If you are suffering from sharp pain in the foot, then walking on the balls of your feet, even if it is painless, is no alternative to seeing a doctor. Know about the common causes of this ailment in the following Buzzle article.

It is common to hear people complaining about foot pain that is making their life difficult. 65-75% of the people living in the United States of America, have experienced pain at the bottom of their feet, at least once in their lifetime. The sharp pain in foot makes even simple activities, such as walking, difficult, and hence, it must be taken seriously. Sudden excruciating pain, which is making you wince at every step, may be an indication of a far more serious condition. A foot is concoction of body cells, blood vessels, 26 bones and 33 joints, which are held in coordination, while walking or running, by ligaments and muscles groups. Add a few nerves to this concoction, which carry the messages from the brain to the foot, to completely grasp the complex structure of the foot. This makes it difficult to pinpoint the cause.

Causes of Foot Pain

Pain in the foot when walking can be very frustrating, as it limits your mobility and your weight carrying capacity. Moreover, if your feet are smaller as compared to the rest of the body, they take an extraordinary amount of stress during walking. This stress is 50% greater than the stress while you are standing. It has been calculated that, on an average, a person takes approximately 10,000 steps during the course of one day. It is a wonder that everyone doesn't suffer burning pain in foot every day in his or her life. The pain can be because of a number of reasons, which are presented below.

Plantar Fasciitis
The largest bone of the foot is lined on the underside by a band of tough fibrous tissues, which are referred to as plantar fascia. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of plantar fascia, which helps the feet bones to bear the entire body weight of a person. The pain that occurs, when you take first few steps in the morning, may have plantar fasciitis as its root cause. You may describe this heel pain as in the front and bottom of the heel. It is important to understand that the pain goes away as you keep walking and returns, if you let the feet rest.

Heel Spurs
The plantar fascia supports the bones of the heels and maintains the arch of the heel. The heel spur is a bony projection that leads away from the plantar fascia into the surrounding tissues of the body. More often than not, heel spurs and plantar fasciitis together cause sharp pain in the feet. The severe pain experienced, when you put your weight on the foot, while taking the first step, is because of the heel spur poking the surrounding living mass of tissues, nerves, tendons, and muscles. The doctor may advise you to go for an X-ray of the foot to detect the problem. He might also recommend a heel spur surgery to relieve the unbearable pain.

Bursitis
The friction between various bones and the muscles passing over them, is avoided by the bursa. These are sacs filled with body fluids, which acts as cushions. Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa due to excessive rubbing of the bones or muscles with the bursa. You will feel sharp pain while taking every step, because it involves play of all the muscles of the foot, including that between the offending muscle and the injured bursa.

Gout, foot muscle injury, Achilles tendinitis, and stiffness of joints due to arthritis, can also form the cause of this ailment. Get your doctor's advice and treatment as early as possible, if the symptoms are holding you immobile or captive.