Foot Pain

What is causing your foot pain?

There are several conditions which may cause foot pain, including:

Bone and heel spurs happen when an outgrowth of bone occurs along the edges of a bone, usually in your heel. You feel pain when the bone spur rubs against other tissue in your body, as you move. In some cases, non-surgical treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medicine will help to relieve your pain from bone spurs. However, surgery may be needed to remove the bone spurs in order to relieve the pressure on surrounding tissues and nerves.

Plantar Fasciitis: one of the most common foot complaints. It happens when the thick tissue located on the bottom of your foot (called the plantar fascia) becomes swollen and inflamed from overuse. You can help prevent plantar fasciitis by wearing shoes with good support. Most of the time plantar fasciitis responds to non-surgical treatments, but surgery may be needed to release the tight fascia in your foot.

There are multiple ways to injury your foot or toes and all of them are painful. Your doctor will do an X-ray to determine the type of fracture you have. Different types of fractures include:

• Closed — the skin is not broken.
• Displaced — the end of the broken bone is cracked and the bones have separated.
• Non-displaced — the end of the broken bone is cracked but the bones remain together.
• Open — the skin is broken down to the bone. This is the most serious type of fracture.

Depending on the type of fracture you have, your doctor will recommend specific treatment options.

A common type of injury to the foot is called a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a small crack in the bone that happens after repetitive activity, such as running. It is sometimes called an overuse injury.

If you have osteoporosis, which weakens your bones, you are more at risk for having a stress fracture. It is recommended that you see an orthopedic surgeon for any foot fracture.

If you experience any kind of foot pain, talk to your doctor about the possible causes and treatment options that can help relieve your pain and return you to full function. Our physicians provide diagnosis and treatment options tailored to your conditions. When surgery is needed, you may be referred to an affiliated orthopedic surgeon.

Your doctor may also recommend the following, depending on the type of fracture you have:

• Casting — a cast will keep your foot from moving while the bones heal and keep any pressure off the foot while it heals.
• Reducing activity level — you may be unable to walk or participate in physical activity at all, or you may need to switch to a lower impact activity, such as swimming.
• Wearing a removable brace — similar to a cast, protective footwear helps keep your foot from moving, but can be removed when you need to swim or bathe.

When a fracture is open and/or displaced, or when a fracture does not heal, surgery is needed. Your surgeon may use pins, screws and plates to hold the bones of your foot in place. You will then need to wear a cast to keep the foot from moving while the bones heal.

The time it typically takes to heal from a bone fracture in the foot, depends on the location and severity of the break. Your doctor will tell you when it is safe to resume your normal activities.

If surgery is necessary, our physicians can provide a referral to one of our affiliated orthopaedic surgeons. For more information on surgical options, please contact us at askortho@stelizabeth.com.