Foot Joint Pain Causes and How to Prevent Them
Our Milwaukee Foot Doctors Explain Foot Joint Pain Causes and How to Avoid Them
There are 26 bones in each of your feet and over 30 joints. There are also more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. That’s a lot of potential for foot pain in one or more of these joints. Along with pain can come swelling, stiffness, bruising, redness, and a feeling of warmth.
Foot joint pain can be caused by trauma, arthritis, infection, gout, inflammation, bursitis, or just the way your foot is structured. At first, it’s best to simply rest, elevate the foot and limit walking or bearing weight. Our Milwaukee foot doctors also recommend taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen and applying ice to reduce swelling. In certain cases, our Milwaukee foot doctors may suggest custom orthotics to support the foot and relieve foot joint pain.
Foot Joint Pain Causes:
Foot Arthritis
Foot arthritis can occur at any age. The word actually is translated “pain within a joint.” There is no cure for arthritis, but there are some arthritis management treatments available to better manage foot arthritis pain while staying active. Types of arthritis can include Osteoarthritis (degenerative or “wear and tear” arthritis), Rheumatoid Arthritis (an inflammatory disease where your immune system attacks and destroys cartilage and Post-Traumatic Arthritis (the result of a trauma or foot injury).
Gout
Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid salts in joints. A single big toe joint is commonly affected. Other areas commonly impacted by Gout include the forefoot, instep, heel, ankle and knee. Gout is far more common in men and can be extremely painful. The excess uric acid forms urate crystals. These irritate the joint lining. Then white blood cells attack the crystals, but if the cells are damaged, it causes inflammation, swelling and pain.
Bunions
A bunion is a deformity of the big toe, causing it to bend inward toward its neighboring toe. The toe is forced to bend inward, causing a painful lump on the foot. This joint carries a lot of the body’s weight, so bunions can cause extreme pain
Tailor’s Bunion
Tailor’s bunion (also called “Bunionette”) is a lump on the fifth metatarsal bone on the outside of the little toe (your fifth toe). This type of bunion causes redness, swelling, and pain. Tailor’s bunion is painful because the bone becomes bigger and more prominent. The joint capsule in the toe starts to become inflamed, increasing little toe pain. In severe cases, a bursa develops between the skin and the lump, increasing the pain even more. Tailor’s bunion can be hereditary, but can also be caused by wearing shoes which are too tight.
Tarsal Coalition
Tarsal Coalition is an abnormal growth of tissue which causes a bridge to develop between two normally-separate tarsal bones. It’s basically a gene mutation. At first, a baby’s bones accommodate the problem, but problems occur later when the foot begins to mature and solidify. The entire foot stiffens, causing increased pain. Unfortunately, the symptoms hit fast and hard. Symptoms can include severe pain, lack of endurance, fatigue, spasms and cramps. Often patients cannot rotate the foot or walk normally. The condition usually occurs during teenage years.
Capsulitis of the Second Toe
Capsulitis is a condition in which the joint at the base of the second toe becomes inflamed. It can also happen in the third toe. The inflammation can cause severe pain and, if left untreated, even toe dislocation. The end stage is when the second toe becomes severely deformed and crosses over onto the big toe.
Metatarsal Joint Pain
Metatarsalgia is pain in the ball of your foot (the front part of your foot under the metatarsal bones). This condition is more of a symptom of another foot ailment rather than a condition itself. There are many causes which bring increased stress or inflammation to the five metatarsal bones. When the other condition is treated, the pain can be greatly reduced or eliminated.
Mallet Toes, Hammer Toes and Claw Toes
A mallet toe bends downward at the joint closest to the end of the toe. It usually affects the second toe, although it may affect other toes. Hammer Toe is when the second joint of the toes bends down. Claw toes is when all four smaller toes bend downward.
Ways to Prevent Foot Joint Pain
There are a variety of ways to prevent foot joint pain including:
- Wearing proper shoes with good soles and supportive heels
- Wearing the right footwear for an activity
- Stretch before exercising or playing sports
- Don’t ignore rest and good nutrition
- Lose weight if necessary
- Wear custom orthotics
Milwaukee Foot Doctors Treat Foot Joint Pain for Various Causes
In need of foot joint pain treatment, Milwaukee? Our foot doctors are here to help. When you meet with our highly skilled foot specialists we’ll identify the specific causes and triggers of your foot pain, give you ways on how you can prevent or manage foot joint pain and we’ll provide the most advanced medical treatment to get you back on your feet faster.
If your foot joint pain continues or worsens, contact our Milwaukee podiatrist for an appointment. Limit activity until your condition can be evaluated. Foot joint pain is already serious. Don’t let it become even more serious by ignoring it or delaying treatment.