Common Foot and Ankle Problems

Foot and ankle problems can keep you from getting around easily by causing pain, irritation, or discomfort. While some foot issues have mild symptoms and are mostly cosmetic, others can make it difficult to live a healthy, active lifestyle.

It’s important to pay attention to foot and ankle issues as they can get worse over time if left untreated. While some problems can be treated with over-the-counter products and at-home options, others require a healthcare provider’s care. Here’s a look at what you need to know about some of the most common foot and ankle problems. 

Plantar Fasciitis

When there is increased stress on the arch of the foot, microscopic tears can occur on the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that stretches from toe to heel. It’s a common condition that many people experience at some point. Runners and people who stand most of the day are especially at risk.

Symptoms

Plantar fasciitis usually causes pain and stiffness on the heel bone. The symptoms are usually worse in the morning when you start to walk after getting out of bed.

Treatment

Try stretching your feet and calf muscles in the morning and periodically throughout the day. You can do this by standing on a step on the balls of your feet and slowly lowering your heels below the step. Wear supportive shoes, rather than walking barefoot.

See your healthcare provider if the pain doesn't go away or gets worse to make sure your pain isn't caused by another condition. 

Bunion

A bunion occurs when the big toe starts to point toward the second toe. This causes a bump near the base of the big toe. The joint swells and a bursa (fluid-filled sac) forms under the skin where the joint sticks out. Bunions can be painful and become aggravated by activity and wearing tight shoes or high heels.

Symptoms

Bunions can cause pain at the joint near the base of the toe. As the bunion worsens, it may cause increased swelling and redness on the bump.

Treatment

Mild discomfort can usually be relieved by wearing wider, more comfortable shoes. Gel bunion pads can be used to help cushion the bump and relieve pain.

Check with your healthcare provider if these at-home treatments don't provide relief. Surgery is sometimes an option to correct the joint abnormality.

Morton's Neuroma

Morton's neuroma occurs when a nerve at the base of the toe becomes irritated and swells up. It usually develops between the third and fourth toes because of pressure or trauma to the area. Tight, narrow shoes can aggravate the condition.

Symptoms

Pain from a neuroma is usually felt on the ball of your foot. You may also feel pain or numbness in your toes.

Treatment

Try wearing footwear that's wider and has low heels. Shoe inserts can help relieve pain by reducing pressure around the nerve.

If you still have pain after trying these tips, speak with your healthcare provider. Injections of a corticosteroid medication can help decrease inflammation of the nerve. If the condition worsens, surgery may also be an option to release tissue around the nerve.

Corns & Calluses

Corns and calluses are areas of hard, thick skin that develop due to rubbing or irritation. Corns tend to develop on the toes while calluses usually appear on other areas of the foot, particularly the soles.

Symptoms

Corns usually look like a yellow ring of skin around a firm center. They may cause pain, especially with the pressure that comes from walking or tight shoes. 

Calluses tend to cover a larger area with thick skin that’s more evenly distributed. They aren’t usually painful but can cause some discomfort when walking.

Treatment

You can treat calluses at home by gently rubbing them with a pumice stone after a bath or shower to remove some of the dead skin. For corns, try using round corn pads to cushion the area. Ask your healthcare provider before using pads with salicylic acid, as they are not appropriate if you have certain conditions, like diabetes.

If your corn doesn’t go away or continues to cause pain, check with your healthcare provider.

Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungal infections (onychomycosis) tend to occur in a warm, moist and dark environment, like inside a shoe. They affect about 10% of the population. People with athlete’s foot, diabetes, or poor circulation are particularly at risk. 

Symptoms

A fungal infection in your toenails may cause the nails to become discolored, thickened, crumbly, or loose. The nail may start to separate from the nail bed.

Treatment

Your healthcare provider can diagnose a toenail fungus based on appearance as well as a sample viewed with a microscope. Toenail fungal infections are usually hard to completely cure but rarely cause complications.

Topical treatments, including efinaconazole and tavaborole, are available but not considered as effective as oral drugs. Oral drugs, such as terbinafine and itraconazole, have a higher success rate but can potentially cause liver damage and drug interactions. For this reason, healthcare providers may not treat mild cases of toenail fungus. 

Ingrown Toenail

An ingrown toenail, known as onychocryptosis, occurs when the toenail pierces the skin and continues to grow into the skin. It could be caused by shoes that are too narrow or by trimming a nail into a curve rather than straight across.

Symptoms

As an ingrown nail progresses, it may cause redness, swelling, and pain. If it leads to infection, pus may form under the skin near the nail. 

Treatment

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider to help remove the nail and treat any infection. If the ingrown toenail is in its early stages, the healthcare provider can lift it away from the skin and place sterile cotton under the nail. If it’s more advanced, the healthcare provider will use a local anesthetic before cutting the skin to remove the nail.

Hammer Toes

A hammertoe is a deformity of the toe caused by an imbalance in the muscles or tendons. The knuckle bends so the toe is angled downward rather than lying flat. It can be caused by ill-fitting shoes, heredity, or arthritis.

Symptoms

People who have hammertoe can experience pain at the top of their knuckle, redness, swelling, and pain when moving the toe.

Treatment

At-home treatment can help ease the discomfort of hammertoe. Mild cases where the feet are still flexible may be corrected with gel pads and wider shoes to minimize pressure and irritation. 

If the condition doesn’t correct itself, your healthcare provider may suggest surgery. This involves lengthening the tendons and possibly removing bone to allow the toe to straighten.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts (plantar verucca) are caused by a virus. Plantar means the bottom of the foot, but warts can occur other places on the foot and toes as well. Sometimes they are mistaken for calluses because they are covered with thick, hard skin and flattened by the pressure of walking.

Symptoms

Plantar warts are hard and flat with a rough surface. They can be painful when you walk on them. 

Treatment

Many warts will go away on their own within a year or two. If you’re not sure if you have plantar warts, make an appointment to ask your healthcare provider. If the warts are painful, your healthcare provider may recommend using a chemical like salicylic acid to remove it. Some chemicals must be applied by a healthcare provider because of the risk of burning the skin around the warts. Your healthcare provider may also suggest cryotherapy to freeze the warts. 

Athlete's Foot

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a common skin condition that can affect everyone, not just athletes. It’s caused by a fungus that can be transmitted from person to person, particularly in places where people walk barefoot, like communal showers.

Symptoms

Athlete’s foot causes redness, itchiness, scaling, and/or peeling skin, usually between the toes or on the bottom of the feet. In severe cases, it can cause painful cracking of the skin.

Treatment

Antifungal medications can be applied topically. These include over-the-counter medications like itraconazole and miconazole. Athlete’s foot often recurs, so these medications may be need to be used periodically. If your symptoms don’t improve with topical medications, your healthcare provider may suggest taking oral antifungal drugs, such as itraconazole and terbinafine. 

Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles tendinitis involves inflammation of the Achilles tendon, located in the back of the heel. If the tendon stays inflamed long enough, it can lead to thickening of the tendon from scar tissue. In some cases, it can become a long-term problem or can lead to rupture of the tendon.

Symptoms

Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the back of the ankle, especially when your foot stretches back with climbing stairs and walking uphill. You may also experience swelling along the area of the tendon. 

Treatment

Check with your healthcare provider if you have pain or stiffness that doesn’t improve with rest. For mild cases, you can take an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen). Your healthcare provider might suggest wearing orthotics like heel lifts or wedges that help relieve pressure on the tendon.

If these conservative treatments don’t alleviate symptoms after six months, you healthcare provider may suggest surgery to repair the damaged tendon.

Lateral Ankle Sprain

Lateral ankle sprains are very common, whether from playing a sport or just hurrying to catch the bus. About 23,000 ankle sprains happen in the U.S. every day. It usually happens when the foot rolls inward and stretches or tears the ligaments of the outer ankle.

Symptoms

When you have an ankle sprain, your symptoms can range from mild to severe pain, swelling, or bruising. You may have difficulty walking or bearing weight on that ankle.

Treatment

If you have a sprained ankle, make an appointment with your healthcare provider to check for broken bones or ligament damage. If the sprain is mild, your healthcare provider may suggest at-home treatment using R.I.C.E. therapy (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Keep weight off the ankle and use an ice pack for 20 minutes a few times a day. You may consider purchasing an over-the-counter brace to wear during recovery.

Ankle Arthritis

Ankle arthritis involves inflammation of the joint, caused by cartilage wearing down at the joint where the foot connects to the shin. As this cushioning breaks down, the bones in the ankle start to rub together leading to joint damage.

Symptoms

The symptoms of ankle arthritis include pain, stiffness, and swelling in the ankle joint and difficulty walking.

Treatment

If you suspect that you have ankle arthritis, make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may order X-rays to look for signs of arthritis. Nonsurgical treatments include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, braces to support the ankle, and steroid medication injections. Your healthcare provider may suggest surgery if your symptoms don’t improve with nonsurgical treatments.

Ankle Fracture

An ankle fracture usually occurs when the ankle is twisted forcefully in an accident like a fall, vehicle accident, or sports injury. Ankles can also get stress fractures, which are hairline cracks in the bone caused by repeated force or overuse.

Symptoms

Symptoms of an ankle fracture include swelling, pain, and difficulty putting weight on ankle. If a fracture happens suddenly, you may hear a popping sound.

Treatment

It’s important to see your healthcare provider right away if you think you have an ankle fracture. Early treatment and rehabilitation can help ensure that you have a complete recovery. 

Your treatment options may be surgical or nonsurgical, depending on the injury and the amount of displacement. With nonsurgical treatment, you’ll likely wear a boot or cast, and later go through rehabilitation. If you need surgery, you may have screws and plates inserted to help the bones heal in position.

A Word From Verywell

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider for any foot or ankle issues when you’re unsure what’s causing it, when your symptoms aren’t improving, or if they’re getting worse. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, you can get back on your feet and return to a healthy, active life.