Chronic Pain and Conditions Care

What You Need To Know

Understanding chronic foot and ankle pain and the conditions that cause it.

Chronic Foot and Ankle Conditions

The feet serve as the foundation of the body. When pain is experienced, it is extremely important to identify early on what and where the issue is. The causes of foot and ankle pain vary greatly, including diseases, deformities, improper footwear, and injuries. Chronic pain can develop in the heel, ball of the foot, arch, toes, or ankle, and each area points to different underlying conditions.

Common chronic conditions we treat include plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendonitis, tarsal tunnel syndrome, stress fractures, Haglund’s deformity, Morton’s neuroma, hallux rigidus, ganglion cysts, plantar fibromas, and chronic ankle pain from sprains, arthritis, or instability. Each has its own pattern of symptoms and requires an accurate diagnosis.

Symptoms that suggest a chronic problem include radiating aches, sharp or spiking pain, burning, tingling, numbness, swelling, redness, stiffness, or difficulty bearing weight. Pain that returns after rest, worsens with activity, or limits your ability to wear normal shoes should not be ignored.

Risk factors include flat feet or high arches, ill-fitting shoes, repetitive stress from work or sports, past injuries, arthritis, and inherited foot structures. Left untreated, chronic conditions can worsen and lead to joint instability, nerve damage, and altered gait.

If you are experiencing ongoing pain in your foot or ankle, we recommend seeing a podiatrist for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan tailored to your condition.

Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Diagnosis begins with a thorough history of your symptoms and a physical examination of the foot and ankle. Depending on the suspected condition, your podiatrist may order X-rays to evaluate bone structure, ultrasound to assess soft tissue masses like fibromas or neuromas, or MRI to look more closely at ligaments, tendons, and nerves. For ganglion cysts, techniques such as translumination or needle aspiration may also be used.

We seek to address chronic conditions with treatments that are as conservative and minimally invasive as possible. Common nonsurgical options include rest, ice, immobilization, bracing, padding, shoe modifications, custom orthotic devices, physical therapy, and oral anti-inflammatory medications. Corticosteroid injections can reduce pain and inflammation for many conditions.

For conditions like Morton’s neuroma, hallux rigidus, ganglion cysts, plantar fibromas, and severe ankle problems, surgery may be recommended when nonsurgical care has not provided relief. Procedures range from cyst removal and nerve decompression to joint procedures such as Cartiva for big toe arthritis.

Recovery time varies with the procedure, but every effort is made to minimize incisions, swelling, and downtime. Long-term measures such as appropriate footwear, orthotics, and activity modification help keep symptoms from returning. Early diagnosis generally leads to easier treatment, so the sooner you are evaluated, the more options you will have.