If you’ve never hurt your ankle or foot, count yourself lucky — almost everyone has in some way or another. Aside from the pain, injuring your lower body is especially disruptive to daily living, as it prevents you from moving around as usual. Postponing exercise regimens, activities like hiking and dance, and sometimes even work is necessary to allow proper healing.
“Your foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments,” explains Dr. Anne Sharkey, a foot and ankle surgeon in Cedar Park, Texas. “The tibia, fibula and talus make up your ankle. The foot is divided into regions: forefoot, mid foot, rear foot. These structures work together to allow for walking and other weight-bearing activities.”
With so many bones, muscles and other structures, it’s no surprise that foot and ankle problems are common. For mild injuries like sprains, you can visit your primary care physician first. They may refer you to a podiatrist, who specializes in foot and ankle care, or an orthopedic specialist for treatment.
Here are 10 of the most common foot and ankle injuries doctors see among their patients.
1. Ankle sprain
“Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries and injuries of the foot,” says Alex Tauberg, a Pittsburgh-based sports chiropractor. “Oftentimes, people sprain their ankle because they come down on the outside of their foot, causing them to roll the ankle inward.”
Treating an ankle sprain depends on the severity of the injury. A sprain can range from a partial to a full tear of your ankle ligaments. “Treatment can include rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medicines, compression, elevation, immobilization, bracing, physical therapy and occasionally surgery,” Sharkey says.
2. Plantar fasciitis
The sole of your foot is a common site for injury; plantar fasciitis causes inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick, fibrous band that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. If you experience intense heel pain when you stand up, this could be why.
Stretching, orthotics and anti-inflammatory medications usually take care of milder cases. Severe instances may require more involved interventions, like injections or surgery.
3. Achilles tendonitis
Your Achilles tendon connects your heel to the muscles in your lower leg; it’s also the largest tendon in your body. When you overuse this tendon, causing injury and swelling, that’s Achilles tendonitis.
The RICE protocol — rest, ice, compression and elevation — helps improve symptoms for Achilles tendonitis and many other foot and ankle injuries.
4. Ingrown toenails
This is when your toenail grows into the skin on your toe. Don’t worry too much — it happens to lots of us. However, it is often painful and accompanied by redness and swelling. Wearing closed-toe shoes or otherwise applying pressure to the affected toe may make this pain worse.
Trimming the toenail alleviates symptoms in many cases. However, more involved procedures or antibiotics may be necessary to facilitate healing.
5. Plantar warts
The human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and its manifestations aren’t limited to your mouth or private areas. HPV warts, which are often tough and calloused, can also pop up on your feet. You can also get plantar warts from pools and locker rooms if you walk around barefoot.
“Warts are treated in a variety of ways, and treatments depend on size, location and provider preference,” Sharkey says. You and your doctor can choose between freezing them off, surgery, laser therapy or other options.
6. Corns and calluses
The skin on your feet can build up on the top or bottom. When it happens on the top of your foot, it’s called a corn; on the bottom of your foot, built-up skin is a callus, just like the calluses from learning guitar or playing on a jungle gym. Usually they’re harmless and painless, but some people prefer to have them removed for aesthetic reasons.
Over-the-counter creams and patches can help soften corns and calluses. Your doctor can also carefully trim excess skin to remove them.
7. Haglund’s deformity
A Haglund’s deformity is an enlargement of a portion of the calcaneus, or heel bone. It causes the back of your heel to rub against your shoes, leading to abrasions and irritated skin. You may have heard of heel spurs, but these are not the same — heel spurs come from stress on soft ligaments, rather than the bone itself.
If you have Haglund’s deformity, anti-inflammatory medication can help reduce pain and swelling. Avoid shoes that rub the back of your heel and ankle.
8. Bunions
You may associate bunions with older women, but they can happen at any age. Bunions are painful, bony growths on your joints; they can develop or worsen if you wear tight or narrow shoes. They typically cause a toe to bend at an abnormal angle. If you have a bunion, chances are that it’s in your big toe.
“Bunions tend to run in families,” Sharkey says. “They are a progressive deformity that worsens over time.”
If you suspect you have a bunion, get it checked out by a podiatrist. They might recommend wider shoes or cushions to reduce any rubbing against your shoe. Surgery is typically the best treatment to realign your toe joint.
9. Hammer toe
Hammer toe forces your toe to bend or curl into a contracted position. The way your foot is structured, the shoes you choose, foot injuries or several diseases can cause a hammer toe. “The contracted toes are painful when walking or wearing shoes that rub the tops of the toes,” Sharkey says.
Wider shoes, orthotics or other treatments relieve the discomfort of hammer toes, but surgery is the only way to correct this condition.
10. Neuroma
A neuroma is a thickening of a nerve that can develop in different parts of the body. In your foot, the most common location is between the third and fourth toes. Injury or pressure on the nerve, sometimes due to highly arched or flat feet, is typically the cause. Trauma to your feet from sports or wearing high heels can also cause neuromas. In cases where a neuroma is visible, it looks like an out-of-place bump, often in the space between your toes.
Without treatment, neuromas can damage the nerves in your foot. Treatments for neuromas include injections, modified activities, modified shoes, orthotics and surgery. Foot and ankle injuries aren’t any fun, especially since they can prevent you from moving around on your own. One good way to protect your feet and ankles is to strengthen your joints with balance board exercises.
“My favorite balance board exercise is holding an upright position while standing on one foot and lifting the other leg parallel to the floor,” Tauburg says. “Hold this position for as long as you can.”
Injuries can happen to any of us, despite our best efforts. It’s better to get any foot and ankle issues checked out sooner, rather than later, as they can impact the entire way you move. Find the right doctor, and you’ll be able to put your best foot forward in no time.