{"id":3541,"date":"2018-06-18T02:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T02:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medplux.com\/?p=3541"},"modified":"2018-07-26T16:33:08","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T16:33:08","slug":"pain-top-of-foot-when-walking-sharp-burning-7-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medplux.com\/pain-top-of-foot-when-walking-sharp-burning-7-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"Pain Top Of Foot When Walking (Sharp, Burning): 7 Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated on July 26th, 2018 at 04:33 pm<\/p>

Question: what causes sharp pain top of foot when walking or running?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

According to the CDC, at 20, the average weight of US men and women are\u00a0195.7 <\/b>and\u00a0168.5 <\/b>pounds <\/b>respectively. This weight is carried by your joints with your feet feeling most of the pressure.<\/p>\n

Your feet perform an enormous task by carrying your entire body weight. Therefore, any injury to your ankle and foot is likely to affect your daily routine.<\/p>\n

For sportsmen and women, running and walking fast for long distances may also trigger top of the foot pain<\/strong><\/em>. This mainly happens if you aren’t using correctly fitted running shoes. Tight shoes, when worn for a long time, can cause undue pressure on your foot bones resulting in pain.<\/p>\n

Here’s the thing<\/strong>; Your ankle is made up of bones, cartilages, and ligaments. The bones\u00a0are hard structures that form the joint while the cartilages hold bones together. Foot tendons are as well important<\/strong>. Tendons attach your muscles to bones.<\/p>\n

During movement of your foot, your muscles contracts, pulls the tendons, which in turn allows movement to take place. These tendons run just under your skin and can get easily traumatized. (see image below)\"ankle-tendons-anterior\"<\/em><\/p>\n

As a result, wearing tight-fitting shoes may cause excessive tension in your foot tendons leading to inflammation. When the foot tendons get inflamed, it causes you to feel pain. The most commonly affected are the Extensor tendons<\/strong> and Tibialis Anterior tendons<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Other causes of upper foot pain are<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Stress fracture<\/li>\n
  2. Gout<\/li>\n
  3. Sinus tarsi syndrome<\/li>\n
  4. Diabetes<\/li>\n
  5. Degenerative or Rheumatoid arthritis<\/li>\n
  6. Deformed toe<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, if you already experience severe top of foot pain when running or walking, its best to see your doctor, especially if the pain is long lasting.<\/p>\n

    \"\"Here are some question to expect from your doctor<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. When did you notice the top of foot pain<\/strong>?<\/li>\n
    2. What is the nature of the pain? Is it sharp, dull, tingling, or you feel numb at the affected foot?<\/li>\n
    3. Does pain worsen when pressure is applied to your foot?<\/li>\n
    4. Does pain worsen during movement, running, walking, or exercise?<\/li>\n
    5. Do pain subside after taking a rest?<\/li>\n
    6. Any preceding trauma to your foot?<\/li>\n
    7. Do you wear tightly fitted shoes during exercise?<\/li>\n
    8. Do you feel pain near your toes, especially the big toe?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This article explains causes of a sharp top of foot pain when walking and home remedies you can try to feel better.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      <\/span>What causes pain top of foot when walking?<\/span><\/h2>\n

      <\/span>1.\u00a0 Foot tendonitis<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Foot tendonitis (medically referred to as Extensor tendonitis) happens when tendons on foot become inflamed<\/a>. It is the most common cause of pain top of foot when walking.<\/p>\n

      Pain is felt at the upper and middle part of the foot and is generally worse when walking or running. At rest, pain usually subsides due to non-movement or no strain on the tendons.<\/p>\n

      Anatomically, your muscle in your legs connects to your foot bones through tendons. These tendons extend from the lower part of the muscles and attach to the foot.<\/p>\n

      \"Extensor-Hallucis-Longus\"<\/a>Of importance are the Extensor Hallucis Longus<\/strong> (EHL) and Extensor Digitorum Longus<\/strong> (EDL) muscles and tendons. The EHL is attached upward to the shin bone (fibula) and moves downwards to your foot where it is attached to your big toe. The EDL originates for the tibia and fibula bones, moves downward to the foot, fans out, diving into four slips and attaching to the lesser toes – (second, third, fourth and fifth toes).<\/p>\n

      Both muscles and tendons are mostly needed for dorsiflexion. Dorsiflexion means raising your foot towards yourself. Because these tendons pass just beneath your skin, they are susceptible to injury and inflammation.<\/p>\n

      <\/span>What causes Foot tendonitis?<\/span><\/h4>\n

      Foot tendonitis is particularly common in women and men who do sports. This is because there is increased chance of repetitive injury<\/a> to your foot tendon.<\/p>\n

      Also, running on poorly fit shoes can cause injury to your tendons. It is best to avoid tightly laced shoes or any shoes to puts pressure on the top of the foot when walking.<\/p>\n

      Other causes of foot tendonitis are running uphill or exercising on an uneven surface.<\/p>\n

      <\/span>What are the symptoms of foot tendonitis?<\/span><\/h4>\n

      If you have top of the foot pain, it could be due to extensor tendonitis. Other symptoms are stiffness and swelling of the foot.<\/p>\n

      <\/span>What are treatment options available?<\/span><\/h4>\n

      Mild foot pain can be managed at home. This is through the use of THE\u00a0PRICE THERAPY<\/strong>. This include<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Protecting your foot, ankle, and legs from tight shoes. You should avoid exercise for a while and rest your foot until it completely heals.<\/li>\n
      2. Apply Ice collected in a towel on your foot for about 10 minutes<\/li>\n
      3. To prevent swelling from getting worse, apply a bandage and elevate your foot.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        For quick relief of pain, you can use painkillers as well. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help ease your pain.<\/p>\n

        <\/span>2.\u00a0 Stress fracture<\/span><\/h3>\n

        Another reason for swelling and top of foot pain when walking<\/a> is a stress fracture. Stress fractures\u00a0are also common in sportsmen (Athletes, football, and basketball players) and are due to a tiny break in one or more of your foot bones. Repeated insult to your bones can cause a fracture.<\/p>\n

        \"\"<\/a>Usually, stress fracture can happen at any part of your foot. However, the distal foot is more commonly affected due to the involvement of the middle metatarsals (second and third).<\/p>\n

        Also, women who wear high heels are prone to foot and ankle sprain. In severe cases, it may cause tiny fracture of your foot bones causing pain.<\/p>\n

        <\/span>What are the symptoms of a stress fracture?<\/span><\/h4>\n