Pain in the foot, sole and back of the foot is a sign that something is wrong; there may be inflammation, trauma, injury or internal illness.
To fathom the cause, the doctor needs to know whether the pain occurs suddenly or has developed gradually.
The following questions are also important:
- Do the symptoms become stronger when the foot is put on and loaded?
- Does the pain worsen when walking?
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Pain under the sole of the foot
Any toe bone can suffer a bone fracture.
The heel bone is the bone of the foot, which, along with the fifth metatarsal bone, is most often affected by fractures.
The injury is most often caused by a strong impact on the heel, such as a fall from a height or a car accident.
As a rule, osteoporosis is not the cause, the fracture is more likely to occur as a result of a sports accident or in runners.
The symptoms are: heel pain, bruising, swelling, limping and discomfort when standing.
An alleged bone fracture should always be examined by a doctor and the diagnosis confirmed by an X-ray.
Therapeutic measures for a heel bone fracture:
- Protection, walking only with forearm crutches;
- use of a heel pad in the shoe;
- bandage to protect the heel bone;
- painkillers and anti-inflammatories;
- Magnetotherapy to shorten bone healing times;
- Operation.
The muscles and tendons of the foot can be injured and even torn as a result of overstretching, heavy use, overload or bruise.
Symptoms and signs of a lesion include swelling, pain, loss of function and bruising at the injured site.
Inflammation of the tendon plate of the sole of the foot
Inflammation of the tendon plate of the sole of the foot (plantar fasciitis) is the most common cause of pain on the inside of the heel.
The sole plate of the foot (plantar fascia, plantar aponeurosis) is a hard, connective tissue tendon plate that pulls from the heel to the toes; with irritation or inflammation, plantar fasciitis develops.
Pain and stiffness of the plantar tendon plate occur at the bottom of the foot between the heel and the toe.
Symptoms may worsen with stretching of the sole of the foot.
Those affected feel less pain when warming up the foot, but with further use, the symptoms become stronger.
It is worst in the morning when getting up, because the foot is stretched at night, i.e. the tip of the foot points downwards (plantar extension); In the morning, when getting up, the foot is now bent upwards (dorsiflexion) and the tendon plate is abruptly rotated “in a cold state”.
The symptoms can radiate from the heel bone to the arch of the foot.
The heel hurts even after long running.
Treatment of inflamed plantaraponeurosis includes:
- Be quiet
- stretching of the calf and foot muscles,
- foot-cushioned shoes with a good footbed,
- Painkiller.
Instrumental physiotherapy has an anti-inflammatory effect on the tendon plate, including shock wave, laser and ultrasound treatment.
Heel spur
A heel spur (calcaneal spur) is a thorny, ossified extension in the lower inner area of the heel bone.
A heel spur can be caused by an incorrect gait and posture, unsuitable footwear or certain activities, such as jogging.
The heel spur causes pain under the inside of the heel, which increases when walking and standing.
Even though the heel spur is found in about 10% of the population, it remains symptom-free in half of those affected.
People suffering from plantar fasciitis may develop a heel spur, but this does not lead to inflammation of the sole tendon plate. In the case of flat or hollow feet, the probability of a heel spur increases.
Possible forms of therapy for heel spurs:
- Silicone heel pad
- orthopaedic insoles
- anti-inflammatory drugs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- Rest
- Shock wave therapy
- Surgery (rare)
A bruise of the bones of the foot is a trauma to the sole of the foot.
It can occur when walking barefoot or when the foot hits a stone or other hard, pointed object.
Flat feet
Flat feet are a foot deformity in which the arch of the foot is reduced or flattened when standing or walking; this abnormality causes pain and other discomfort.
Help with flatfoot: rest, ice, insoles, shoe change, use of a bandage, physical physiotherapy, especially shock wave treatment.
Rarely surgical intervention is necessary.
