The ankle most often hurts after a sprain or from an overloaded Achilles tendon, and the foot in the heel, in a fallen arch or at the base of the big toe.
A sprain is a sudden injury: you go over on your ankle, and swelling and bruising come quickly. Achilles tendon pain builds slowly, most often in runners who have increased their training load. Heel pain with the first steps in the morning is typical of plantar fasciitis. Flat feet in young children are normal and rarely need treatment. A bump at the base of the big toe is a bunion (hallux valgus), where the pain depends a lot on the shoes.
Which page to read
- You went over on your ankle and it is swollen on the outside: sprained ankle.
- After a fall or a blow the ankle is badly swollen and standing on it is hard: broken ankle.
- Pain above the heel, especially in the morning and at the start of a run: Achilles tendonitis.
- The heel hurts when you step down, worst in the morning: heel spurs.
- The arch of the foot has fallen, in a child or an adult: flat feet.
- The big toe has turned outwards and hurts in tight shoes: bunions (hallux valgus).
When to start with a consultation
If you’re not sure what is causing the pain, the ankle keeps getting sprained or the pain hasn’t gone for weeks, start with a consultation. If after an injury you can’t take a few steps or the bone hurts when pressed, you first need an X-ray to rule out a fracture. With a suddenly swollen, red joint or a wound on the foot if you have diabetes, see a doctor first.