Tacoma General Hospital

Foot and Ankle Problems and Injuries

At one time or another, everyone has had a minor toe, foot, or ankle injury that caused pain or swelling. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury.

Acute Injuries
An acute injury may occur from a direct blow, a penetrating injury, a fall, or from twisting, jerking, jamming, or bending a limb abnormally. Common acute injuries include:

  • Bruises
  • Injuries to ligaments or tendons
  • Sprains
  • Fractures
  • Dislocations

Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries occur when too much stress is placed on your joint or other tissue, often by "overdoing" an activity or repeating the same activity over and over. Common overuse injuries include:

  • Retrocalcaneal bursitis, or inflammation of the bursa. This condition causes swelling and tenderness of the heel.
  • Achilles tendinitis or tendinosis, which is the breakdown of soft tissues in and around the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone.
  • Stress fracture
  • Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a broad, flat ligament on the bottom of the foot that extends from the front of the heel to the base of the toes and helps maintain the arch of the foot.
  • Metatarsalgia, which is pain in the ball of the foot.