Health is more important than anything out there – this is probably something you must have heard ever since you were a child.

Your grandmother may be “outdated” when it comes to smartphones and tablets, but she did know this thing very well and this is one of those tips for the advice you should always keep in mind.

Any kind of pain can be the result of an underlying problem. You see, our bodies are really engineered to perfection and there is absolutely no way in the world it will ache without any kind of reason.

Of course, there are temporary aches that are not an actual issue, but there are the repetitive, chronic pains which should definitely be investigated.

Among all types of chronic pain out there, foot pain is a very common one.

One can feel pain in all areas of the feet, from the toes to the heels and each of these types of pain may be related to a different issue.

If you are feeling pain in the center of the foot, you should know that there are 3 main potential underlying causes for it and that investigating them could help you alleviate the pain.

About Your Foot

If you want to understand better what happens with your feet when they are in pain, you should make sure that you first understand the “built” of your feet first.

It may seem surprising, but the human foot contains no less than 24 bones – no wonder then that there are so many types of illnesses that can be associated with the prolonged pain in this area!

All these bones are linked to one another by ligaments, which are extra-supported by muscles and by a tissue that is called “plantar fascia”.

Also, you will find out that your feet contain fat pads as well, which are meant to absorb the impact of your weight each time you make a step.

All these “components” can contribute to foot pain and be knowing precisely the area in which the pain occurs, as well as its duration and how it occurs, will help you (or rather said, your medical professional) determine what is the cause of your pain, how severe it has advanced and, eventually, how to ameliorate the situation.

In most of the cases, trauma and injuries are the main causes that lead to feeling pain in the foot area.

Also, improper alignment of the biomechanical elements of your foot, as well as bad footwear can lead to pain as well.

For instance, shoes that are too tight and shoes that have high heels can lead, eventually, to feeling pain in the area.

Plantar Fasciitis

As mentioned before, plantar fasciitis is a special tissue that helps with keeping together the different bones in the foot (in the center of the foot, most of the times).

Plantar fasciitis is a disease connected to the inflammation of this fibrous tissue. In most of the cases, this inflammation occurs due to overstretching the plantar fascia.

Eventually, this inflammation will lead to feeling pain in the heel or arch, as well as to heel spurs.

There are many things that can cause plantar fasciitis. Here are some of them:

1- Flat feet, which basically causes the collapsing of the arch of the foot. This is probably the most common cause that leads to plantar fasciitis.

Over-pronation (another name for flat feet) occurs during the walking process when the foot of a person collapses under the weight.

This causes the plantar fascia to stretch away from the heel bone, which in itself leads to pain.

2- Feet with abnormally high arches.

3- Increase in physical activity that comes all of the sudden.

4- Putting too much pressure on the foot with too much weight (and this is usually connected to pregnancy or to obesity).

5- Footwear that doesn’t fit well.

In the case of plantar fasciitis, the area that will be in pain the most will be that where the heel and the arch meet (the bottom of the foot, on the inside).

Also, the pain will most likely occur the first thing in the morning (or after a longer period of rest) and it will be quite acute because during the sleep the plantar fascia will contract to its original form.

Treatment is available for this issue, but the first thing you have to do is to note what exactly has caused the overstretching of the tissue itself.

With this information in mind, you will be able to eliminate the initial cause. For instance, in case of flat feet, you will be able to find orthotic footwear.

Post-Tib Tendonitis

Although this particular issue doesn’t cause the pain on its own (it causes flat feet, plantar fasciitis and so on), it is still worth knowing what it is.

Basically, it is a strain on the posterior tibial tendon, which can be found along the inside of the ankle and foot. When this tendon is strained, it cannot sustain the arch properly, which consequently leads to the aforementioned issues.

This particular foot problem occurs when the muscle is overused. Also, many years of flat feet can too lead to it. Initially, the pain will probably come and go quite soon, but in time, it will become permanent.

As for treatment, rest has proved to be efficient, but when that doesn’t help, you will need to wear orthotic footwear that supports your foot properly: shoes with longitudinal support and with rear foot posting, with cushioning and shock absorption as well.

Arch Pain

Again, this is not an illness “in its own right”, but it is one of the things that may be related to central foot pain. Basically, it is characterized by the inflammation or burning sensation in the arch of the foot.

It can be caused by injuries, but in most of the cases, plantar fascia will be that which is responsible for its development.

The treatment is similar to the other types of treatment described here and it mainly focuses on making sure that the foot is supported properly: heels that are not very high, shock absorption, removable insoles and so on.