Foot Pain
Foot Pain Care at UVM Health
Most people experience foot pain at some point. Simply stubbing your toe can cause discomfort for several hours — or even days. But foot pain that lasts for long periods and disrupts your day-to-day activities and quality of life may be a symptom of an underlying problem.
At University of Vermont Health, a collaborative team of foot and ankle surgeons, podiatrists and specially trained advanced practice providers use advanced tools to find the root cause of your pain. We provide effective treatments to get you back on your feet and back to the activities you love.
Why Choose UVM Health?
As one of the leading orthopedic programs in the region, we offer:
- Patient-centered approach: We take time to listen to your needs and preferences. Your personalized care plan prioritizes nonsurgical treatment — we only recommend surgery when it’s the most effective option.
- Convenient services: We offer convenient access to on-site services, such as X-rays, that allow us to make efficient diagnoses and get you started on treatment right away. Podiatrists and advanced practice providers throughout the region provide expert care for foot pain, giving you access to care no matter where you live in Vermont or northern New York.
- Research emphasis: As part of a health system anchored by an academic medical center, our physicians are active researchers, many of whom are training the next generation of experts. We are at the forefront of research into foot and ankle care.
Types of Foot Pain
Your foot is made up of dozens of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Damage to any of these structures can result in foot pain. Some of the most common causes of foot pain include:
- Arthritis: The wearing away of cartilage in your joints
- Bunions: Bony bumps that develop at the base of the big toe joint
- Hammertoes: Irregular curling in the toes
- Inflammation in any of the joints: Often caused by a previous injury or other medical condition like gout or rheumatoid arthritis
- Injuries: To ligaments or tendons in the foot and ankle
- Metatarsalgia: A general term for pain underneath the ball of the foot
- Neuromas, like Morton's neuroma: Pinching of the nerves running through the front portion of the foot near the toes
- Neuropathy: Damage to the peripheral nerves that can cause pain, burning, numbness, or weakness
Diagnosing Foot Pain
When diagnosing foot pain, your specialist will examine your foot, ankle and heel. Then they’ll ask about your symptoms, including when they started, how they’ve progressed and what, if anything, relieves them.
Then we use several tests to identify the cause of your pain, including:
- X-rays: Use low doses of radiation to create images of the bones in your foot and ankle
- Lab work, including blood tests: Check for medical conditions
- MRIs: Use magnets and radio waves to examine your soft tissues
- CT scans: Provide a 3-dimensional picture of the bones and joints of the foot & ankle
- Electromyography (EMG): Measures the electrical signals between your foot muscles and nerves
Foot Pain Treatment
Often, foot pain will improve with nonsurgical treatment. We only recommend surgery when it’s the most effective option. Our goal is to relieve pain so you can get back to your usual activities. Foot pain treatment may include:
Your provider may recommend over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medicines. These medications help decrease swelling, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Our specialists may recommend wearing different shoes or using shoe inserts to improve your foot’s alignment. You may also use commercial or custom orthotics that change your foot’s position, decrease pressure and correct deformities.
A physical therapist can teach you exercises that improve your strength, flexibility and range of motion. They may also use hands-on techniques that stretch your muscles and joints to promote healing.
Your provider may inject a steroid medication directly into the area where you have pain. This helps to reduce inflammation and swelling and relieves pain.
In some cases, you may benefit from surgery to realign your foot or correct a deformity. We may also operate to remove a neuroma or bunion. Your surgeon will discuss all treatment options with you and find the approach that best fits your needs.
Supportive Care at Home
We provide support to families in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties caring for older adults and people with chronic conditions.
Locations Near You
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1110 Prim Road
Colchester, VT 05446
75 Park Street
Elizabethtown, VT 12932
101 Adirondack Drive
Suite 1
Ticonderoga, NY 12883
187 Park Street
Suite 2
Malone, NY 12953-1233
1311 Barre Montpelier Road
Suite 400
Berlin, VT 05602
192 Tilley Drive
South Burlington, VT 05403-4440
1311 Barre Montpelier Road
Suite 400
Berlin, VT 05602
116 Porter Drive
Middlebury, VT 05753-8501
76 McNeil Road
Suite 2
Waterbury Center, VT 05677-7162