Every person wants to be healthy, lead a normal life and never feel pain, but sometimes unpleasant moments occur and their legs begin to hurt. Pain in the legs is impossible to tolerate, because for normal life a person has to move a lot. At the first appearance of pain on the outside of the foot, you should consult a specialist, since such a symptom may signal the occurrence of a serious pathology. The doctor will select the appropriate treatment that will relieve not only the pain, but also the cause of its occurrence, and prevent complications. Various negative factors that affect it can provoke discomfort in the foot area, so such a symptom is not always a sign of a disease. But you should understand that if negative factors constantly injure the leg, complications will definitely appear, so you need to change something at the first manifestation of the problem. The following negative factors can cause pain on the side of the foot:
- Diseases of joints, tendons, ligaments and bones;
- Injuries, cracks, fractures, bruises and sprains;
- Wearing tight and ill-fitting shoes, especially high heels;
- Poor nutrition, vitamin deficiency, weakened immunity;
- Work in hazardous production;
- Endocrine disorders and chronic inflammatory processes in the body;
- Passive lifestyle;
- Excessive stress on the foot due to constant carrying of heavy objects, standing work and excess weight.
First of all, to identify the cause of foot pain, you need to pay attention to your lifestyle. Often it is enough just to provide the feet with normal rest to get rid of unpleasant symptoms.
Possible causes of pain
Attempts to independently get rid of pain in the arch of the foot from the inside often only lead to a worsening of the condition. To eliminate an unpleasant symptom, it is necessary to correctly determine the causes of pain, and only a doctor can handle this. Pain can be caused by:
- inflammatory diseases;
- mechanical damage;
- weakness of the ligamentous or articular apparatus;
- degenerative-dystrophic pathologies;
- different types of foot deformities;
- autoimmune disorders;
- metabolic disorders;
- old injuries;
- other violations.
The occurrence or intensification of pain in the arch of the foot on the inside is often provoked by the following factors:
- hypothermia (including wearing light shoes out of season);
- wearing uncomfortable shoes;
- excessive sports activities;
- hormonal imbalances;
- being overweight;
- physical inactivity;
- injuries;
- infections;
- unbalanced diet (including diets for weight loss);
- prolonged fatigue, lack of sleep;
- dehydration;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases.
If you are experiencing or have recently experienced the effects of any of these factors, be sure to mention it to your doctor.
Diagnostics
Only a qualified specialist can correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment, therefore, if your foot hurts on the side of the foot, you should definitely consult a doctor. Of course, there can be many reasons for pain, even simple fatigue. But it is necessary to exclude a serious pathology. Usually, at the first appointment, the doctor examines the patient, asks questions about his well-being, whether there have been any injuries recently, where the person works and how he lives. Heredity plays an important role in diagnosis, so it is worth remembering whether relatives had the diseases described above. Based on the examination and questioning, the doctor can immediately make a preliminary diagnosis and prescribe the patient to take painkillers; the person is also sent to undergo a series of studies to discover the exact cause of the disease and confirm the diagnosis. As a rule, the patient is prescribed an ultrasound and x-ray of the foot, this is usually enough to see the problem. Other tests may be prescribed at the discretion of the doctor.
Pathologies in which the arch of the foot hurts on the inside
Rapid fatigue and pain in the legs are characteristic of clubfoot, flat feet and other similar disorders. Constantly wearing shoes with both very high heels and flat soles increases the risk of foot deformation. After 30 years of age, the risk of osteoarthritis increases. This is a pathology that leads to the gradual destruction of cartilage tissue, including in the ankle and toes. Minor discomfort eventually turns into intense pain. Along with increasing pain, the following gradually appear:
- swelling;
- decreased mobility of the foot;
- crunching sound when walking.
An equally dangerous disease is arthritis. It is accompanied by constant inflammation (infectious or non-infectious), from which the cartilage tissue suffers. With infectious arthritis, the inflammatory process develops rapidly and causes severe swelling and deformation of the foot, and an increase in temperature. As a rule, this form of pathology is preceded by some other disease - ARVI, influenza, purulent tonsillitis, food poisoning.
Gout, a disease caused by a disorder of purine metabolism, can also cause pain in the foot from the inside to the side. With gout, tophi often form on the legs - lumps with a thick whitish liquid inside. Uric acid crystals accumulate in the joint area, which injure tissue, cause swelling and inflammation, and deform the foot. Often, with gout, the bone on the inside of the foot hurts. A characteristic sign of this pathology is also severe pain attacks, which are distinguished by a sharp, sudden onset (usually at night) and are accompanied by swelling and cyanosis of the skin. After some time, the painful sensations disappear on their own, but without treatment, attacks begin to recur more and more often. The inside of the foot on the side may hurt due to inflammatory diseases such as ligamentitis and tendinitis. In the first case, the ligaments are affected, in the second, the tendons. Both diseases can be caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes, insufficient elasticity of tissues, injuries, chronic diseases (in particular, diabetes), and obesity. Obliterating endarteritis, which affects the small blood vessels of the legs, can also cause pain in the foot. The feet become bluish in color, become colder than the rest of the body, and often become numb and painful even with slight hypothermia. The risk of developing the disease increases with smoking and frequent drinking of alcohol, regular hypothermia of the feet, wearing uncomfortable shoes, frequent injuries and a sedentary lifestyle. Without treatment, the pathology can lead to such a dangerous complication as gangrene.
Swelling, redness of the skin, severe pain or the inability to step on the leg after a bruise or fall indicate an injury: sprain, crack, fracture.
Prevention
As a rule, problems with the feet arise through the fault of the person himself, if he does not give his feet normal rest, overloads them and does not monitor his health in general.
A healthy lifestyle plays an important role in the prevention of the diseases described above; for this, a person needs to eat right, strengthen the immune system, and do gymnastics. It is very important not to overdo it and not to overload your legs, everything should be in moderation. The correct selection of shoes will also help reduce the risk of pain in the feet on the outside. Women should stop wearing high-heeled shoes, or reduce wearing time to a minimum; it is better to choose comfortable models with low heels, up to 3 cm, made from natural materials. Very often, foot diseases appear due to a lot of excess weight, because the legs are not designed to carry several tens of extra pounds, they cannot withstand the load and suffer greatly. If you are overweight, you should definitely visit an endocrinologist to rule out hormonal imbalance, as well as a nutritionist to find out how to eat properly. People whose work involves constantly being on their feet, or when working in heavy enterprises and with heavy objects, must be sure to take care of their feet. Every evening, carry out procedures aimed at improving blood circulation in the legs, if possible, unload the feet as much as possible and let them rest. Preventive procedures are indicated for all people who spend every day on their feet. At the end of the working day, it is necessary to carry out self-massage; in the evenings 3-4 times a week it is useful to take healing baths with herbs and sea salt. During the day, you need to free your feet from shoes, let them breathe, and do simple gymnastics while sitting on a chair. Such activities will help improve muscle tone, strengthen them, relieve swelling, and improve tissue nutrition. Share:
Features of treatment
As a rule, surgical intervention is necessary only in particularly difficult situations: with the development of a purulent or necrotic process, significant deformation of the foot, severe tissue damage. In other cases, a conservative treatment plan is developed, which is based on:
- taking medications;
- physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy;
- diet.
Acupuncture, massage, and compresses can be used as auxiliary therapeutic methods. Medicines are prescribed by the doctor in accordance with the diagnosis. For inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints, the treatment course usually includes drugs to relieve inflammation, chondroprotectors and vitamin complexes. For gout, drugs are needed to improve purine metabolism, and for the treatment of obliterating endarteritis, drugs that dilate blood vessels and reduce blood viscosity are used. The combination of physical therapy, proper nutrition and physical therapy allows you to:
- eliminate inflammation, pain and swelling;
- normalize blood circulation and metabolic processes;
- “start” tissue regeneration;
- increase local immunity;
- restore elasticity and endurance of ligaments;
- restore healthy anatomy, sensitivity and normal mobility of the foot.
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Causes of pain in the bones of the legs
It has been noted that pain in a bunion on the side of the leg often bothers people after 40–45 years of age. At this age, the tissues are no longer so elastic and hardy, so the foot copes worse with shock-absorbing functions. Women face this problem more often than men, which is due to several factors: increased stress on the legs during pregnancy, hormonal changes during menopause and wearing uncomfortable shoes. Pain can be caused by:
- foot deformity;
- metabolic abnormalities;
- degenerative-dystrophic processes;
- injuries and microtraumas.
Gout attacks
With gout, the bone in the foot hurts and grows, and the shape of the big toe may also change. Due to metabolic disorders, uric acid accumulates in the body, which is deposited in the joints. Its crystals are primarily formed in the lower extremities - in the small joints of the foot, in the big toe, and less often in the knees. Because of this, the foot becomes deformed and a peculiar growth forms on the leg. Gout is characterized by attacks that usually begin at night and last 3–7 days. At this time the following are observed:
- unbearable joint pain of a pressing, cutting or tearing nature;
- temperature rise to 38 °C, and sometimes higher;
- muscle cramps, spasms;
- intoxication.
Attacks may occur after eating foods rich in purines (mainly meat and fish products) and drinking alcoholic beverages. Gradually, tophi begin to form on the skin - bumps filled with a thick whitish mass. Without treatment, gout leads to deformation and destruction of joints and damage to internal organs. An orthopedist treats this disease. Previous injuries The main reason why the bones in the legs hurt are injuries of varying severity: sprains and torn ligaments, bruises and other injuries. What to do if the bone in your foot hurts after a bruise:
- remove shoes and socks;
- apply a cold compress;
- apply a pressure bandage made of an elastic bandage;
- take a pain reliever.
These measures will help avoid swelling and reduce pain.
If pain appears after an injury, even a seemingly minor one, you need to consult a traumatologist. Without treatment, injuries lead to inflammation, joint destruction, lameness and other complications. Foot deformation Under the influence of excess weight or excessive physical activity, the feet often begin to deform, and incorrectly selected shoes accelerate this process. With flat feet and other types of deformities, the leg often hurts at the bottom, where the bone is, or closer to the instep. These disorders also cause rapid leg fatigue. In the early stages, changes in the shape of the leg can only be detected using radiography. Over time, the deformation becomes noticeable to the naked eye, the pain intensifies, and lameness appears. In the early stages, these pathologies respond well to treatment with exercise therapy, physiotherapy, wearing orthopedic shoes and proper nutrition. In the future, it becomes more and more difficult to correct the shape of the feet. Arthritis and other joint pathologies Degenerative-dystrophic diseases are another possible reason why the bone on the foot near the big toe swells and hurts. As a rule, these diseases develop after 35–40 years, but with obesity, metabolic disorders, psoriasis or repeated injuries, they can appear at a young age. Some forms of arthritis are caused by chronic infections.
Arthritis and other diseases of small joints are indicated by:
- decreased finger mobility;
- crunching, clicking when moving;
- the appearance of edema;
- constant aching pain that increases with exertion.
Articular pathologies are characterized by chronic development. The pain is felt constantly and becomes more intense over time. The cartilage tissue gradually becomes thinner, then practically disappears, due to which the joint is deformed, the shape of the foot changes, the ligamentous apparatus suffers, and inflammatory processes are possible. In the later stages, final recovery is no longer possible, but if you seek medical help in a timely manner, the chances of complete restoration of the joints are high.