Your feet are probably the hardest working components of your body. They take you to places and allow you to enjoy and do your daily activities, making them highly susceptible to pain and injury. Some pain may go away with rest and conservative treatment measures. Sometimes, however, pain can last for months and affect your quality of life. When this happens, you may need to consult your podiatrist to help you address chronic foot pain and its related symptoms.

Is your foot pain bothering you? Here are several causes of chronic foot pain that warrant an immediate visit to your healthcare provider.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia, the ligament that connects your heel to the front of your foot, becomes inflamed. Plantar fasciitis is characterized by foot pain, particularly on the heel, which may feel worse in the mornings. The pain may subside after some stretching because the tissue relaxes. Wearing appropriate shoes for your foot type or orthotics can help minimize your risk for this foot problem.

Tendonitis

Structural abnormalities, overuse, an injury, and other medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes may cause tendonitis. Chronic foot pain from Achilles tendonitis leads to pain and tenderness from your calf to your heel. Chronic Achilles tendonitis weakens the tendon, making you more susceptible to a rupture. While nonsurgical methods are often enough to treat tendonitis, surgery may be necessary for tears.

Arthritis

Arthritis covers over a hundred conditions that affect your joints. It may be due to wear and tear damage or an autoimmune disease. Several types may affect your foot and cause chronic pain. These may include the following:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis. This condition is an autoimmune disorder that affects your joints and other body systems, including your skin, eyes, and heart. As rheumatoid arthritis worsens, it causes chronic pain, joint deformation, and bone erosion.
• Gout. People with gout may experience sudden pain attacks in their joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe. The burning sensation may be accompanied by tenderness, swelling, warmth, and redness. Untreated, this may develop into recurrent or advanced gout.
• Psoriatic arthritis. This condition occurs in people with psoriasis. It is often diagnosed after psoriasis, but joint problems may occur before pat It can also cause Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis. You may also have swollen toes with psoriatic arthritis.

Peripheral Neuropathy

People with diabetes may also develop foot complications due to several factors like nerve damage and poor blood circulation. Peripheral neuropathy often affects the legs and feet first before the hands and arms. It is characterized by a sharp or burning pain in the affected area, accompanied by sensitivity or tingling. Because it affects the nerves, it can result in weakness or loss of function, making your movements uncoordinated.

Bursitis

Although more common in the shoulders and elbows, bursitis may also affect your heels and big toe. This condition is an inflammation of the bursae, the small, fluid-filled sacs near your joints. Bursitis causes stiffness, redness, swelling, and pain that gradually gets better on its own with rest. Sometimes, it can cause excruciating joint pain, which is a sign that you need to visit your doctor.

Fracture

Another cause of chronic foot pain is an undetected broken bone or fracture. Stress fractures, which are tiny cracks on a bone, are common in weight-bearing bones like those in your feet. These occur from repetitive stress and overuse as well as sudden force. Fractures are challenging to detect without an X-ray. If you have undetected and untreated stress fractures, you may experience chronic foot pain that can last for weeks or months.

Chronic Foot Pain Treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio

Pain tells you something is wrong, so you must never ignore it, especially if it becomes excruciating. Ignoring chronic pain on your feet may lead to complications and an extended period of treatment and recovery.

The board-certified podiatrists at Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care can help you identify the cause of your pain and treat it. Our team has years of experience providing quality podiatric care to our patients.

You may reach our highly skilled foot doctors at any of our 18 clinics across southwest Ohio. Alternatively, you may use this secure online form to schedule a visit with us. We look forward to keeping your feet strong and healthy!