Damage to any of the complex parts of your foot may lead to side of foot pain that leaves you unable to walk. Bones and muscles of the foot are responsible for functions such as dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, eversion, abduction and adduction. This part of the body is primarily responsible for bearing weight of the whole body as well as propulsion, which allows for full motion of the body. There are twenty six bones of the foot as well as many intricate muscle and nerve fibers which regulate the sensations as they are experienced. When any of these become inhibited you may lose full or partial motility of your foot.

The presence of chronic side of foot pain implies damage to any of the fragile structures of the foot. Causes of this sort of foot pain may be acquired over time. The origin of your discomfort is usually due to abnormal growths of bone or tissue in certain areas of the foot, or it may be genetic. The lack of proper arch support may be one contributing factor to improper foot mechanics. This condition presents itself in one or both of your feet which causes imbalances throughout the rest of the skeletal and muscular systems of the body.

Characteristics of Side of Foot Pain

Tenderness starting at one part of the foot may result in outside of the foot pain that lasts for extended periods of time. All parts of your foot work together to stabilize your body while providing the functions needed to walk without interruption. Any interruption in the normal mechanics of the foot results in malfunction and discomfort. The bones and muscles which are mostly affected by discomfort on the right or left part of your foot are as follows:

  • Metatarsal bones
  • Toe and ankle joints
  • Sesamoid bones
  • Talus and the calcaneus bones in the hind foot
  • Foot arches

If any of the muscles or bones of the foot are damaged through inflammation, this causes stiffness, irritation, immobility, and even chronic side of the foot pain. The arch is in the middle of the foot, and is usually arch shaped, although not always. Aching in the arch can spread to the outside of the foot through its collaboration with other bones and muscles. Pain is the result of extensive amounts of pressure being applied to the affected area, therefore irritating any bone misalignment. If pressure and force are combined with excessive weight on certain bones and muscles that were not meant to support weight, inflammation is the result, and that means pain.

The presence of lingering side of foot pain could have countless physiological effects which produce faulty mechanics of your feet. Abnormal growths of tissue may also develop and cause irritation. These abnormal foot growths may be calluses, corns, hammertoes and ingrown toenails. The symptoms of your foot ailments can be identified through different anatomical locations of pain, although side of foot pain may be a problem in the center of the foot, with the pain radiating outwards. If you have side of foot pain, it is important to get your feet checked out, and not to leave the problem in the hope it will just disappear. You could be doing more damage to your feet by ignoring side of foot pain, which will greatly prolong the recovery period.

Author's Bio: 

Finding out the cause of side of foot pain is important of you want to make sure you get the right treatment. Since there are many foot conditions with similar symptoms, it pays to get expert advice.