Overview

Everyone has had a minor problem with a toe, foot, or ankle. Most of the time our body movements don't cause problems. But sometimes symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear or overuse. Toe, foot, or ankle problems can also occur from injuries or the natural process of aging.

Your toes, feet, or ankles may burn, sting, or hurt. They may feel tired, sore, stiff, numb, tingly, hot, or cold. You may have had a "charley horse" (muscle cramp) in your foot while lying in bed at night. Your feet or ankles may change color or swell. You may have noticed an embarrassing odor from your feet. Some changes in your feet and ankles are normal as you age. Age-related changes include your foot spreading and your nails getting thick and brittle. Some changes are common during pregnancy. For example, your ankles and feet may swell. Home treatment is usually all that's needed to relieve your symptoms.

Toe, foot, or ankle problems may be caused by an injury. But there are many noninjury causes of toe, foot, or ankle problems.

Skin problems

Most skin problems that affect your feet are more annoying than they are serious. If you have:

• The feeling of walking on pebbles: You may have plantar warts on the bottom of your feet.
• Patches of thick and tough skin on the heel or ball of your foot: You may have a callus, corn, blister, or skin growth.
• Red, peeling, cracking, burning, and itchy skin between your toes or on the bottom of your feet: You may have athlete's foot. Or maybe your feet are reacting to the shoes you wear (shoe dermatitis).
• Red, swollen, and painful skin around a toenail: You may have an ingrown nail or an infection around your nail (paronychia).
• Red, swollen soles of your feet that are painful to the touch or when you walk: You may have a bacterial infection. Public showers, hot tubs, or swimming pools are common areas where bacterial infections, athlete's foot, and warts can be spread to your feet.

Joint problems

Toe joints are more likely to have problems than other joints in your feet.

Pain

You may have pain in the front (ball) of your foot (metatarsalgia) or in your heel. Heel problems often occur when you overuse calf muscles, wear shoes with high heels, or do activities, such as running, that cause repeated pounding on your heels.

• Sharp pain on the bottom of your heel may be caused by plantar fasciitis.
• Pain in the back of your heel and ankle may be caused by Achilles tendinitis or tendinosis (tendinopathy) or retrocalcaneal bursitis.
• Pain that's worse before or after exercise but improves during exercise may be caused by a stress fracture of a bone in your foot (usually a metatarsal bone).
• Small bony growths under your heel bone may be a heel spur.
• Pain in the middle of your foot may be caused by "fallen arches" or by being flat-footed.
• Pain or a bump on the back of the heel is a type of bursitis called Haglund's deformity.

Numbness or tingling

Many conditions may affect the nerves of the foot and cause numbness, tingling, and burning.

Self-Care

Try the following tips to help relieve toe, foot, or ankle pain, swelling, and stiffness.

• Clean a skin wound as soon as you can.

  This will help prevent infection, scarring, and tattooing of the skin from dirt left in the wound.

• Check your feet every day.

  Take a look at your feet to see if you have pressure spots, redness, or blisters.

• Remove all jewelry.

  Remove rings, anklets, and any other jewelry that goes around your leg, ankle, or toe. It will be hard to remove the jewelry after swelling starts.

• Rest.

  It's important to rest and protect the affected area.

• Use ice.

  Put ice or a cold pack on the affected area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake).

• Wrap the affected area.

  Compression, or wrapping the area with an elastic bandage (such as an Ace wrap), will help reduce swelling. Don't wrap it too tightly, because that can cause more swelling below the affected area. Loosen the bandage if it gets too tight. Signs that the bandage is too tight include numbness, tingling, increased pain, coolness, and swelling in the area below the bandage.

• Elevate the affected area.

  Try to keep the area at or above the level of your heart to help reduce swelling. Prop up the area on pillows while you apply ice and anytime you sit or lie down.

• Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that causes your symptoms.
  • Avoid "running through the pain." It may increase damage to your foot.
  • Try changing your exercise routine if you think running or another high-impact sport is causing your foot pain. Switch to a low-impact exercise activity for a while. Try things like cross-country skiing, stair-climbing machines, biking (regular or stationary), rowing, and swimming.
  • Use sensible sports-training techniques. For example, wear the right shoes, and stretch before activities.
• Avoid more swelling.

  For 48 hours, avoid things that might increase swelling. These things include hot showers, hot tubs, hot packs, and drinks that contain alcohol.

• Apply heat.
  • After 2 or 3 days, you can try applying heat to the area that hurts. Types of heat therapy include microwavable packs and disposable heating patches.
  • Apply heat for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
  • You might also try switching between cold and heat.
• Take care of blisters.

  Try using a donut-shaped moleskin pad. Leave the area over the blister open. Home treatment for blisters depends on whether the blister is small or large and whether it has broken open.

• Try massage.

  Gently massage your feet to reduce discomfort, relax your feet, and promote circulation.

• Choose your footwear carefully.
  • Wear comfortable and supportive shoes and socks. Look for roomy footwear, and avoid high heels.
  • Try using an orthotic shoe device, such as an arch support. It may help relieve your foot pain.
• Do foot exercises.

  Try heel-cord exercises to increase your strength and flexibility, if your heel or heel cord (Achilles tendon) is tight and painful. Try a standing calf stretch, towel scrunch, or seated calf stretch using a towel. These may help relieve your heel pain.

If you need to use a wrap for more than 48 hours, you may have a more serious injury that needs to be checked by a doctor.

Treating swollen ankles and feet

Try the following tips to help reduce swelling in your ankles and feet.

• Elevate your swollen feet and ankles.

  Put them on a footstool or pillow (above the level of your heart) when you sit for any length of time.

• Move around.

  Get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour if you sit for any length of time.

When to call for help during self-care

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

• New or worse pain or swelling.
• New signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, pus, or a fever.
• New or worse numbness, tingling, or cool and pale skin.
• Movement or strength decreases.
• Symptoms occur more often or are more severe.

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