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pain on top of foot (feels like a bruise)

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Bounty Hunter, Dec 5, 2009.


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    Hi - I hope this question is not too silly. I am 25 years old & moderately active. I walk a lot & jog very occasionally, but avoid running as a major form of exercise, as I have thin ankles that twist easily and am pigeon-toed. I also have really high arches and wear arch supports inside shoes when possible.

    During the past few days, I have done more walking than normal (in gym shoes) but nothing excessive. I have noticed a pain on the top of my left foot: it's greatest between the 2nd & 3rd metatarsals but much closer to the ankle than the toes (it's at the height of the "hill" we have on our foot if that makes sense - maybe involving a cuneiform?). The pain feels like a bruise - so it's minor when I don't touch it, but intensifies when I massage the area or move my foot up & down (like pointing my toes & such)

    The only thing I can find on the Internet is a stress fracture, but I'm not that active. The pain isn't crippling when I press on the area, either. I'm only a bit concerned because the pain isn't diminishing - it's staying the same. At first I thought I was tying my gym shoes too tightly (since it's right under the shoelace area) and I assumed that it was a minor bruise from that. (Who knows why I thought that!) But today I wore loose-fitting boots and still noticed the pain quite a bit. It occurred to me that maybe pains like this that I've had in the past were unrelated to tying shoes too tightly...

    Any thoughts? I do have bony, odd feet so maybe I'm just too sensitive! Thanks for your time.

    [My insurance is pretty horrible so that's why I haven't been to a podiatrist yet. Nor do I think it's particularly serious - would just like to know if I'm doing something that might be causing this problem.]
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2009
  2. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    I don't know how anyone could tell if "you are doing something which might be causing this problem," without knowing everything that you are doing. It's not that your question is "silly" as you fear, but that your expectations of a meaningful response based on the information at hand is unreasonable.
     
  3. Sorry, I guess I was wondering if the pain could be from improper gait or related to high arches in some way. But I'm not a doctor & ultimately shouldn't speculate.

    Do you have thoughts on what could cause pain that feels like a bruise, but without any marks or contusion? I haven't had any trauma to this area.
     
  4. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    There are far too many non-traumatic conditions and disease processes to meaningfully speculate on the cause of your pain simply by its location.
     
  5. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I am having the same problem. It's very strange. I don't recall dropping anything on my foot or hurting it in anyway. Around a month ago i noticed a mile to moderate pain in the same location. It was most often when i would put pressure on the ball of my foot but also hurts at times when I am sitting and not putting any pressure on it. There was very mild swelling in the location, and although you can't see a bruise, it feels that way when i put pressure on it. It hasn't really gotten any better/worse over the last four weeks or so , the amount of pain just fluctuates. Have you been to the doctor yet? I too have been waiting, thinking it is likely not too serious , assuming it will just go away on its own. If there is no change in the next week I will be going to the doctor. Not sure if i should make initial appointment with family doc or schedule with podiatrist.
     
  6. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I too am experiencing the same kind of pain with out swelling on the top of my left foot. There is a slight redness that popped up yesterday to the area. I've been training for a half marathon and the pain has been coming and going, but while I was doing my 6 miles yesterday it would hurt more to walk then to run. And it has something to do with the flexing bc that's when it hurts the most (when toes pointed or flexed). I'm good about wearing comfortable shoes with loose laces so it's like it has to be a bruise from the inside. I don't know if I should stay off of it or if i can just tough it out. I've tried to self diagnos but your story is the only close that matches! If anyone else can help it would be greatly appretiated!
     
  7. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    The same thing with me, the top of my foot has been hurting it started underneath my small toe but then it also started hurting right below my big toe all on the top of my foot also this week the pain moved up to the front side of my ankle too. In the beginning it would just hurt when I touched it or massaged it, but now it hurts when I move my foot forward, so it now hurts when i walk. it feels like bruising but not on the bones, my toes or movement of the toes doesn't cause any pain. I also thought it might of been my running shoes so i loosened them but it still hurts after a week. This pain has been for almost a whole month. i haven't had fractures or any trauma on the foot as well. i haven't dropped anything on it as well. The only thing is i do lift heavy boxes at work ranging from 15 pounds to 55 pounds does that have to do anything with it.
     
  8. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I have it too while running, and I too wear supports for my high arches. I asked my running coach, and she said it could be that the shoes I am wearing do not fit with my supports, and that it is pushing the top of my foot to the top of my sneaker. So the pressure, combined with running, is making my foot sore.
     
  9. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Re: pain on top of foot (feels like a bruise or broke)

    I've had the same type of pain but mine occurred after having a bad reaction to pain medicine. My feet swelled huge and the doctor thought it was due to my kidneys and said that walking on swollen feet was better then sitting around, but the swelling continued. Then I had a friend who told me that this type of pain medicine was known for causing swelling and a high allergic reaction to some people. So I took Benadryl and the swelling started to go down. After the swelling was completely gone, it felt like the top of my foot was bruised. But it became much worse. And then the pain in my feet became so severe I thought my feet were broken. And even today, I can't wear tennis shoes or anything that completely covers my feet. I have to wear sandals that I can slip on and off on a hurry. And the pain gets so bad some times that I'll start crying and I can no longer use my feet. And if I do, I usually end up being stuck wherever I was going until I can handle going through the pain again.

    My feet have been x-rayed multiple times and they say they don't see any breaks or fractures. I have no clue whats causing the pain, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I've literally thrown my shoes across the yard trying to get them off as quickly as possible.

    Nobody seems to be able to tell me whats going on. Now I've noticed I've got small lumps on both feet in the arch area on the bottom of my feet. And the lumps seem to be all around the tendon (I think that's what it is) in the arch area.

    I bought tennis shoes that were 1 size too big because I thought it was my shoes, it was not. I tried walking around in them but after about 7 minutes I couldn't handle the pain any longer. So it's not the shoes.

    All this started happening after the allergic reaction to Morphine.

    If anyone has ever had this happen after having severely swollen feet and then end up with severe pain after the swelling, please let me know? I've asked my doctor, tried finding anything to do with this on the internet, and nobody can seem to give me a clue. As for going to podiatrist, my doctor has to give me a referral and he doesn't want to do that just yet. I've had blood work done and that too has came back normal.


    Thank you,
    Andrea
     
  10. mictim

    mictim New Member

    Hello i had a similar pain it was also on the bottom of my foot and then shortly after my second toe started crossing over the big toe i also hqd a small bunion ! I just had surgery since during the past three years the toe was crossing over worse basically was not even aliigned with the other toes so they had ti cut some of the bone in the foot to shorten the toe and put in pins , it was so strange since i always had straight toes ! Best of luck to you !
     
  11. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I have the same pain but don't wear runners or tight shoes, recently I found it hurts more after wearing flip flops. I also have high arches
     
  12. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I am also having the pain on top of my (left) foot, around the 2nd metatarsal, there is slight swelling and crepitus (clicking/crunching/bubbles bursting sound/feeling) when I move the toes. There isn't additional heat in the area and a bruise isn't distinguishable. The pain has been worsening over the last week to the point of limping. I am active and lift heavy lower body in the gym, also run/walk steps daily. My running/walking style is neutral, but I do use blue SuperFeet inserts in my tennis shoes for arch support. (I didn't get new shoes recently and don't recall a traumatic event from last week.)
    Since this original post is a little older, I was hoping that someone may have gotten answers by now?
    I have been loosening my shoes hoping the bruise (if that's what it is) would resolve. I now feel like my mobility and training is slightly restricted.
    Thanks.
     
  13. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    If any of you have pain between the 3rd and fourth toe it could be something called MORTONS NEUROMA.

    This is an extreme sharp burning pain caused by the middle of 3 nerves which divide into the foot being inflamed.

    As time goes on, the bones irritate the nerve from both sides and it callous , becoming larger and easier to irritate.

    Usually happening to ppl with wide feet or ill fitting shoes. Also gets worse over time.

    I suffered with this going un diagnosed for 14 years since the age of 6. Finally I told a doctor that I was going to cut the pain out myself if they can't do anything.

    The doctor moved my foot a certain way and bang, he made the pain happen. I said GREAT, I won't walking again today! But he knew immediately what it was.

    I had an operation and the surgeon removed nerves that were the size of his thumbs! He was amazed that I was walking at all.

    This does not show up on x-rays and not many doctors seem to know about this from my experience.

    I am so grateful I had this removed as once it began hurting I could do very little walking that day without extreme pain.

    Hope this helps someone so they won't need to suffer for years like me.

    ps. wearing skates would always trigger this in seconds for some reason.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2013
  14. talfighel

    talfighel New Member

    Maybe you should try to change shoes or shoe sizes to see if it makes any difference.

    I would try that out.

    I also think that you should ice it every time you are done with the exercise.
     
  15. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    This response was very generic n provided no helpful information at all ! Everything that was said in the question is same exact issues I'm experiencing doin about the same activities as well.. I mean U could of at least guessed..instead of wasting our time and yours with an unreasonable response
     
  16. GreggG

    GreggG New Member

    Hi I just want to throw this out to everyone, I don't seem to see my diagnosis anywhere. A few years back I had swelling on the bottom of my feet it would come and go sometimes more severe than others, I went to Heart Specialist, Podiatrist, and my internist no one could diagnosis it. Then a few months later I was diagnosed with cancer unrelated to the swelling but it did get more severe. After surgery swelling went away and hadnt come back for awhile. then recently it started to come back, my Oncologist reassured me the feet swelling is not a symptom of cancer, he ran a series of teste and swears I'm clean. He did tell me It maybe a result of stress. That was my Ah ha moment. He was correct, I was recently under an increadible amount of stress, and naturally being diagnosed with cancer would create tremendous stress as well. Has anyone else experienced feet swelling as a result of stress?
     
  17. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Thank you so much for posting. I was diagnosed with (2) MN several years ago and even had surgery for it. Too bad the surgeon didn't get them out. I just learned to wear shoes with good support all over to lessen the pain. It became almost unnoticeable. Fast forward to now and I'm having top of the foot pain. This definitely sounds like the first place to start for a diagnosis when I see the doctor.
     
  18. Kristin

    Kristin Guest

    I am also experience this pain like a bruise on the top of both my feet! But i am working at an animal shelter for the week,so alot of walking is being done,but its never happened before when i worked here. The pain is unbearable when i try to point my toes forward or back.... anyway going to have to wait and see if it gets better ith rest. if not, off to the DR.....
     
  19. DianeK

    DianeK Guest

    I have the pain you are all talking about but only on the top of my left foot. I thought maybe it was because of wearing sandals for a few months this summer with no support. But I've worn true shoes for the last month and it doesn't feel any better. If I don't touch it, it doesn't hurt but if it walk on it or wear shoes....it causes bruise like pain.
     
  20. jason

    jason Guest

    GOUT GOUT GOUT!!! Starts off like you banged your foot and progressively gets worse then after a few days it will go as quick as it come
     
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