Pain on top of your foot is a fairly common complaint here in the UK. This pain in your foot can be caused by a number of different conditions, as we are about to find out. The pain on top of your foot can range from a dull ache to a sharp pain that comes on suddenly. It is important to tell your foot doctor exactly where the pain is and how it feels so that they can examine and diagnose you correctly. In Monday’s article, we explored sharp pain in the foot and the conditions that cause it, below, we are going to have a look at pain on top of the foot. If you do have a sharp pain on top of your foot, then please go back and read Monday’s article for more advice on this subject.
Common conditions that cause pain on top of the foot
Blisters, Calluses, Corns
Blisters are a common cause of pain on the feet, typically a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes. Although they are more common on other areas of the foot, they can cause pain on top of the foot. Calluses are also more common on other areas of the foot, however, they can be found on the top of the foot again due to wearing badly fitting shoes. Corns are similar to calluses; they are small areas of thick skin and they are usually found on the knuckles of your toes. These can be painful when walking or running. You can find treatment options for blisters, calluses and corns at your local pharmacists, however, you may need to seek advice from a local foot doctor if they persist.
Gout
Gout is the result of a build-up of a waste product in your joints known as uric acid. It will cause sudden bouts of pain, redness and swelling in the affected joint and this can cause pain on top of your foot. If you are noticing pain on top of your foot and you suspect that you have gout, then the pain is likely to be caused by wearing shoes that are increasing the pressure. Seek medical attention from your GP to get treatment for gout.
Oedema
Oedema affects your whole foot, however, it’s worth mentioning here because you may experience pain on the top of your foot as a result of wearing shoes that are pressing on your feet. Oedema is a build up of fluid within the body’s tissues and this can cause pressure and pain. If you think you have oedema, see your GP or if you think the swelling is very severe, go to the nearest A&E department.
Broken or cracked bones
Broken or cracked bones could have been put into either of this week’s articles because they are likely to cause sharp pain and also cause pain on the top of your foot. Depending on where the fractured bone is, you may feel a large amount of pain on top of your foot. If you suspect that you have a fractured bone in your foot, head straight to your local A&E department.
If the information above has helped you find out the causes of your foot pain then please share this post with your friends to help them find the cause of theirs too. Please come back next week for more blog posts about other common foot conditions.