PATIENT EDUCATION
Foot
Foot problems can affect walking, balance and everyday activity. Select the symptom that most closely describes what you are experiencing to learn about common causes, initial measures and when medical assessment may be needed.
Select a symptom below to view more information.
English
தமிழ்
हिन्दी
Heel Pain, Worst With First Steps
What you'll notice or feel
- Sharp pain under the heel with your first steps out of bed in the morning.
- Pain that eases after walking for a few minutes, then returns after sitting for a while.
- Tenderness when pressing on the underside of the heel, toward the inner side.
- Pain that may worsen again by the end of a long day on your feet.
Common causes
- Irritation of the thick band of tissue running along the sole of the foot, where it attaches to the heel.
- Tight calf muscles increasing strain on that tissue band.
- A sudden increase in walking, standing or running.
- Unsupportive footwear, or walking barefoot on hard floors.
What it could be
- Plantar fasciitis — by far the most common cause of this pattern of first-step morning heel pain.
- A heel fat-pad problem, typically causing more central heel pain.
- A stress fracture of the heel bone, particularly after a recent increase in activity or in someone with weak bones.
- Nerve irritation around the inner ankle referring pain to the heel.
- Inflammation where the Achilles tendon attaches if pain is behind rather than beneath the heel.
Initial self-care
- Calf and sole-of-foot stretching, particularly before your first steps in the morning.
- Wear supportive, cushioned footwear and avoid walking barefoot on hard floors.
- Roll the sole of the foot over a cool bottle or ball.
- Temporarily reduce high-impact activity.
- Over-the-counter pain relief if appropriate, as per the label.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Inability to bear weight following an injury.
- Heel pain with redness, warmth and fever.
- Sudden severe pain with a snapping sensation at the back of the heel.
- In someone with diabetes: heel pain associated with a wound, redness or swelling.
When to see a doctor
- Pain persisting beyond 6 weeks despite stretching and supportive footwear.
- Pain limiting work or daily walking.
- Pain that keeps recurring.
Pain With Walking or Standing
What you'll notice or feel
- Aching across the sole, arch or ball of the foot after standing or walking.
- Reduced comfortable walking distance.
- Pain that eases with rest and sitting.
- Sometimes a burning quality or a feeling of walking on a pebble.
Common causes
- Overload of the ball of the foot, often related to foot shape or footwear.
- Wear of the small joints in the midfoot or big toe.
- A collapsed or falling arch increasing strain across the foot.
- Nerve irritation between the toes.
What it could be
- Metatarsalgia — pain across the ball of the foot from overload.
- Osteoarthritis of the midfoot or base of the big toe.
- Morton's neuroma, often causing burning pain between the toes and a pebble-underfoot sensation.
- A progressively flattening arch from a tendon problem on the inner ankle.
- A stress fracture, particularly after a recent increase in activity.
Initial self-care
- Wear well-fitting supportive footwear with adequate width and cushioning.
- Reduce time spent on hard surfaces and high-impact activity.
- Arch supports or metatarsal pads may help some patterns of pain.
- Over-the-counter pain relief if appropriate, as per the label.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Inability to bear weight after an injury.
- Sudden severe pain with swelling and bruising.
- In someone with diabetes: a hot, swollen foot, with or without pain — this requires same-day assessment.
When to see a doctor
- Pain persisting beyond a few weeks despite footwear changes.
- Progressive flattening of the arch.
- Pain limiting walking distance or work.
Numbness, Tingling or Burning
What you'll notice or feel
- Pins-and-needles, numbness or a burning sensation in the toes or sole.
- Symptoms that may be worse at night.
- Reduced ability to feel the ground, or a sensation of walking on cotton wool.
- Sometimes a specific patch of numbness rather than the whole foot.
Common causes
- Nerve damage related to diabetes or other metabolic conditions.
- Nerve compression at the inner ankle or between the toes.
- Nerve irritation originating in the lower back.
- Vitamin deficiencies or other general medical causes.
What it could be
- Peripheral neuropathy, commonly related to diabetes.
- Morton's neuroma causing localised numbness or burning between specific toes.
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome from nerve compression behind the inner ankle.
- Sciatica referring symptoms into the foot.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency or another metabolic cause of nerve damage.
Initial self-care
- Inspect both feet visually every day, particularly if you have diabetes.
- Check the soles and between the toes; use a mirror if necessary.
- Wear well-fitting footwear and avoid walking barefoot if sensation is reduced.
- Pay careful attention to any cut, blister or colour change.
- Do not use hot-water bottles or direct heat on numb feet because burns can occur without being felt.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Any wound, ulcer, blister or colour change on a numb foot, particularly with diabetes.
- Sudden numbness associated with weakness or inability to lift the foot.
- Numbness with a cold, pale or painful foot.
- Rapidly progressive numbness.
When to see a doctor
- Any new or persistent numbness or burning in the feet.
- Numbness in someone with diabetes, even if mild.
- Numbness affecting balance or walking.
Deformity — Bunion, Claw or Hammer Toes
What you'll notice or feel
- A bony bump at the base of the big toe, with the toe angling toward the others.
- Toes becoming increasingly bent or curled and rubbing against shoes.
- Difficulty finding comfortable footwear.
- Hard skin or corns developing over prominent areas.
Common causes
- Inherited foot shape and structure.
- Narrow or tight footwear contributing over time.
- Inflammatory joint conditions affecting the small joints.
- Nerve or muscle imbalance affecting toe position.
What it could be
- A bunion (hallux valgus).
- Claw or hammer-toe deformity.
- Deformity associated with an inflammatory joint condition such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- Deformity secondary to nerve damage affecting the small muscles of the foot, particularly in longstanding diabetes.
Initial self-care
- Choose wide, deep and soft footwear with adequate room around the toes.
- Toe spacers or protective pads may help pressure areas.
- Attend to hard skin and corns before pressure areas worsen.
- Do not cut corns or calluses yourself, particularly if you have diabetes or reduced sensation.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Any break in the skin, ulcer or infection over a deformity, especially with diabetes.
- Sudden increase in deformity with pain and swelling.
- A hot, swollen, deformed foot in someone with diabetes and neuropathy requires same-day assessment.
When to see a doctor
- Deformity that is progressing or becoming painful.
- Difficulty finding comfortable footwear despite trying wider shoes.
- Recurrent corns, calluses or pressure areas.
- Any deformity in someone with diabetes, for preventive assessment.
⚠ Non-Healing Wound or Ulcer
What you'll notice or feel
- A break in the skin that is not healing as expected, often on the sole, heel or over a bony prominence.
- A wound that may be surprisingly painless if sensation is reduced.
- Surrounding redness, swelling or discharge.
- Sometimes an odour or dark tissue around the wound edges.
Common causes
- Reduced sensation allowing repeated pressure or injury to go unnoticed.
- Reduced blood supply impairing healing.
- Pressure from footwear or foot deformity concentrating load on one area.
- Infection complicating an initially minor wound.
What it could be
- A diabetic foot ulcer.
- A pressure-related wound over a bony prominence or deformity.
- A wound complicated by infection, potentially involving deeper tissues or bone.
- A wound primarily related to poor circulation.
Initial measures
- Any non-healing foot wound needs professional assessment rather than self-management.
- Keep the area clean and covered while arranging review.
- Keep weight off the affected area as much as possible.
- Do not apply home remedies, cut the wound or use over-the-counter corn removers.
When to see a doctor urgently
- Any non-healing foot wound or ulcer, particularly with diabetes — arrange same-day or next-day assessment.
- Spreading redness, swelling, warmth, discharge or odour.
- Fever or feeling generally unwell with a foot wound.
- Dark or black tissue around the wound.
- Increasing pain, or a wound that suddenly becomes painless when it previously hurt.
When to see a doctor
- Any break in the skin that has not healed within a week, even if it looks minor.
- Recurrent wounds or pressure areas in the same location.
- Routine preventive foot screening if you have diabetes, even when no wound is currently present.
YOUR CONSULTATION
What to Expect at Your Visit
- The doctor will ask about your pattern of pain, footwear, activity levels and any history of diabetes, circulation problems or previous foot wounds.
- Your foot shape, arch position, areas of tenderness, joint movement and skin condition will be examined, including pressure points and the areas between the toes.
- If numbness is present or diabetes is known, sensation will be formally tested and the pulses in the foot checked. A handheld Doppler may sometimes be used to assess blood flow.
- Imaging depends on the suspected problem: X-rays for deformity, joint wear or fracture; ultrasound or MRI for selected tendon, nerve or soft-tissue problems; and vascular assessment when circulation is a concern.
- Treatment may include footwear advice, insoles or orthotics, offloading devices, physiotherapy, wound care, medication or surgical opinion depending on the underlying problem.
* IMPORTANT: A Note Before You Go
Foot symptoms have many possible causes and this page cannot replace an individual medical assessment.
If you have diabetes or reduced sensation in your feet, seemingly minor wounds, blisters, redness or swelling deserve particular attention because significant problems may sometimes cause very little pain.