Pain on side of the foot or lateral foot pain can be due to many of possible causes. It can be sudden or develop gradually over time. The seriousness of such pain can range from mild to moderate to severe. Having a prior knowledge of the underlying causes and symptoms can help you have a good insight on the potential effective treatments. In this post, we will look at its most common causes, symptoms, and diagnosis as well as the best treatments and preventions
Why do have this pain?
Common Causes
Some of the possible causes of side foot pain can be easily managed at home but you must see your General Practitioner (GP) when your suspect your pain is becoming severe or it is persistent. Let us now have a look at some of the common causes:
Tendonitis foot or ankle tendonitis
There are five types of foot tendonitis. The common types of tendonitis that cause side of foot pain are peroneal tendonitis and posterior tibial tendonitis.
Peroneal Tendonitis
Peroneal tendonitis
Peroneal tendonitis occurs when there is recurrent tension on the peroneal tendons. This triggers pain on the side as well as the bottom of foot pain.
Peroneal tendonitis can be influenced by a wrong positioning of the foot, ankle sprain, excessive running, and muscle imbalance among other causes. Pain on outside foot due to peroneal tendonitis have a gradual onset and can take a long period before they settle.
Symptoms
Some of the common linked symptoms comprise of side foot pain, irritation, inflammation, and degeneration.
Treatment
Below is the possible treatment for this condition:
- Make sure you have a rest to avoid activities that worsen the associated symptoms. This will enhance the healing process.
- Apply cold compression for instance; you can use cold compresses or ice to reduce some symptoms such as swelling.
- Support brace or bandage can be used to limit the inflammation.
- You can elevate your foot to make sure that your ankle is above your heart.
- Get yourself involved in strengthening and stretching exercise to reduce the tension on the peroneal tendons. This will for sure speed up the healing process. Alternatively, during your training, you should make sure that you don’t overdo it. If situations may demand then just increase the distance, intensity, and frequency of your exercise by not more than 10 percent.
- Orthotics: sometimes your peroneal tendonitis can be caused by unusual foot shape. Now, if that is the case then you can add inserts to your footwear to control the deformity and hence increase the stability. You can achieve this by liaising with your doctor to decide for you the correct insoles for your case.
- In some case, physical therapy can also be effective especially when the pain is due to joint or bone stiffness. This can be done alongside ultrasound therapy to reduce the inflammation.
- Some medications such as non-steroids anti-inflammatories can also be used to help reduce the pain but you should contact your doctor for a prescription.
Posterior tibial tendonitis
Inner side foot pain can be due to posterior tibial tendonitis. This condition occurs when the tendons supporting the foot arch is interfered with. It results from overuse or injury leading to irritation, inflammation, and degeneration of the tendons leading to foot arch pain. Any activity e.g. walking, running etc. can worsen the pain.
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
Symptoms are treatment are similar to those of peroneal tendonitis
Ankle sprain
This is the most common causes of pain on side of the foot. It is more prevalent in those aged 35 years and below. An ankle sprain is usually known to affect ligaments especially the Anterior Talofibular Ligament.
an ankle sprain is another cause
This comes into being when you roll your foot inwards while the ankle rolls outwards. This is what is actually called inversion injury and it leads to tearing of some ligament fibers if not all. The result will be swelling, bruising, instability and this pain.
In some cases, if you have an ankle sprain today, there are high chances of having a similar problem in future. Some of the causes of the twisted ankle are putting on high heels (causes pain in the heel), sports, walking or running on rugged ground or it can be due to the previous injury. There are three grades of an ankle sprain. The most serious one is the grade whereby the ligament rupture.
Symptoms
This may be accompanied by popping sounds and one may completely fail to walk on the affected foot.
Treatments
Treatments for ankle sprain will vary depending on the severity of the pain. You should understand that most of the ankle sprain treatments are aimed at reducing bleeding, swelling, and the resultant pain around the ligaments. They include the following:
- Protecting your ankle from further injury may be the first great idea so far. In severe cases, this can be achieved by the use of support bandage or ankle brace.
- Have a rest to enhance the healing process
- You can as well apply ice as well as cold compresses.
- Reduce the swelling by elevating the affected foot higher than the level of your heart.
- Another good remedy for an ankle sprain is exercise and you must proceed in this with moderations. Do not over-exercise.
- Medications are also another remedy we cannot forget to mention. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories can be used to reduce inflammation. Your doctor can also resort to applying physiotherapy or surgery. He can also recommend proper footwear is he thinks that could be the reason for the pain.
Foot Bunions
Bunions
Bunions or hallux valgus is a usual problem that leads to pain on side of the foot by the big toe. Bunions are formed when the big toe rotates inwards. This will make it point inwards and cause the base bone at the big toe to stick outside.
Tailor bunion
Sometimes bunions can also occur around the little toe, this condition is called bunionettes. The occurrence of bunions can be influenced by genetics, scanty footwear, gout, and rheumatoid.
Symptoms
The common symptoms of bunions are big toe pain, redness, inflammation and swelling around the big toe.
Treatments
In less serious cases of bunions, the toe can be easily realigned using toe stretchers, but when the condition is very serious then surgery may be needed. Actually, bunion treatment will depend on the primary causes.
Arthritis
This is a condition known to trigger inflammation in the joints. Two types of arthritis rheumatoid (inflammatory arthritis) and osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) that are known to trigger pain anywhere in the foot more so pain on side of the foot. The common cause this pain of the two is rheumatoid arthritis.
Cases due to arthritis
Symptoms
Common symptoms of arthritis include stiffness in the joint (ankle), swelling, tenderness, redness as well as joint pain.
Treatments
Treatments include medications involving the application acetaminophen and non-steroids anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Severe cases of arthritis may require surgery.
Stress Fractures
Stress fractures problems occur when minor break presents in one of the foot bones. Regular heavy sporting activities such as gymnastics, basketball, football or tennis can cause a lot of stress bones in this area. Such stress fracture can be minor but can as well be very painful to bear. It can cause pain anywhere on the side or even bottom.
Stress fractures
Various effective therapies that can be employed to quickly eliminate this problem but remember if left untreated; it can be very severe leading to recurrent foot pain. Such stress is known to affect the heels, metatarsal, navicular and fibula. A metatarsal stress fracture is the most common of all. The occurrence of the stress fracture can be determined by these factors: gender, age, foot abnormality, wrong footwear, rugged surface, osteoporosis as well as a previous stress fracture.
Symptoms
Below are the most common symptoms of a stress fracture:
- Swelling
- Pain
- Tenderness
Treatments
Treatment options for a stress fracture include resting, ice therapy, elevation, using foot braces and crutches. Some drugs such as paracetamol or Tylenol can also be used to relieve pain. In severe cases, surgery may be recommended.
Cuboid Syndrome/Cuboid subluxation
Cuboid Syndrome or Cuboid subluxation
This condition result from a foot injury, repetitive strain, and alteration in foot biomechanics. Cuboid is a small bone outside the midfoot that attaches to the calcaneus ligaments and joint capsule to form calcaneocuboid joint. Cuboid bone can move out of its usual position due to damaged tissue caused by trauma. Other names used to refer to this condition are blocked cuboid, dropped cuboid, fault syndrome as well as lateral plantar neuritis
Symptoms
The cuboid syndrome usually presents alongside pain down the outside of the foot and it can cut across foot ankles and toes. The pain can also be aggravated by activities such as swift direction change, jumping, hopping or running on uneven ground. The foot may generally feel weak and one may have a problem with walking.
Treatments
Manipulation is the most often used way where there may need to relocate the bone back to its usual position. Other treatments may include
- Taping it to provide support and stability to hold the cuboid in place.
- Ice therapy to reduce pain and inflammation
- Make you sure you rest from the worsening activities
- Participate in pain-free strengthening and stretching exercise
- Cuboid wedge and orthotic insoles may also be used
Corns and calluses
corns and calluses
There can also be foot side pain because of corns and calluses growth. Such corns and calluses can be sprung up anywhere in your foot but are commonly experienced on the top and the lateral side of the foot. The corns are extremely painful and occur deeper while the calluses are usually painless. The main trigger here is repetitive stress on a section of foot skin hence protective layers growing to protect it. Contributing factors include scanty footwear, altered foot shape, aging and standing for long. This condition is more prevalent in women than men are. Apart from Corns and calluses causing side pain, they can also cause both foot pain on top of the foot and bottom pain.
Symptoms
The most common and easy-to-notice is a hardened skin bump that can occur on the foot side or anywhere else. The bumps can be painful and itchy.
Treatments
- Gently rub away areas of hardened skin using a pumice stone
- Select proper footwear and use shoe insert if there need be
- Get creams fashioned to rehydrate thick, dry skin
- Consult trained personnel to trim down your corns and calluses
- Salicylic acid can also be used to break down the hard skin and then soften it.
- Antibiotics especially topical ones can apply applied around corns to prevent bacterial infections
- In severe cases such as recurrent helomas caused by foot abnormalities then your doctor may recommend surgery
Tarsal coalition
This condition can lead to the side of foot pain but in rarer circumstances. It shows up when two or more bones become connected to each other by the excess bar of bone. You must understand this congenital problem clearly.
The tarsal coalition – a possible cause
Symptoms
This condition has sudden symptoms that lead to pain, fatigue, and foot cramps. The symptoms will be evident when the victims walk abnormally.
Treatments
The treatments usually include shoe inserts, exercise, and casting to mobilize your foot. Surgery can also apply in rare and severe cases.
Diagnosis
During diagnosis of your foot pain, your doctor may ask you a question about whether the onset of the pain was sudden or gradual. He/she may also determine your age to try to find out whether it is a tarsal coalition, a common condition among youths. Persons aged above 50 are likely to suffer bunions or arthritis. When a person is having a dry and thickened skin accompanying pain on side of your foot, then he/she is likely to suffer corns and calluses. On the other side, pain developing because of injury can often be diagnosed to be cuboid subluxation or ligament sprain. Tendinitis or stress fracture is known to develop alongside gradual pain. Right and proper diagnosis is very important since it will define the best treatment for your foot pain. That is why most of the time, the doctor who should carry out the diagnosis.
How to Prevent Pain on side of foot
how to deal with pain on the side of foot
It should be clear that not all causes of the foot can be avoided, but some we can prevent. Some foot pain causes e.g. corns and calluses and ankle sprain can be recurrent if not properly addressed. Therefore, there are numerous things that can be done to prevent these causes from occurring or reoccurring. Here are the wonderful tips:
- Always keep your feet clean by washing them daily especially the area between your toes
- Try to lose weight if you are overweight. This will limit the pressure exerted on your feet.
- Always wear clean socks and changes them if you feel they begin to be sweaty
- Usually get rid of helomas areas of thickened skin by scrubbing your feet using a pumice stone
- Moisturize your heels and the ball of your foot to prevent or to reduce ball of foot pain. This should not be done to the area between your feet!
- Wear proper shoes: good-fitting, soft, supportive and low heeled
- Make sure you go for regular check-ups
- Make sure you get involved in daily exercise but don’t overdo it!
- Opt for a well-balanced diet
In summary, we have to bear in mind that foot pain is very prevalent among many people, from male to female, adult to children. Some causes or rather symptoms may be mild while others may be very severe. Therefore, the best way out is to make sure you go proper diagnosis by a medical professional. Some symptoms may be treated at home but in severe cases or in case your foot pain is chronic, please make sure your doctor is aware.
