’s a fairly good chance it’s plantar fasciitis, one of the most frequent conditions we see at our clinic. Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue stretching across the bottom of your foot. If it becomes irritated, it causes pain and restricted mobility.

Achilles Tendonitis

• Your Achilles tendon runs along the back of your heel and up into your calf. If it becomes irritated or inflamed, it can cause pain in the heel or along the tendon, especially when walking or running. You might also experience stiffness or swelling.

Arthritis

• Arthritis occurs when the tissue in your joints becomes inflamed. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common types of arthritis, and both affect the foot–especially rheumatoid arthritis, which often starts in the small joints of the foot and ankle. Both cause pain and restricted mobility in the impacted joint.

Metatarsalgia

• Sharp, burning pain in the ball of your food can indicate metatarsalgia, which occurs when the metatarsals–the long bone in your foot–become irritated or inflamed. You may notice the pain worsens when you stand, walk, or run.

Stress Fractures

• A fracture is a break in one of your bones. A stress fracture is a very small break and typically develops over time due to repeated stress on the bone (like from running or jumping). This type of fracture commonly affects the small, delicate bones in your feet since they absorb much of the impact from day-to-day activities.

Addressing Foot Pain with Physiotherapy

Once we’ve determined the source of your foot pain, our physiotherapists will create a customized program to manage and, in many cases, resolve that discomfort.

We offer several interventions that can reduce pain, improve mobility and range of motion, and restore overall functionality (including your walking pattern). Manual therapy techniques, including soft tissue manipulation, help with immediate pain relief, while targeted stretches and exercises can help resolve any underlying injuries.

Foot pain can impact balance and increase fall risk, especially in older adults. That’s why we also frequently incorporate balance and gait training into our programs, helping you stay on your feet–and stay safe, mobile, and independent.

We can also provide simple lifestyle modifications to reduce your chances of developing foot pain. For example, we can help you pick out the best shoe style or provide strategies for easing into a new high-impact workout program (which can often lead to foot pain).

You don’t have to live with persistent foot pain. Schedule an appointment with Key Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre to receive your customized care plan!