If you’re experiencing pain on the inside your foot, you’re probably wondering what caused it. Whether you’re an athlete or someone who’s more inactive it’s important to get a proper diagnosis.
Today I’ll be talking about 7 conditions that can cause pain on the inside of your foot, their causes, treatment, and ways to prevent them.
1. Bunions
Bunions are bony bumps that develop on the inside of the big toe, often caused by flat feet, overpronation or the tendency to roll your feet inward, injuries, or neuromuscular issues. Wearing high heels or tight shoes can worsen bunions, leading to pain inside your foot from rubbing and friction.
Treatment for mild bunions includes padding, wearing shoes with a wide toe box, custom orthotics to correct your foot alignment and joint mobility exercises.
If your bunions have advanced to the point where you can’t get pain relief through conservative measures, you’ll likely need surgery.
To prevent bunions from getting worse it's important to wear shoes with a wide toe box and heels of one inch or less. If your podiatrist has made orthotics to correct your biomechanics, it’s important to wear them consistently.
2. Plantar Fasciitis![plantar fasciitis]()
Another common condition that can potentially cause inside of the foot pain is plantar fasciitis. While this condition more typically causes pain in the heel, it can also radiate to the arch and inside of the foot.
Common risk factors include flat feet or high arches, overpronation, participation in high-impact sports, tight calf muscles, and wearing unsupportive footwear.
Treatment begins at home with rest, icing, taking an anti-inflammatory medication if your physician approves it, and stretching.
In the office, we’ll take further measures to treat your inflammation with MLS laser or cortisone injections taping and other methods as needed. We’ll cast you for custom orthotics to correct your biomechanics, get you on a more aggressive stretching regimen if your calf muscles are very tight, and teach you how to purchase supportive shoes.
To prevent plantar fasciitis from flaring up its important to avoid going barefoot, keep up your stretching, wear supportive shoes that are appropriate for your sport or everyday activity.
3. Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
Next is posterior tibial tendonitis or an inflammation of the posterior tibial tendon. This tendon connects your calf muscle to bones on the inside of your foot. Its purpose is to support the arch when you move. The posterior tibial tendon can become inflamed due to chronic overuse and acute injury. Pain is felt from the bottom of the arch to the inside of the ankle.
Risk factors for this condition are overuse through running, hiking, or sports, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
In the early stages of this condition, treatment focuses on reducing the inflammation followed by treatment with custom orthotics, physical therapy, or special braces. Without treatment it can more easily lead to degeneration of the tendon and surgery may be necessary.
If you’re an athlete, you can prevent this condition by building up your training schedule gradually, stretching and strengthening the posterior tibial tendon, wearing supportive shoes appropriate for your sport, wearing your orthotics consistently, and resting when you experience any pain.
4. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome![tarsal tunnel syndrome]()
Another syndrome that occurs in the same region as posterior tibial tendonitis is Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. But instead of the tendon becoming inflamed the posterior tibial nerve becomes compressed. In addition to pain on the inside of the foot, you can experience burning, numbness, and tingling radiating from your arch to your toes. Risk factors for this condition include abnormal foot mechanics, chronic overuse and injuries, inflammation of the tendon, abnormal growths such as a ganglion cyst, and conditions like diabetes or arthritis.
Treatment is similar to the last condition and requires reducing inflammation, custom orthotics, and wearing supportive footwear. Regenerative treatments such as MLS laser therapy can also heal the nerve and surrounding tissues at the cellular level.
Preventing this condition requires wearing custom orthotics consistently, increasing sports activities gradually, and keeping ankles flexible.
5. ![abductor hallucis strain]()
Abductor Hallucis Strain
Abductor Hallucis StrainThe abductor hallucis muscle helps your big toe move away from your other toes and stabilizes the foot and arch. It’s located along the inside of the foot and can become strained and develop microtears due to overuse. Other risk factors for this condition are flat feet, overpronation, and a sudden increase in sports activities. Symptoms include pain along the arch, swelling, and difficulty flexing the big toe.
Treatment includes rest, ice, taping of the arch, and custom orthotics to correct for flat feet and overpronation. It’s also important to stretch tight calf muscles.
To prevent this condition, it’s important to wear orthotics and supportive athletic shoes during sports activities, stretch regularly, and increase training intensity gradually.
6. Navicular Stress Fracture![tarsal navicular stress fracture]()
Another structure that supports the arch is the tarsal navicular bone. It’s prone to stress fractures from overuse, rapid increases in sports activity, and wearing unsupportive footwear. It is also more prevalent in women who are underweight or have low bone density
Symptoms can include tenderness on top of the foot and pain that develops slowly and over time on the inside of the foot.
To treat this condition patients need to stop activity and wear a boot for 6-8 weeks to keep their foot immobilized. Treatment with a cold laser such as MLS can help patients who aren't healing well.
To prevent this condition, it’s important to wear supportive shoes designed for your particular sport, increase training gradually, and ensure you’re eating a diet sufficient in calories and Vitamin D.
7. Accessory Navicular Syndrome![accessory navicular syndrome]()
Finally, some people have an extra bone in their foot called an Accessory Navicular. It can cause pain when irritated. Symptoms are typically mild but may worsen with injury or friction from shoes.
To treat the pain I recommend rest, ice, elevation, and orthotics to take the pressure off the bone. If conservative measures aren’t sufficient surgery to remove the extra bone may be necessary.
To prevent pain from an accessory navicular it’s important to wear well-fitting, supportive shoes.
In conclusion, foot pain on the inside of your foot can stem from various foot conditions. Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to managing these conditions effectively.