Everyone has had a minor problem with a toe, foot, or ankle. Most of the time
our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms
develop from everyday wear and tear or overuse. Toe, foot, or ankle problems
can also occur from injuries or the natural process of aging.
Your
toes, feet, or ankles may burn, sting, hurt, feel tired, sore, stiff, numb,
tingly, hot, or cold. You may have had a "charley horse" (muscle cramp) in your foot while lying in bed at night. Your feet or ankles may
change colour or
swell. You may have noticed an embarrassing
odour from your feet. Some changes in your feet and
ankles are normal
as a person ages or
during pregnancy. Home treatment is usually all that
is needed to relieve your symptoms.
Toe, foot, or ankle problems
may be caused by an injury. If you think an injury caused your problem, see the
topic
Toe, Foot, or Ankle Injuries. But there are many non-injury causes of toe,
foot, or ankle problems.
Skin problems
Most skin problems that affect your
feet are more annoying than they are serious. If you have:
The feeling of walking on pebbles: You may have
plantar warts on the bottom of your
feet.
Patches of thick and tough skin on the heel or ball of your
foot: You may have a
callus, corn, blister, or skin
growth.
Red, peeling, cracking, burning, and itchy skin between
your toes or on the bottom of your feet: You may have
athlete's foot. Or maybe your feet are reacting to the
shoes you are wearing (shoe dermatitis).
Red,
swollen, and painful skin around a toenail: You may have an
ingrown nail or an infection around your nail (Paronychia).
Red, swollen soles of your
feet that are painful to the touch or when you walk: You may have a bacterial
infection. Public showers, hot tubs, or swimming pools are common areas where
bacterial infections, athlete's foot, and
warts can be spread to your feet.
Joint problems
Toe joints are more likely to
develop problems than other joints in your feet.
Heat, pain, redness, swelling, and extreme
tenderness that comes on quickly in your big toe joint may be caused by
gout. Similar symptoms can occur with an
infection.
If you have swelling or a bump
at the base of your big toe, you may have a
bunion.
If you have a bump on the outside
of your little toe, you may have a
benignity, also called a Tailor's
bunion.
Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling are
common when you have conditions such as
bursitis,
arthritis,
lupus, or gout.
Pain
You may develop pain in the front (ball) of your
foot (metatarsalgia) or in your heel. Heel problems commonly
occur when you overuse calf muscles, wear shoes with high heels, or participate
in activities, such as running, that cause repeated pounding on your heels.
Sharp pain on the bottom of your heel may be
caused by
plantar fasciitis.
Pain that is
worse before or after exercise but improves during exercise may be caused by a
stress fracture of a bone in your foot (usually a
metatarsal bone).
Small bony growths under your heel bone may be a
heel spur.
Pain in your mid-foot may be
caused by "fallen arches" or by being
flat-footed.
Pain or a bump on the back of the heel is a type of bursitis called Haglund's deformity.
Numbness or tingling
Many conditions may affect the
nerves of the foot and cause numbness, tingling, and burning.
Pain, burning, tingling, or numbness that
occurs between your toes, especially the third and fourth toes, and in the ball
of your foot may be caused by a growth around the nerves (Morton's neuroma).
Pain, numbness, and
tingling that begins in your back or buttock, moves down your leg, and into
your foot may be
sciatica, caused by a pinched nerve (nerve root
compression).
Foot and ankle pain that occurs with numbness and
weakness in your foot may be caused by a pinched nerve in your ankle (tarsal tunnel syndrome) or back (sciatica).
Burning, numbness, or lack of feeling in your feet may be caused
by poor circulation, especially in people who have
diabetes or
peripheral arterial disease. The circulation problem
can lead to nerve damage (peripheral neuropathies). Foot problems are more likely to develop in people who
have these conditions.
This site requires ActiveX controls and plug-ins to be enabled. If not already installed, the Free Adobe Flash Plugin is available for download.
Home Treatment
Most minor toe, foot, or ankle
problems go away on their own. Home treatment is usually all that is needed to
relieve your pain, swelling, and stiffness.
If you have swelling, be sure to
remove all rings, anklets, or any other jewellery that goes around your leg or ankle.
It will be harder to remove your jewellery if swelling increases, which
in turn can cause other serious problems, such as nerve compression or
restricted blood flow.
Stop, change, or take a break from any activities that
cause your symptoms.
Avoid "running through the pain," which may
increase damage to your foot.
Consider changing your exercise
routine if you think running or another high-impact sport is causing your foot
pain. Switch temporarily to a low-impact exercise activity, such as
cross-country skiing, stair-climbing machines, bicycling (regular or
stationary), rowing, or swimming.
Use sensible
sports training techniques, such as wearing the right
shoes and stretching before activities.
Gently massage your feet to reduce discomfort,
relax your feet, and promote circulation.
Wear comfortable and
supportive shoes and socks. See
tips on good footwear to learn how to choose the right shoes for
you.
Consider using an
orthotic shoe device, such as an arch support, to help
relieve your foot pain.
Try
heel-cord exercises to increase your strength and
flexibility if your heel or heel cord (Achilles tendon) is tight and painful.
This may help relieve your heel pain.
Medicine you can buy without a prescription
Try a non-prescription
medicine to help treat your pain:
ASA (also a non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug), such as Bayer or Bufferin
Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine.
Safety tips
Be sure to follow these
safety tips when you use a non-prescription medicine:
Carefully read and follow all directions
on the medicine bottle and box.
Do not take more than the
recommended dose.
Do not take a medicine if you have had an
allergic reaction to it in the past.
If
you have been told to avoid a medicine, call your doctor before you take
it.
If you are or could be pregnant, do not take any medicine other
than acetaminophen unless your doctor has told you to.
Try home treatment for these other foot problems such
as:
Foot cramps. Try the following home treatment to
help relieve leg cramps:
Straighten your leg.
Hold your
foot and pull it toward you. It is probably easiest to do this from a sitting
position. You can loop a towel around the end of your foot and pull it toward
you if you have trouble reaching your foot.
Gently rub or massage
your foot.
Calluses and
corns. Home treatment may help relieve discomfort from
corns, calluses, or other thickened skin:
To thin a corn or callus, rub the thickened
skin with a towel after a shower or bath.
Use a pumice stone after
bathing to reduce the tissue. Do not do this if you have
diabetes,
peripheral arterial disease, or an
immune system problem, or if you have been told that you have
poor circulation in your feet.
Pad pressure areas with
doughnut-shaped felt,
moleskin patches, or lamb's wool.
Never cut corns or calluses.
Infection may develop.
Some lotions and
moisturizers may also relieve symptoms from corns and calluses.
Blisters. Home treatment for blisters
depends on whether the blister is small or large and whether it has broken
open. See a picture of
blisters.
Swollen ankles and feet. Try the
following home treatment measures to reduce swelling in your ankles and feet:
Elevate swollen feet and ankles on a
footstool or pillows (above the level of your heart) when sitting for any
length of time.
Get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour
if you sit for any length of time.
Cut down on your salt (sodium) intake or make a salt substitute. Sodium can be hidden in foods such as
cheese, canned soups, and salad dressing. Talk to your doctor before trying a
salt substitute.
If you are diagnosed with a foot problem, other home treatment steps may help.
If your varicose veins are swollen or
uncomfortable, see the topic
Varicose Veins.
If your feet are peeling,
cracking, itching, and burning from athlete's foot, see the topic
Athlete's Foot.
The following tips may prevent toe, foot,
or ankle problems.
General tips
Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm (not hot)
water. Use a mild soap, preferably one containing moisturizers, or use a
moisturizer separately.
Avoid problems by wearing good footwear. Wear comfortable and supportive shoes. Support weak or unstable ankles by using a brace or
taping before exercise or activities that increase your risk of
problems.
Wear the correct size panty hose and stockings. Avoid
wearing constricting garters, knee-high, or thigh-high
stockings.
Use a rubber mat to stand on if your work requires you
to stand on hard surfaces. This may reduce stress on your
feet.
Maintain a reasonable weight for your height.
Exercise tips
Do
stretching exercises for the tendons at the back of
the heels. This is especially important for athletes before sports activities
but is also helpful for people who are not involved with
sports.
Walk regularly to improve circulation, increase
flexibility, reduce fatigue, and encourage bone and muscle
development.
Consider
consulting a sports-training specialist if you are a competitive or serious
recreational athlete. He or she can recommend training and conditioning
programs to prevent foot problems.
Foot care tips
Never cut
calluses and corns with a razor or a pocketknife. Use
non-prescription toe sleeves or toe spacers to prevent
irritation.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Everyone has had a minor problem with a toe, foot, or ankle. Most of the time
our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms
develop from everyday wear and tear or overuse. Toe, foot, or ankle problems
can also occur from injuries or the natural process of aging.
