Foot soreness is not uncommon after a long day on your feet or after athletic activity, but what if your feet feel sore at other times throughout the day? It may not be anything to worry about, or it could signal a trip to the doctor’s office. Today, we take a closer look at some common causes of foot soreness, and what they mean.
Common Causes Of Foot Soreness
Here’s a look at some of the most common causes of mild and moderate foot soreness.
1. Overexertion in the Short Term – One of the most regular causes of foot soreness is overexertion in the short term. What we mean by this is that your feet have been overworked in a short period of time. If you go for a 5-mile run or you’re on your feet at the shopping mall for six hours, you may feel some soreness creep in. Generally this is nothing to worry about, and can be treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).
2. Overexertion in the Long Term – Another common cause of foot soreness and pain is overexertion in the long term. This is more common in high school athletes who play multiple sports or distance runners who don’t take enough days off during the week. Again, these injuries can be treated with RICE, but they should be given more attention than short-term injuries because long-term injuries that are ignored can lead to serious foot issues.
3. Stress Fractures – Stress fractures generally develop due to overexertion and poor form, which ends up putting an abnormal amount of stress on a certain area of your foot for an extended period. Treat with RICE and make sure your running form isn’t placing undue stress on your feet, and consider investing in a more supportive shoe.
4. Acute Injury – This is probably the easiest of these causes to identify because you know when your foot has suffered an acute trauma. Maybe your foot got stepped on during a game or you tripped down a flight of stairs and smacked it on the ground. If soreness seems to fade in the first 24 hours, you’re probably fine just using RICE and monitoring it, but if pain gets worse or doesn’t go away, contact a foot specialist.
5. Structural Issues – Finally, one underlying reason for foot soreness may be an issue with the structure of your foot. Some individuals have high arches, while others have flat feet, and that can affect how weight is dispersed on our feet. Some treatment options for foot soreness caused by high or flat arches includes orthotic inserts, weight loss and physical therapy.