Below is a list of the more common problems that foot specialists see on a regular basis, but this list is not inclusive.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is pain due to inflammation of the ligament that connects the heel to the metatarsals, and raises the arch in your foot. The pain of plantar fasciitis is generally more common where it attaches into the heel.
Heel Neuroma
This is a nerve entrapment, or pinched nerve, that occurs in the heel area and in many instances is misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis.
Lateral Column Pain
This condition is essentially a destabilization of the outside portion of the foot with most of the pain occurring at the bottom of the foot towards the outside of the foot. In many cases this can be attributed to over aggressive surgery for plantar fasciitis.
Plantar Fibromatosis
This is a nerve entrapment occurring on the inside of the ankle which may then cause symptoms such as burning, tingling and numbness on the bottom of the foot.
Bursitis
A painful mildly red and mildly swollen area usually found on the ball of the foot, either underneath the middle of the metatarsal heads or on the side of the foot adjacent to the metatarsal head.
Capsulitis
Inflammation occurring on the bottom of the foot just behind the toes due to an overstretching of the ligament that attaches the toe bone to the metatarsal bone.
Metatarsalgia
Pain occurring on the ball of the foot usually reproduced by direct pressure to the head of the metatarsal bone.
Morton’s Neuroma
A nerve entrapment generally occurring behind the third and fourth toes which will send shooting pain, tingling, burning or numbing sensation into the toes.
Turf Toe
Is mainly an athletic injury due to over extension of the big toe (when the toe is bent upwards) thus resulting in pain on the bottom of the big toe where it attaches into the bone behind it.
Sesamoiditis
Pain behind the big toe as a result of trauma to the sesamoid bones which are two small bones located underneath the first metatarsal bone.
Freiberg’s Disease
In this condition, the growth plate of the metatarsal bones undergoes atrophy due to cutting off the blood supply to the head of the bone.
Intractable Plantar Keratoma (IPK)
This is a cystic growth that occurs on the ball of the foot as a result of a mal-alignment of the metatarsal bones where too much pressure is exerted on one of the metatarsal heads.