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Foot Pain Diagram
Foot Pain Chart: A foot pain diagram is a great tool to help you work out what is causing your ankle and foot pain. There are a whole range of structures e.g. bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves which will each give slightly different foot pain symptoms.
The foot pain identifier diagrams you find here will help you to identify the possible causes of your foot problem and then help you find out everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and best treatment options for each.
The first-foot pain diagram looks at the front and top of the foot, the second-foot pain identifier looks underneath and at the back of the foot.
Front Foot Pain Identifier
This foot pain diagram shows common problems that cause pain on top of the foot at the front.
A. Sinus Tarsi Syndrome
Inflammation and instability cause pain deep inside the joint that gets worse with activity, especially ankle twisting, and better with rest. Sinus Tarsi Syndrome is often the cause of ongoing foot pain following an ankle sprain. Foot Pain Chart.
B. Extensor Tendonitis
Extensor tendonitis is caused by Inflammation and irritation of the tendons across the top of the foot and is the most common cause of top-of-foot pain. Pain when resisting toe extension (lifting the toes up) indicates tendonitis.
C. Claw Toe
With Claw, Mallet & Hammer Toe, muscle tightness and weakness cause the outer four toes to abnormally curl into different positions.
D. Foot Gout
Foot gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis causing sudden intense pain, swelling, and redness typically in the big toe. Symptoms typically flare up at night.
E. Tibialis Anterior Tendonitis
Inflammation of the tendon across the front of the ankle causes top-of-foot pain typically when walking down stairs or on slopes.
F. Ankle Sprain
Overstretching of one of the ankle ligaments causes it to tear. This leads to ankle pain and instability. 85% of ankle injuries are ligament sprains.
G. Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
Inflammation and/or tearing of the tendon that supports the foot arch. Posterior tendonitis makes it difficult to stand on tiptoes and causes pain and swelling on the inner ankle.
H. Stress Fractures
Small breaks in the foot bones, most typically the metatarsals, due to repetitive overloading. Often linked with sudden increases in activity levels.
I. Bunions
The big toe shifts inwards causing the outer side of the toe to stick out gradually more and more. Most common in women who wear high heels and pointy shoes.
J. Mallet Toe & Hammer Toe
Deformities in the different toe joints cause abnormal bending of the toes, most typically affecting the second toe.
Bottom Of Foot Pain Diagram
This foot pain diagram looks at the common causes of pain under the foot and at the back of the heel.
A. Heel Spurs
A bone spur here is called an inferior calcaneal bone spur and is usually linked with a tight plantar fascia. Causes a sharp pain under the foot that is worse with the initial movement and then eases to a dull ache.
B. Plantar Fasciitis
The tightness and repetitive strain can lead to inflammation and tearing of the plantar fascia. Foot pain stems from the heel and radiates under the foot. Worse when you first start to walk, standing on tiptoes and walking up stairs.
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C. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
With tarsal tunnel syndrome, a nerve gets squashed underneath the inner ankle causing shooting or burning heel and foot arch pain, tingling, and numbness.
D. Gout Foot
The build-up of uric acid crystals in the big toe joint causes very intense toe pain, swelling, and redness. Gout symptoms typically develop suddenly at night and last for a few weeks.
D. Turf Toe
Turf Toe is a sprain of the big toe caused by the toe bending back too far. It results in pain and swelling in the big toe. A common injury in sportspeople playing on artificial turf.
E. Achilles Tendonitis
Repetitive strain leads to tearing and degeneration of the Achilles tendon. Usually caused by calf muscle tightness or sudden increases in activity levels. You can often have a hard lump in the tendon and the calf and ankle become stiff and tight.
F. Heel Spurs
A bone spur on the back of the heel is known as Haglund’s Deformity. Causes heel pain, swelling, and redness, and a hard lump often forms. Commonly associated with Achilles Tendonitis and Bursitis.
F. Heel Bursitis
Inflammation of the bursa behind the heel is called Retrocalcaneal Bursitis. Repetitive pressure or friction over the back of the heel causes the bursa to swell resulting in heel pain and tenderness, swelling, and ankle stiffness. Often associated with Achilles Tendonitis and Haglunds Deformity.
F. Os Trigonum
An Os Trigonum is a small extra bone in the back of the ankle found in 5-10% of people. Causes tenderness and pain behind the ankle, particularly when pointing the toes or going up on tiptoes, and sometimes swelling. Typically symptomatic in ballet dancers, runners, and football players, or after an ankle injury.
G. Tarsal Coalition
Tarsal Coalition is where a bony bridge forms between the heel bone and one of the tarsal bones. Causes foot and ankle pain and stiffness that is worse when you are on your feet, muscle spasms, and flat feet. Typically affects children aged 10-15.
H. Bunions & Bunionettes
These are where one of the toes starts to deviate inwards causing the base of the toe (like the knuckle) to stick outwards. Typically affects the big toe, known as a bunion, but can affect the little toe, known as a Bunionette. Most common in women who wear tight, pointy, high-heeled shoes.
H. Calluses & Corns
Areas of thickened, hard skin are caused by excessive friction or pressure through the foot. Calluses can get quite large and are usually white and painless whereas corns are smaller, circular in shape, more yellowy, and can be quite painful. Foot Pain Chart.
I. Plantar Fibromatosis
Plantar Fibromatosis is a benign growth forming a hard nodule that can be felt in the arch of the foot. It may or may not cause foot arch pain and plantar fascia tightness.
J. Morton’s Neuroma
With Morton’s Neuroma, it often feels like you have a small stone in your shoe. A benign growth develops on one of the nerves forming a lump between two toes known as a fibroma. It causes sharp, stabbing pain in the ball of the foot as well as tingling and numbness.
There are other things that can cause pain under the foot not shown on this foot pain diagram, such as foot cramps and stress fractures which you can find out all about in the Foot Arch Pain section.
Foot Pain Symptoms
If you are struggling to work out what is causing your pain from the foot pain diagnosis, it can help to think about the other symptoms that are associated:
- Altered Sensation & Nerve Pain
- Swollen Feet & Ankles
- Burning Foot Pain
- Muscle Cramps
- Foot Pain When Running
- Foot Blisters
- Foot Rashes
- Foot Numbness
- Foot Lumps & Bumps
- Sharp Pain In Big Toe
- Toenail Problems
What Else Can Help?
Understanding what is causing your foot pain is the first step to treating it. Each foot pain diagram here is a useful visual tool for diagnosing what is wrong with your foot or ankle.
Once you have identified the cause of your problem from these foot pain diagrams, you can find out loads more about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options for each by using the links above. Foot Pain Chart.
There are other common causes of foot and ankle pain not seen on the foot pain diagrams here such as Trench Foot and Foot Cramps but these tend to give more general symptoms throughout the foot rather than causing pain in specific places as shown on these foot pain diagnosis charts.
The article was originally published here.
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