What Is Arch Pain? What Kinds Are There? How Can I Treat It?

Posted by kristy morton on August 9th, 2018

Arch pain is a mild to severe pain felt any place in between the ball and heel at the bottom of your foot. It is often caused by stress in addition to an inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a thick and connecting tissue at the bottom of your foot. This painful sensation is known as plantar fasciitis, which is similar to a bone spur, but much different.
 
Basically, this pain in the arch occurs from injury, improper footwear, overexertion, or obesity. If the pain does not resolve after two or three days, consider contacting a podiatrist to get ankle surgery in Houston before the condition worsens.
 
There are many different factors that can cause arch pain, the most common ones include plantar fasciitis, repeated stress, rheumatoid arthritis, posterior tibial tendonitis, high arch, and tarsal tunnel syndrome.
 
Plantar fasciitis
 
The plantar fascia in your foot connects the heel bone to the toes, and this is how your foot arch is supported. Pain from plantar fasciitis occurs when the connective band gets weak or swollen from damage. This likely can occur from stepping on something sharp or hard like a rock or the joint of an office chair.
 
Repeated stress
 
Ongoing strain and shock to your foot muscles, bones, and ligaments in the arch can lead to inflammation and injury. Damage can come from recurring and excessive activities such as walking or running, aggressive workouts, and more, especially while wearing incorrect shoes and doing these exercises on hard floors, including stone, concrete, or asphalt.  
 
 
Rheumatoid Arthritis
 
Rheumatoid arthritis leads to inflammation that can soften or weaken foot ligaments so that they cannot support the arch for much longer. As this arthritis develops further, the bones of the foot change their shape to developing a fallen arch. This causes your foot to become flat, and this can give you permanent pain until you get foot and ankle surgery in Houston.
 
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
 
The tibialis posterior muscle helps in supporting the arch in your foot. Due to stress and repetitive use, however, this muscle can become injured. If the tendon gets ripped and damaged from all the wear caused, this results in posterior tibial tendonitis.
 
High Arch
 
Also known as pes cavus, it is the reverse effect of a flat foot or fallen arch. The arch instead rises. While it is more uncommon than flat foot, it can increase the pressure on the ball and heel, and can really cause acute pain in the foot’s arch.
 
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
 
When injury, incorrect gait, or a cyst in the foot can cause pressure on the tibial nerve, the person can experience pain, a prickling sensation, or less feeling on that foot. It is known as tarsal tunnel syndrome, not to be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition tends to get worse during the night time.
 
There are a few ways to treat arch pain. Firstly, know the symptoms of arch pain and compare them to what you are experiencing. It is also important to see if you instead have heel spurs, as plantar fasciitis is often mistaken for this other foot condition.
 
If you wear tight-fitting shoes, shoes that angle your feet abnormally, or don’t give your feet any comfort, say goodbye to them. If you are a woman, think twice about wearing high-heeled shoes and opt to wear normal-heeled shoes for work and other occasions.
 
If you are obese or overweight, consider going on a path to losing weight, as weight loss can free your arches from extra strain.
 
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