If you’re an avid visitor to our blog, then I am sure you already know about the rather large library we have on here related to common conditions that affect the feet. Foot problems are very common in the UK with most of us having to deal with some amount of pain in our feet at some point in our lives. This is exactly why we have created this blog, to try and help people all over the country find out the reasons why they have pain in their feet. This article is no exception to this. Today, we are going to focus on a few conditions that can result in a sharp pain in the feet. Some of the conditions mentioned below have been covered in more detail in other articles and so please explore our blog further to find out more information about them. The information below is intended to be a brief overview of the conditions to try and help you find out what is wrong with your feet and what is causing you pain.
Common conditions that cause a sharp pain in the feet
Calluses
Calluses are thick areas of the skin that occur on parts of the feet that are under an excessive amount of stress. Most of the time calluses only produce a dull achy pain, however, when they are split open as a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes, for example, they can cause a sharp and uncomfortable pain.
Ingrown toenail
If the edge of your toenail grows into the edge of your skin, this can result in a lot of pain. Ingrown toenails normally occur on the big toe and are typically a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes. Even the smallest ingrown toenail can cause a very sharp pain as well as swelling and infection.
Bunions
A bunion is basically a large bump, usually located on the side of your foot near the big toe joint. It is the result of the big toe shifting over time and pressing into the next toe. This results in a large amount pressure on the big toe and the ligaments surrounding it and will cause some pain. Bunion pain can often flare up and produce a sharp pain due to an inflamed pocket of fluid known as bursitis.
Heel spurs
Heel spurs are something that grows over time as a result of having plantar fasciitis, a tightening of the plantar fascia. Although a heel spur is not itself painful, the pressure it puts on the soft tissue surrounding it is often described as similar to stepping on a pin or stone.
If you have found this article helpful in your search for finding out what is wrong with your feet, then please share it with your friends to help them too. In Friday’s article, we have a look at some of the more common conditions that affect the top of your foot and causes pain in that area so please come back then if your pain is located in that area. Alternatively, you could always pop in and see us or speak with us over the phone to get more information about the causes of sharp pain in the feet that we have mentioned in this article.