Pain along the top of the feet, as many runners and hikers can tell you, can seriously interfere with everything from your daily workout schedule to just getting around during the day. Pain can be irritating or severe and may lead to a compensating gait that can cause further injury. The causes of pain on the top of the foot can vary, but no matter what the cause, there are treatments that can provide relief.
Causes
Pain along the top of your feet has a variety of causes, most deriving from injuries relating to walking or running. The most common of these causes range in seriousness from simple to severe:
- Lace Bite: Pain can result from tying your laces too tightly or from wearing shoes that are too small for your feet. Too-tight laces can restrict circulation in your feet, irritate nerve endings or inflame soft tissues on the tops of your feet.
- Extensor Tendinitis: Inflammation of the extensor tendons that help flex your toes up and down can cause pain. Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons that can come from walking or running too much or compensating in balance from some other injury.
- Metatarsal Stress Fracture: Sometimes also called a "hot spot," a stress fracture is a weakening or microscopic crack in the metatarsal bone. This type of injury is best diagnosed by an orthopedist or sports medicine specialist.
R.I.C.E.
Athletes will be familiar with the term "R.I.C.E.," which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation as the common treatment for most sports-related injuries. The steps are simple:
- Rest: Since most pain along the top of the foot is caused by overuse, it is recommended that you stop the activity that caused the pain until the pain alleviates. Take some time off and allow the injury to heal.
- Ice: Inflammation accompanies most of these injuries and causes pain. Applying cold packs or ice bags to the injured area will reduce the inflammation.
- Compression: Wrapping the injured area regularly with tape or a compression bandage can keep any swelling down while you are healing.
- Elevation: Keeping your injured foot elevated on a chair or a foot stool as often as you can will help keep blood flow and swelling from pooling in the extremities.
NSAIDs
Again, since inflammation and swelling are often a major cause of the pain, treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a common, effective treatment for foot pain. Over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen) can help reduce inflammation.
For more severe injuries or more persistent pain, your doctor might recommend a steroid or cortisone shot to address the problem. Since cortisone is a serious drug, be sure to discuss all the risks and side effects related to your treatment.
Surgery
In the most serious of cases, surgery may be recommended to correct the problem or alleviate the pain of your injury. Be sure to discuss your own situation completely with your doctor before undergoing any surgical procedure to be sure you understand all the risks involved.
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