Pain under the foot occurs after an injury, due to overload, excess weight, incorrect footwear, an incorrect walking position or an abnormality of the foot. The pain is often felt while walking or standing. Sometimes the pain is already present when you get up. The heel, arch or ball of the foot may then be painful.

Pain under the foot: what is it?

When we talk about pain under the foot, we mean the walking part of the foot. This is called the sole of the foot. The sole of the foot carries the entire body weight when we stand upright. The weight is normally distributed over both soles of the feet. Pain in the sole of the foot is common: the soles of the feet have to endure a lot. The pain may last just a day or last longer. Sometimes an abnormality in the sole of the foot is the cause of pain, sometimes an injury or a condition.

Flat feet

The feet have an arch on the inside of the foot. This is clearly visible when the foot is placed flat on the ground. There is an upward arch visible at the bottom of the foot. The middle part of the foot does not rest completely on the ground. In this way, shocks can be absorbed. With flat feet, no arch is visible.Flexible flat feet only have no arch when standing upright. When the feet start to bear weight, the arch returns. Fixed flat feet have no arch at all: neither with or without weight on the sole of the foot.Flat feet have difficulty absorbing shocks. This manifests itself in pain under the foot, pain in the knees, hips and back. The rest of the foot may also feel painful. Pain, swelling but also fatigue are common complaints with flat feet. Flat feet are congenital: every baby is born with flat feet. The arch of the foot should be visible around the age of five. If this is not the case, there is a good chance of flat feet. The arches of the feet are normally fully developed around the age of twelve.An arch support is often not necessary for flexible flat feet. Flexible flat feet can be recognized by standing on your toes: the arch will then return. Flexible flat feet are also sometimes called flexible flat feet.With fixed flat feet, the arch does not return when you stand on your toes. The fixed flat feet are therefore sometimes called stiff flat feet. The treatment usually consists of arch supports in sturdy shoes. This does not solve the flat feet, but it does ensure that there is less pain. It is also possible to repair fused bone parts through surgery, so that flat feet disappear.

Arch pain

Arch pain mainly occurs in people who walk or run a lot, in people who are overweight and in people with an abnormal walking pattern. Because the tendon plate is overloaded, it can become inflamed. The tendon plate is located under the foot and runs from the toes to the heel. An inflamed tendon plate under the foot should not be confused with heel spurs, where the attachment of the tendon plate is inflamed. These two are often confused with each other, but the treatment is different.Corrective insoles provide support and shock absorption to the arch of the foot. This makes pain feel less. Corrective insoles also ensure a good walking pattern of the foot. Arch supports only provide support and cushioning but do not correct. Stretching exercises of the foot help heal the inflammation. Cooling will also help with healing.

Pain under the ball of the foot

The ball of the foot is located towards the toes of the foot, on the bottom. It is the thickened part that carries a lot of weight. Pain under the ball of the foot is usually caused by too much weight on the forefoot. People who wear higher heels in particular rest too much on the forefoot. This causes calluses and a burning sensation on the ball of the foot.Avoiding shoes with a high heel will quickly reduce the complaints. Special insoles provide support and absorb shock. Calluses can be removed during a pedicure or can be removed yourself with tools, such as pumice stone. People who have pain in the ball of the foot without wearing high heels often have an incorrect walking pattern. Arch supports solve these complaints.

Corns

Corns often appear under the feet. This is a callus that penetrates the skin in a cone shape, because there is a lot of pressure on one point. A black hard core is formed, a callus. Pressure on the callus, also called a corn, hurts a lot. Special corn rings ensure that the corn itself is not stressed. The corn can be removed using corn plasters because the keratinized skin will soften.Frequent corns are a sign of incorrect footwear or incorrect foot position. If the cause is not addressed , corns will continue to return.