Exploring The Underlying Causes Of A Foot Ligament Pain

Conditions Associated With Painful Foot Ligaments

Foot ligament pain can sometimes be temporary, especially if you’ve been wearing inadequate footwear or you’ve been spending too much time on your feet. However, if you experience long-lasting (chronic) painful sensations, you should not underestimate the severity of your condition.

Over time, inflammatory conditions and fractures can change your foot mechanics which, in turn, can impact how your body weight is distributed during movement. If left unaddressed, these issues can cause imbalances and damage to areas of the foot that should normally be unaffected during movement.

What’s more, foot ligament pain is sometimes caused by serious degenerative conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and gout. If left untreated, these conditions can end up permanently damaging the structures that keep the foot healthy and mobile.

Below, we’ll look at some of the most common conditions behind foot ligament pain. However, if you have been experiencing foot pain and discomfort, you should immediately seek an accurate diagnosis.

Sprained Ligament

Sprained is one of the most common forms of injury to foot ligaments. They often occur alongside ankle sprains when twisting your foot or rolling your ankle. During a sprain, a ligament is damaged due to sudden twists, blows, or falls that cause the fibers to stretch in the wrong direction or beyond their capacity.

Depending on the amount of damage reported by the ligaments, sprains are categorized in:

• Grade 1: The stretch caused microscopic tears in the ligament
• Grade 2: There is a partial tear in the ligament
• Grade 3: The ligament is entirely torn

Sprained ligaments cause a cascade of symptoms, including pain, bruising, swelling, reduced range of motion, and instability. If a ligament is completely torn, you may be unable to shift your body weight on your injured foot.

Sprained ligaments are often a consequence of forceful movements or direct trauma, but they are more likely to occur in individuals who engage in activities that involve movements like jumping or changing direction often.

Ligament Strained

Strains are a type of injury in which tissue – such as muscles and tendons – is overstretched. It can occur due to sudden movements or forceful actions, and often affects the surrounding structures.

A strained ligament in the foot will cause symptoms associated with the inflammatory response of the body to injury, including swelling, pain, and tenderness. This condition can be caused by poor muscle conditioning or excessive stress to the joints of the ankle and foot (i.e.: the excess weight carried by those obese or overweight).

Ligament Tear

Acute sprains and other injuries can lead to ligament tears. This is a severe condition that causes the ripping of fibrous tissue in the ligaments of the foot.

Torn ligaments usually occur due to sudden injuries or forceful overstretching. However, they may also be a result of the degeneration of ligaments, which can become weaker, less flexible, and prone to tears due to aging or overuse. Participating in sports that involve frequent pivoting, running on uneven surfaces, and jumping can increase your risk of suffering ligament tears.

Ligament tears can cause swelling, bruising, pain, and ankle instability, and the symptoms of this condition can take multiple months to ease down. In severe cases, you may also experience difficulty walking or shifting weight on the injured foot.

Sometimes, the ligament can become entirely detached from the bone, which leads to a ruptured ligament, a condition that requires surgical intervention.

Acute ankle sprains that lead to ligament tears may seem minor at first, but they should not be left unaddressed. Indeed, in 70% of cases, a history of ligament injuries develops into more serious and longer-lasting conditions such as chronic ankle instability (CAI), reduced foot mobility, and disability.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition that occurs when a tendon in the foot becomes inflamed, irritated, or damaged. It can affect any tendon in the leg or foot but tends to target the tendons involved with pulling the top of the foot upwards.

This condition often occurs due to repetitive motions, forceful movements, or overuse. You may be at greater risk of tendinitis if you engage in activities that involve activities like running or jumping, or if you are obese or overweight. Improper footwear, poor muscle conditioning, and age are also considered to be contributing factors to this condition.

Altough tendonitis does not immediately affect the ligaments in the foot, high levels of inflammation, tenderness, and pain may start to spread in the areas around the joint. If left unaddressed, tendonitis can permanently damage surrounding structures (including ligaments) and lead to long-term complications like chronic foot pain.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis, or Plantar Heel Pain (PHP), is one of the most common reasons for foot pain, and it accounts for over 600,000 healthcare visits in the US alone. Plantar fasciitis occurs due to the abnormal and sustained inflammation of the fascia, or the band of ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot, from the heel to the toes.

PHP is considered to be one of the most widespread foot ligament injuries and can have many risk factors, including:

• Overuse
• Excessive stress
• Being obese or overweight
• Aging
• Engaging in activities like trail running or dancing
• Wearing inadequate footwear
• Mechanical problems like flat feet and high arches

Plantar fasciitis can be a chronic pain condition that, if left untreated, can lead to reduced quality of life and disability.

Lisfranc (Midfoot) Injury

The Lisfranc joint is a joint located in the middle of the foot, between the metatarsal bones and the tarsal bones. This joint acts as the main attachment for the ligaments and muscles in the midfoot. An injury to the Lisfranc joint, such as a bone fracture or dislocation, can cause the surrounding ligaments to stretch beyond capacity and tear.

Although minor Lisfranc injuries can heal through immobilization or splinting, more severe damage to the joint and surrounding ligaments may require surgery.

Fracture Of Fifth Metatarsal

If you have been experiencing pain on the outside of the foot, the culprit could be a fracture in the fifth metatarsal. The fifth metatarsal is a long bone that runs across the external side of the foot, connecting the midfoot to the little toe.

Acute injury to this bone can happen in many ways, including:

• A sudden ankle twist
• Direct blow to the foot
• Hairline fractures
• Avulsion fractures (caused by a stretched ligament that pulls away a fragment of the bone)

You may also be at greater risk of fractures of the fifth metatarsal if you engage in high-impact activities or experience repetitive stress to the foot. Symptoms of this condition include pain, swelling, and the inability to bear weight on the affected foot.

If the bone is displaced or you have suffered multiple fractures to the shaft or head of the bone, you may require surgery. In the case of minor injuries, you can accelerate the healing process through rest and immobilization.

Ligament Degeneration

Injuries that cause foot pain may also stem from the natural, aging-related degeneration of the fibrous tissue that composes the ligaments. As we age, the ligaments responsible for supporting the structure of the foot can become weaker, less flexible, and more prone to tearing. In turn, even the simplest motion, such as climbing stairs, can lead to injuries.

It is important to note that the degeneration of ligaments is accelerated by risk factors such as obesity, anatomical abnormalities, inadequate footwear, and engaging in activities that put your feet under excessive or repetitive stress.