Top of of your foot pain can come from many sources. The location of the pain and type will help determine the cause of the pain.

When pain occurs near the middle of the top of your feet. Forms in this region of the foot that the tendons lead to the toes and becomes inflamed. This is called extensor tendonitis.

Sudden onset of pain on the top of the foot and just behind the toes, without a history of trauma, may be a stress fracture of a metatarsal bone. There is usually swelling in the area and it is painful to the touch.

One cause of pain usually associated with aging on the top of the foot is osteoarthritis. This causes a bony swelling. Osteoarthritis is often seen in people with flatfeet or collapsing arches.

Degenerative arthritis can cause pain on the top of the foot around the big toe joint. Bone spurring occurs on the top of the foot. Pressure from a shoe can cause pain. Treatment for this condition consists of anti-inflammatory medication and functional foot orthotics. Surgery can be an option for degenerative arthritis of the big toe joint.

More causes of pain on the tops of your feet are:

• Ganglions, sacs of jelly-like fluid that develop after a leak in the joint capsule, often form on the top of the foot, and can also cause top of foot pain.

• Tendonitis, the irritation of a muscle tendon, the rope-like muscle that attaches to the bone, can cause top of foot pain.

• Morton’s neuroma, an inflammation of the common digital nerve between adjacent toes on the bottom of the foot, can sometimes cause top of foot pain.

• Hammertoes, a condition that causes the toes to bend so that the tip of the toe is pointed down can lead to top of foot pain.

Often a sprained foot and other more severe conditions can also result in top of foot pain.

A study was done using the Archxerciser. People were randomly assigned to training with either the left or right foot, with the other side serving as a control, for six weeks. No other training took place during this time. At the end of the six-week programm, the subjects were retested for toe flexor strength and jump performance. Results were surprising. The results confirmed that subjects gained an inch in vertical, and 4 inches in horizontal jumping distance. This shows that the foot muscles can be isolated and trained to perform better than new.

The enlargement and thickening of the nerve that defines a neuroma is the result of trauma and irritation of the nerve. This trauma creates swelling of the nerve, which can eventually lead to permanent nerve damage.

Morton’s Neuroma Symptoms:
If you have a Morton’’s neuroma, you will likely have one or possibly more of these symptoms.

* Pain
* Tingling, burning, or numbness
* Feel like a bump or knot is in you foot.

Morton’s neuroma progressive pattern often follows these steps:

* The symptoms come on slowly. At first they occur only occasionally, when wearing narrow-toed shoes or performing certain strenuous activities.
* Symptoms may go away temporarily by massaging the foot or by avoiding aggravating shoes or activities.
* With time the symptoms progressively worsen and may persist for several days or weeks.
* Symptoms become more intense as the neuroma enlarges and the temporary changes
in the nerve become permanent.

Treatment of Morton’s Neuroma:
When developing a treatment plan, your ankle or foot surgeon will try to determine how long you’ve had the neuroma and evaluate its stage of development. Treatment can vary according to the severity of the problem.

With mild to moderate cases of neuroma, treatment options can include:

* Icepacks placed on the affected area helps reduce swelling.
* Padding will provide support for the metatarsal arch, thereby lessening the pressure on the nerve and decreasing the compression when walking.
* Custom orthotics provided by your foot and ankle surgeon provide the support needed to reduce pressure and compression on the nerve.
* Activities that put repetitive pressure on the neuroma should be avoided until the condition improves.
* Try shoes with a wide toe box and avoid narrow-toed shoes or shoes with high heels.
* Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, help reduce the pain and inflammation.
* If there is no significant improvement after initial treatment, injection therapy may be tried.

Surgery should be considered in patients who have not received adequate relief from other treatments. Usually there are two surgical approaches to treating a neuroma the affected nerve is either removed or released. Your surgeon will determine which approach is best for your condition.

Definition

Over-pronation, or flat feet, is a common biomechanical problem that occurs in the walking process when a person’s arch collapses upon weight bearing. This motion can cause extreme stress or inflammation on the plantar fascia, potentially causing severe discomfort and leading to other foot problems.

Cause

Over-pronation is very prominent in people who have flexible, flat feet. The framework of the foot begins to collapse, causing the foot to flatten and adding stress to other parts of the foot. As a result, over-pronation, often leads to Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, Metatarsalgia, Post-tib Tendonitis and/or Bunions.

There are many causes of flat feet. Obesity, pregnancy or repetitive pounding on a hard surface can weaken the arch leading to over-pronation. Often people with flat feet do not experience discomfort immediately, and some never suffer from any discomfort at all. However, when symptoms develop and become painful, walking becomes awkward and causes increased strain on the feet and calves.

Treatment and Prevention

Over-Pronation can be treated conservatively (non-surgical treatments) with over-the-counter orthotics.

These orthotics should be designed with appropriate arch support and medial rearfoot posting to prevent the over-pronation.

Shoes should also be examined to ensure there is a proper fit. Footwear with a firm heel counter is often recommended for extra support and stability. Improperly fitting footwear can lead to additional foot problems.

Before it gets to painful you should visit your doctor.

Ionic foot baths can be used to detox the body and keep it alkaline. Air, water and food are full of pollutants. We constantly come into contact with chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria and viruses. The ionic foot bath pulls these toxic materials out of the body by sending positively charged ions into the body. The ions attach to negatively charged toxic materials, neutralizes them and draws them out of the body through the pores in the soles of the feet. Ionic foot baths, along with exercise, proper diet and other detoxification methods, can work to keep the body healthy.