Foot pain

Choose which area of your foot hurts most to find out about treatments, when to get medical help and possible causes.

Ankle pain

There are lots of causes of ankle pain. You can usually ease the pain yourself. But see a GP if the pain does not improve.

How you can ease ankle pain yourself

If you see a GP about ankle pain, they'll usually suggest you try these things:

Do

• rest and raise your ankle when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel on your ankle for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear wide comfortable shoes with a low heel and soft sole

• use soft insoles or heel pads in your shoes

• wrap a bandage around your ankle to support it

• try regular gentle stretching exercises

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

Don’t

• do not walk or stand for long periods

• do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with ankle pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• if you need to see a GP

See a GP if:

• ankle pain is stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot
• you have diabetes and foot pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

• you have severe ankle pain
• you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
• your ankle or foot has changed shape or is at an odd angle
• you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• you are not able to walk

These might be signs of a broken ankle.

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Common causes of ankle pain

Ankle pain is often caused by exercising too much or wearing shoes that are too tight.

Your symptoms might also give you an idea of what's causing your ankle pain.

If you're not sure what's causing your ankle pain

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

Self-refer for treatment

If you have ankle pain, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

• ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
• check your GP surgery's website
• contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB

Heel pain

There are lots of causes of heel pain. You can usually ease the pain yourself. But see a GP if the pain does not improve.

How to ease heel pain yourself

If you see a GP, they'll usually suggest you try these things:

Do

• rest and raise your heel when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) in a towel on your heel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear wide comfortable shoes with a low heel and soft sole

• use soft insoles or heel pads in your shoes

• wrap a bandage around your heel and ankle to support it

• try regular gentle stretching exercises

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

Don’t

• do not walk or stand for long periods, especially barefoot

• do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with heel pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take for your heel pain
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• treatments for common skin problems that can affect the heel
• if you need to see a GP

See exercise video safety information

The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

• you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness
• you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
• you have any other concerns about your health
• you are pregnant or have recently given birth

See a GP if:

• heel pain is severe or stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot
• you have diabetes and have heel pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if you:

• have severe heel pain after an injury
• feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
• have an ankle or foot that has changed shape or is at an odd angle
• heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• are not able to walk

These might be signs of a broken heel bone or broken ankle.

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Common causes of heel pain

Heel pain is often caused by exercising too much or wearing shoes that are too tight.

Your symptoms might also give you an idea of what's causing your heel pain.

If you're not sure what's causing your heel pain

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

Self-refer for treatment

If you have heel pain, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

• ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
• check your GP surgery's website
• contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB

Toe pain

There are lots of causes of toe pain. You can usually ease the pain yourself. But see a GP if the pain does not improve.

How to ease toe pain yourself

If you see a GP about toe pain, they'll usually suggest trying these things:

Do

• rest and raise your foot when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel on your toe for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear wide comfortable shoes with a low heel and soft sole

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

• buddy strap a broken toe – put a small piece of cotton wool or gauze between your sore toe and the next toe, and use tape to loosely strap it up (do not do this for a big toe or a badly broken toe)

• try regular gentle stretching exercises

Don’t

• do not walk or stand for long periods

• do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with toe pain

If you have toe pain, a pharmacist can advise you about:

• the best painkiller to take
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• treatments for common skin and nail problems
• if you need to see a GP

See exercise video safety information

The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

• you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness
• you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
• you have any other concerns about your health
• you are pregnant or have recently given birth

See a GP if:

• pain in your toe is stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have diabetes and foot pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

• you have badly hurt your big toe
• you're in severe pain
• you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot
• your toe is pointing at an odd angle
• you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• you have difficulty moving your toes or you cannot walk

These might be signs of a badly broken toe after an injury.

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Causes of toe pain

A sore toe is often caused by exercising too much or wearing shoes that are too tight.

Your symptoms might also give you an idea of what's causing your toe pain.

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

Pain in the top of the foot

Pain in the top of your foot will often get better in a few weeks. See a GP if it does not improve.

How you can ease pain in the top of your foot

If you see a GP about pain in the top of your foot, they may suggest you try these things:

Do

• rest and raise your foot when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas in a towel) on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear shoes with plenty of room for your feet, which have a low heel and soft sole

• use soft insoles or pads you put in your shoes

• try to lose weight if you're overweight

• try regular gentle stretching exercises of your foot and ankle

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

Don’t

• do not do any sports or other activity that you think is causing the pain

• do not walk or stand for a long time

• do not wear high heels or tight or pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with foot pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• if you need to see a GP

See exercise video safety information

The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

• you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness
• you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
• you have any other concerns about your health
• you are pregnant or have recently given birth

See a GP if:

• pain in the top of your foot is stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot
• you have diabetes and a foot pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

• you have severe pain in the top of your foot
• you're not able to walk
• your foot has changed shape or is at an odd angle
• you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• you feel faint, dizzy or sick from pain

These might be signs of a broken bone after an injury.

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Common causes of pain in the top of the foot

Pain in the top of your foot is often caused by exercising, especially if it involves running, kicking or jumping.

It may also be caused by wearing shoes that are too tight and some conditions, like gout.

Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing your pain. Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.

If you're not sure what's causing pain in the top of the foot

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

Self-refer for treatment

If you have pain in the top of your foot, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

• ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
• check your GP surgery's website
• contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB

Pain in the bottom of the foot

Pain in the bottom of your foot (arch, ball or sole) often gets better in a few weeks. The pain may not seem to have a cause, or it may have started after an injury. But it can also be something more serious, like a broken bone. Go to A&E if the pain becomes so severe you cannot walk.

Common causes of pain in the bottom of the foot

Pain in the bottom of your foot is often caused by exercise such as running, wearing shoes that are too tight, or a condition such as Morton's neuroma. It can also be caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium, especially in children. Some people also have a foot shape that puts extra pressure on the bottom of the foot. Hard or cracked skin or a verruca can also cause this type of pain.

Your symptoms might give you an idea what's causing it, but do not self-diagnose. Get medical help if you're worried.

If you're not sure what's causing pain in the bottom of the foot

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

How you can ease pain in the bottom of the foot

There are things you can do to help pain in the bottom of your foot:

Do

• rest and raise your foot when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas in a towel) on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear shoes with plenty of room for your feet that have a low heel and soft sole

• use soft insoles or pads you put in your shoes

• try to lose weight if you need to

• try regular gentle stretching exercises for your foot and ankle

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

Don’t

• do not do any sports or other activity that you think is causing the pain

• do not walk or stand for long periods

• do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with foot pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• treatments for common skin problems, such as hard skin or a verruca
• whether you need to see a GP

See exercise video safety information

The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

• you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness
• you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
• you have any other concerns about your health
• you are pregnant or have recently given birth

See a GP if:

• the pain in the bottom of your foot is stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot, or your feet feel weak
• you have diabetes and foot pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

Self-refer for treatment

• ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
• check your GP surgery's website
• contact your integrated care board (ICB)

Pain in the ball of the foot

Pain in the ball of your foot is known as metatarsalgia. You can usually ease the pain yourself. But see a GP if it does not improve.

How you can ease pain in the ball of your foot yourself

If you see a GP about pain in the ball of your foot, they may suggest you try these things:

Do

• rest and raise your foot when you can

• put an ice pack (or bag of frozen peas in a towel) on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours

• wear shoes with plenty of room for your feet, which have a low heel and soft sole

• use soft insoles or pads in your shoes

• try to lose weight if you're overweight

• try regular, gentle foot and ankle stretching exercises

• use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel (or ibuprofen tablets if needed)

Don’t

• do not do any sports or other activity that you think is causing the pain

• do not walk or stand for long periods

• do not wear high heels or tight pointy shoes

A pharmacist can help with foot pain

You can ask a pharmacist about:

• the best painkiller to take
• insoles and pads for your shoes
• if you need to see a GP

See exercise video safety information

The exercises in this series of videos are suitable for most people in good health with a reasonable level of fitness.

Unless stated otherwise, they are general exercises only and are not aimed at treating any specific cause of pain or condition. Video titles and descriptions can give more information on how difficult the exercises are and who they are for.

Get advice from a healthcare professional before trying them if:

• you are not sure if the exercises are suitable for your current level of fitness
• you have a health problem, an injury, any symptoms, are feeling unwell, or you have had a recent health event such as a heart attack or operation
• you have any other concerns about your health
• you are pregnant or have recently given birth

See a GP if:

• pain in the ball of your foot is stopping you doing normal activities
• the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
• the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
• you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot
• you have diabetes and a foot pain – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

• you have severe pain in the ball of your foot
• you are not able to walk
• your foot has changed shape
• you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury
• you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain

These might be signs of a broken bone after an injury.

What we mean by severe pain Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• always there
• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

• comes and goes
• is annoying but does not stop you doing daily activities

Common causes of pain in the ball of your foot

Pain in the ball of your foot is often caused by exercise, such as running, wearing shoes that are too tight or a condition such as arthritis.

Some people also have a foot shape that puts extra pressure on the ball of the foot. Hard or cracked skin or a verruca can also cause this type of pain.

Your symptoms might also give you an idea of what's causing your pain.

If you're not sure what's causing pain in the ball of your foot

Do not worry if you're not sure what the problem is.

Follow the advice on this page and see a GP if the pain does not get better in 2 weeks.

You can also read about pain in other areas of your foot.

Self-refer for treatment

If you have pain in the ball of your foot, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

• ask the reception staff at your GP surgery
• check your GP surgery's website
• contact your integrated care board (ICB) – find your local ICB