What is causing pain in the bottom of my foot?

The most common cause of pain in the bottom of your foot and through your arch is plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a ligament that connects the ball of your foot to your heel, making the arch in the middle of your foot. When this ligament is overused or injured, you may experience a dull, chronic pain at the bottom of your foot. You may also experience shooting pain when you walk, stand or generally put pressure on your foot. 

What causes plantar fasciitis pain in the bottom of the foot?

Chronic pain in the bottom of the foot is often caused by overuse, injury or inflammation to the plantar fascia ligament that runs through the arch of your foot. This injury is common for runners but can also be experienced by people who live a more sedentary lifestyle. 

There are three common reasons why the plantar fascia may be causing you chronic pain in the bottom of the foot:

• Overuse
• Injury
• Weight gain

For people who live an active lifestyle, such as runners, walkers and other activities that require a lot of time on your feet, arch pain is common. It’s simply overuse. The feet bear the weight of the entire body, and the plantar fascia bears most of the weight of the foot. So, if you are spending too many hours on your feet, you may experience chronic pain at the bottom of your foot. 

Similarly, because the plantar fascia helps support the foot, this ligament is subject to wear and tear due to too much weight on the body. 

Injury to the plantar fascia can occur from improper warmups or improper footwear. If you are wearing high heels all day and are on your feet, you may injure the arch of your foot. Also, if you go for a run without properly stretching, you may injure a tight plantar fascia ligament. 

Treatment options for pain in the bottom of the foot

Physical therapy is a common treatment for an injured plantar fascia ligament that is causing pain in the bottom of your foot. You do not need a referral from a doctor to see a physical therapist. Simply contact our team at Back in Motion to schedule an appointment, and take the next step toward finding relief from your foot pain.