Pain on the back of my foot - what do I have?

introduction

As a frequently used organ of movement in humans, the feet are exposed to constant stress. Pain in the back of the foot are mostly due to pathological changes in the Tarsus or. Tarsometatarsal joints that are held by numerous ligaments and eyes. But also Stiffening at the metatarsophalangeal joints can cause discomfort on the back of the foot.

Urgent clarification by an orthopedic specialist is required if the symptoms persist for more than three days or occur in connection with other diseases. If signs of inflammation such as overheating, swelling and redness are present and lead to a significant restriction in movement, a specialist should be consulted urgently.

Symptoms and possible causes

Depending on the underlying cause, the severity of the pain can vary.

Pain on the top of the foot is often caused by Sting perceived, which is often intensified depending on the load.

Pain is rarely the only symptom. For example, if there is inflammation, the foot is swollen, overheated, reddened and pressure painful. Symptoms such as tingling and numbness occur when there is strong pressure or a nerve is injured.

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Athletes (joggers, soccer players, etc.) are particularly often affected by diseases of the foot. In some cases, the cause of the foot discomfort cannot be identified at first.
Therefore, the treatment of the foot (e.g. Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs, etc.) requires a lot of experience.
I focus on a wide variety of foot diseases.
The aim of every treatment is treatment without surgery with a complete recovery of performance.

Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.

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Pain when rolling

Broken bones in the metatarsal area can cause severe pain when rolling or make it impossible to roll the foot. Often a traumatic event goes like Twist or treading heavily with the foot, ahead. In the treatment of Metatarsal fractures surgery may be necessary in some cases.

Pain when rolling is also a typical symptom of the Hallux rigidus. These are arthritic changes in the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe. The increasing stiffness of the joints causes discomfort, especially when the foot rolls. Often there are chronic wear and tear processes in the event of incorrect and excessive loads. The underlying disease gout can also use a arthrosis have as a consequence.

In addition to pain when rolling, the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe often feels swollen and warm on. Increasing problems arise when putting on shoes. In many cases, the symptoms worsen in cold temperatures.

In the Therapy of hallux rigidus conservative measures such as physical treatments, shoe insoles, and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed (please refer Inlay for hallux rigidus). Surgical therapy includes joint-preserving and non-joint-preserving operations.

Pain when walking

Sharp pain is often seen in conjunction with swelling and redness on the back of the foot. These are inflammatory changes in the tarsal joints. There are various possible reasons for this.

As a result of unusual physical exertion, what is known as bursitis can develop. The strong pressure and the high load inflame the bursa, which normally ensure that the surfaces between the joints slide smoothly. To prevent chronic bursitis, the joints should be spared until the symptoms have completely subsided. Not only the bursa are a possible place of origin for a painful occurrence after overload, but also the tendon sheaths.

If a bulging occurs, one speaks of a so-called ganglion, which is colloquially known as the "transverse leg". A bulging of the tendon sheaths on the dorsum of the foot is one of the rare variants of a ganglion. In addition to protecting the foot, cooling measures and anti-inflammatory medication are used in the treatment.

You may also be interested in this topic: Pain on the inside of the foot

Deviations in the shape of the arch of the foot also pull Pain when walking after yourself. The healthy foot is a stable construction of a longitudinal and transverse arch, which distributes the body weight evenly. This construct is held in place by ligaments and tendons. especially the Tibialis posterior Tendon contributes significantly to this. A Arched arches often occurs in adults when the tension in this tendon eases (please refer Buckle foot). The following instability of the arch of the foot causes pain when walking, which occurs primarily on the inner edge of the foot and extends to the inner ankle. Symptoms also occur on the outer edge of the back of the foot. A flat arch arch is in most cases treated conservatively with shoe insoles and physical measures.

The Tarsus osteoarthritis is also known as osteoarthritis of the Lisfranc joint and causes stress-dependent pain on the back of the foot. One possible cause of osteoarthritis is a previous fracture of the tarsal bone. Only when conservative treatment measures fail is a tarsal arthrodesis performed. The joints are surgically stiffened.

The front one Tarsal tunnel syndrome can be associated with pain in the back of the foot. Strong pressure on the anatomical tunnel through which nerves and blood vessels run can cause both stress-dependent and stress-independent pain. It is important to clarify the exact cause. Therapy can be conservative or surgical.

Pain after twisting ankle

Pain on the back of the foot rarely occurs in isolation after an ankle trauma. The painful symptoms usually show a greater spread. The foot swells due to the tissue injury on. In some cases, the ankles are also affected. Areas that turn blue indicate bleeding from torn vessels. The traumatic event can be a ligament stretch, a Crack or even a complete one Torn ligament on the foot have as a consequence. Also Fractions in the metatarsal area are possible and should be urgently excluded. In the event of severe complaints and persistent symptoms, a doctor should be consulted urgently for further clarification. In the acute situation there is a Put your foot up, cooling and Pressure with the help of a compression bandage recommended.

Burning / stabbing pain

Persistent sharp, stabbing pain is associated with gout, rheumatism and others Metabolic diseases observed. Pressing a nerve, on the other hand, is accompanied by a burning, sometimes dull pain, which is often accompanied by numbness and tingling. This is for example the Tarsal tunnel syndrome the case.

Inflammations, for example of the bursa, are primarily noticeable with stabbing symptoms. The pain often occurs when the person starts walking. Tendon infections also show a similar symptom.

The so-called start-up pain occurs not only in acute inflammation, but also in connection with arthritic changes in the small ankles.

Sudden sharp and stabbing pain is characteristic of the symptoms after a bone injury as a result of a traumatic event, such as an ankle twist.

Also a Rash on the back of the foot can cause pain in this area.

Gout - typical symptoms

gout is a metabolic disease in which uric acid crystals are initially deposited in the joints and later lead to kidney damage. The metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe is often affected. In the acute state, typical Signs of inflammation, how swelling, Redness and Pain when touching the foot. In the period that followed, a Hallux rigidus, an increasing joint stiffening arthrosis. Affected people complain of complaints Rolling the foot and Pain in the back of the foot.
In the treatment of chronic gout, attempts are made to lower the elevated uric acid level through a balanced diet. At the same time, so-called uricosuric drugs and uricostatic drugs are used for lowering medication.

Summary

In the vast majority of cases, pain on the back of the foot is associated with pathological changes Tarsal joints together. In addition to traumatic events, an acute one Inflammation of the bursae after overload or chronic wear and tear of the joints in the form of a arthrosis Cause discomfort. The pain is often stress-dependent and in many cases is perceived as stabbing and / or burning. If the foot is chronically deformed or a nerve is affected, the pain can also be dull. Depending on the cause, conservative and surgical measures are used.