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There are numerous reasons you might feel pain in your foot.
Sometimes, the pain worsens with each step.
Overuse
Overuse injuries develop from repetitive stress on the feet.
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They can lead to stress fracturesmicroscopic cracks or severe bone bruises in the foot bones.
Overuse injuries in the feet are common in people who play sports that require a lot of running.
Injury
Traumatic injuries can cause significant foot pain when walking.
Examples include:
Contusions and minor damage to muscles and ligaments often get better with rest and home remedies.
Less often, surgery may be necessary.
Heel Pad Atrophy
A layer of connective tissue called a fat pad protects theheel bone.
Over time, this layer of protection can become thinner (atrophy), causing foot pain when walking.
Healthcare providers recommend a combination of rest, shoe inserts, and foot-strengthening exercises to treat heel pad atrophy.
Less commonly, fat grafting or filler injection might be required.
Turf Toe
Turf toeis an injury that affects the ligaments of the big toe.
However, it can also occur during non-sports activities.
Treatment for turf toe includes home remedies,supportive taping, and rest.
More serious injuries might benefit from the use of a walking boot.
Less commonly, turf toe can require surgery.
Treatment includes home remedies, stretches, shoe inserts, and physical therapy.
Less common treatments include cortisone injections and surgery.
Treatment for bunions includes wider footwear and protective cushioning.
Sometimes, the condition needs to be corrected with surgery.
Tendinitis
Tendinitiscauses inflammation of tendons that connect muscle to bone.
It can occur in tendons on the top, bottom, or sides of the feet.
Treatment can include stretches, shoe inserts, home remedies, and physical therapy.
Healthcare providers treat RA with medications that target an overactive immune system.
In severe cases, foot arthritis can be treated with surgery, such as a joint fusion.
The exact cause of Morton’s neuroma is unknown.
Pain from Morton’s neuroma can increase when walking in tight or narrow shoes, or high heels.
Treatments include changing footwear, shoe inserts, home remedies, and less commonly, surgery.
Walking is vital to daily function, and sometimes, you have to keep walking despite having foot pain.
However, some conditions that cause foot pain can worsen if you continue putting pressure on your affected foot.
Contact a healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause of your foot pain and discuss treatment options.
If you have foot pain while walking, contact a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
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UCLA Health.Fat pad atrophy can cause painful stress on feet.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Turf toe.
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Deu RS, Coslick AM, Dreher G.Tendinopathies of the foot and ankle.Am Fam Physician.
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