The full catalog
Every condition,
in one place.
111 foot & ankle conditions organized by what they affect — search, browse, or jump straight to a category below.
Skin & Nail
Surface conditions — fungal infections, ingrown nails, melanoma, calluses, and other things you can see.
Athlete's Foot
A fungal infection that itches, peels, and spreads easily. How to confirm the diagnosis, which antifungals work, and how to keep it from returning.
Blisters
Friction blisters are nearly universal for anyone breaking in new shoes or running long distances. When to drain, when to leave alone, and prevention.
Cellulitis
A bacterial skin infection that spreads through deeper layers of skin. On the foot, it can escalate quickly — especially in diabetes or poor circulation.
Contact Dermatitis
An itchy red rash that mirrors the shape of what is touching the foot. Shoe rubber, leather tanning agents, and sock dyes are common triggers.
Corns & Calluses
Thickened skin from repeated friction is the foot's protective response. The difference between corns and calluses, safe removal, and addressing pressure.
Cracked Heels
Deep splits in thickened heel skin from dryness and pressure. Mostly cosmetic, but bleeding cracks can become infected. The moisturizing steps that work.
Foot Eczema
An inflammatory skin condition causing itchy rash on soles or between toes. Frequently mistaken for athlete's foot. The key differences and how each is treated.
Foot Psoriasis
Autoimmune skin condition producing thick, sharply bordered scaly patches on the soles. Frequently mistaken for athlete's foot. How dermatology confirms it.
Ganglion Cyst
A fluid-filled lump next to a joint or tendon on the top of the foot. Almost always benign and can be left alone if it causes no pain.
Ingrown Toenail
Sharp pain along the nail edge, often with swelling or infection. Home care, what NOT to do, and the in-office procedure that fixes stubborn cases.
Onycholysis
When the toenail lifts away from the skin underneath. The most common causes, how to tell it apart from fungal infection, and what helps the nail reattach.
Paronychia
Infection around a toenail — bacterial and acute, or fungal and chronic. Often follows an ingrown nail. When soaks help and when antibiotics are needed.
Plantar Warts
HPV-caused growths on the sole that press inward and feel like a pebble underfoot. How to confirm the diagnosis, which OTC treatments work, and clinic options.
Porokeratosis (PPD)
A small, deep, painful lesion on the sole regularly misdiagnosed as a callus or plantar wart. How to tell them apart and why treatment differs.
Puncture Wounds
Deep wounds from stepping on something sharp — small on the surface but a high risk of deep infection if not cleaned. Especially serious through a shoe.
Skin Lesions
Lumps, spots, and unusual skin changes on the foot range from harmless cysts to melanoma. Visual self-diagnosis is unreliable. Warning signs and evaluation.
Subungual Exostosis
A small bone growth pushing up under a toenail, often confused with an ingrown nail or wart. How to tell it apart and the simple surgery that removes it.
Subungual Hematoma
Blood pooling under a toenail after a stub, drop, or repetitive impact. When it needs drainage, when to leave it alone, and how to tell it from melanoma.
Sweaty Feet
Excessive foot sweating that won't quit, even at rest. Why feet sweat, what works at each step, and when sudden-onset sweating means seeing a doctor.
Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus thickens and discolors nails — treatment takes up to a year. What works, why topicals fail, and one sign that needs urgent care.
Big Toe Joint (1st MTP)
Conditions of the big toe and its joint at the ball of the foot — bunions, arthritis, gout, and the sesamoids beneath.
Bunion
Bunions can't be reversed without surgery — but the right shoes, orthotics, and care can dramatically reduce pain and slow progression for years.
Gout
Gout in the big toe causes sudden severe pain that often wakes you from sleep. What triggers attacks, how to relieve them fast, and how to prevent the next one.
Hallux Limitus
Limited motion in the big toe joint — the early stage before full hallux rigidus. Why catching it early matters and what conservative care can change.
Hallux Varus
The big toe angles away from the second toe instead of toward it. Most often after bunion surgery. Conservative options and when surgical correction is needed.
Pseudogout
Acute joint pain from calcium crystal deposits — looks like gout but involves a different crystal and treatment. How it's diagnosed and the long-term picture.
Sesamoid Fracture
Two small bones under the big toe joint. How to tell a real sesamoid fracture from a bipartite sesamoid — a normal two-piece variant — on X-ray.
Sesamoiditis
Sharp pain under the ball of the foot during push-off. What the sesamoids are, how to tell sesamoiditis from a fracture, and what rest and padding can do.
Stiff Big Toe
Arthritis that stiffens the big toe joint and limits walking. What causes the stiffness, which conservative measures help, and when surgery is recommended.
Turf Toe
A sprain of the big toe joint (1st MTP) from hyperextending the toe on a hard surface like artificial turf. Common in football, dance, and martial arts.
Toes
Toe deformities, alignment issues, and developmental variants.
Brachydactyly (Short Toes)
Inherited condition where one or more toes are shorter than expected from underdeveloped bones. Mostly cosmetic; shoe-fit problems can arise.
Claw Toe
All three joints of the toe bend out of alignment, creating a claw shape with calluses on top and at the tip. Often linked to neuropathy or RA.
Clubfoot
A congenital deformity where feet turn inward and down at birth. Highly treatable with early Ponseti casting — most kids grow up with full function.
Hammertoes
Toe deformities where joints bend abnormally, causing pain and calluses. Which cases respond to shoe changes and padding, and which require surgical correction.
Intoeing / Out-toeing
Feet pointing inward (pigeon-toed) or outward when walking — common in childhood. Many cases self-correct with growth; some don't. When evaluation is needed.
Mallet Toe
The tip joint of the toe bends downward, forming a callus at the tip. Distinct from hammertoe but often coexists. When to address it before it becomes rigid.
Polydactyly (Extra Toes)
Being born with one or more extra toes — identified at birth, typically managed surgically when it affects shoe fit or function. The types and what to expect.
Toe Fractures
Broken or dislocated toes from stubbing, dropping, or sports. Most heal with buddy taping and stiff-soled shoes. Big toe fractures need closer attention.
Metatarsals & Forefoot
The five long bones of the forefoot and the soft tissue between them.
Foot Neuroma / Neuritis
Burning, tingling, or electric pain in the ball of the foot from a pinched nerve. What causes it, which shoe changes and injections may help, and surgery.
Freiberg's Disease
The head of the second metatarsal loses its blood supply and partially collapses, causing forefoot pain. Most common in adolescent girls.
Iselin's Disease
Growth plate inflammation at the base of the 5th metatarsal in active kids. How to recognize it, why it is often confused with a fracture, and how to treat it.
Jones Fracture
A fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal — notorious for slow healing because of poor blood supply. Often confused with simpler avulsion fractures.
Metatarsal Fracture
A break in one of the five long midfoot bones. Most heal in a walking boot, but location determines whether surgery is needed. Fracture types and recovery.
Metatarsalgia
Pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot, where the metatarsal heads bear weight. A symptom rather than a diagnosis — finding the cause matters.
MTP Capsulitis
Inflammation in the joint capsule at the base of the second or third toe. Often the early warning before a plantar plate tear, treatable with shoe changes.
Plantar Plate Tear
A tear in the ligament under a lesser toe joint that lets the toe drift and cross its neighbor. Often the next stage after untreated capsulitis.
Stress Fracture
Tiny cracks in bone from repetitive force — most often the metatarsals. Pain that builds with activity and improves with rest after a training jump.
Tailor's Bunion
A bony prominence at the base of the pinky toe — like a regular bunion, but on the outside of the foot. From a mix of inherited foot shape and tight shoes.
Midfoot
Conditions affecting the midfoot bones and joints — between the forefoot and the heel.
Accessory Navicular
An extra bone or cartilage on the inside of the midfoot — present in roughly 1 in 10 people, mostly silent but sometimes a real cause of arch pain.
Cuboid Fracture
A fracture of the cuboid — small cube-shaped bone on the outer midfoot. Often missed on initial X-rays. The nutcracker variant is severe.
Cuboid Syndrome
A painful subluxation of the cuboid bone in the outer midfoot, often missed because X-rays look normal. The manipulation that fixes it, and prevention.
Foot Arthritis
Joint pain, stiffness, and cartilage wear in the foot or ankle. Differences between osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, and post-traumatic types, and treatments.
Köhler's Disease
Avascular necrosis of the navicular bone in children ages 4 to 7, causing a painful limp. Almost always self-limiting. What to expect and when a boot may help.
Lisfranc Injury
An injury to the ligaments and bones of the midfoot — easily missed but can lead to long-term arthritis if untreated. The classic missed-on-the-sideline injury.
Midfoot Arthritis
Cartilage wear in the midfoot joints causes aching pain with every step. Common years after a Lisfranc injury. Symptoms, progression, and pain relief.
Navicular Fracture
An acute break of the navicular, the midfoot's keystone bone. Easily missed alongside other midfoot injuries. How it differs from a stress fracture.
Navicular Stress Fx
A stress fracture of the navicular in the midfoot — a high-risk injury often missed on initial X-ray. Requires aggressive treatment and a slow return to sport.
Tarsal Coalition
A congenital bridge between two hindfoot bones, often quiet until adolescence when it causes pain and a stiff flat foot. Diagnosis and surgery.
Heel & Arch
The plantar fascia, heel pad, and arch — the most loaded structures in the foot.
Baxter's Neuritis
Compression of a small nerve near the heel that mimics plantar fasciitis. How to tell them apart and why catching it matters when standard care isn't working.
Haglund's Deformity
A bony bump at the back of the heel irritated by stiff shoe heel counters. The 'pump bump' name reflects its association with women's high heels.
Heel Bursitis
Inflammation of a bursa cushioning the back of the heel. Often coexists with Achilles tendinitis or Haglund's deformity, aggravated by stiff-backed shoes.
Heel Fracture
A broken heel bone — usually from a fall from height. Often a high-energy injury with long-term consequences for joint motion and arthritis.
Heel Pad Bursitis
Inflammation of a deep bursa beneath the heel bone — a central heel ache distinct from plantar fasciitis. Often confused with it but managed differently.
Heel Pain
Morning heel pain is usually plantar fasciitis — but Achilles tendinitis, heel spurs, and nerve issues each need different treatment. How to tell them apart.
Heel Spurs
A heel spur is a bony growth on the heel bone — but the spur itself is often painless. The difference between heel spurs and plantar fasciitis, and treatment.
Ledderhose Disease
Firm benign nodules form within the plantar fascia of the arch, sometimes growing over years. The plantar equivalent of Dupuytren's contracture in the hand.
Plantar Fasciitis
Sharp morning heel pain from a strained band of arch tissue. Why it hurts most with the first steps, the stretches that actually work, and a realistic timeline.
Plantar Fibroma
A benign nodule in the plantar fascia — feels like a firm lump in the arch. Not cancerous, but sometimes uncomfortable, especially when walking barefoot.
Sever's Disease
Heel pain in growing children caused by inflammation at the heel's growth plate — common, self-limiting, and not actually a disease.
Ankle & Hindfoot
The Achilles tendon, ankle ligaments, and posterior tibial tendon.
Achilles Rupture
A complete tear of the Achilles tendon — often during a sudden push-off in recreational sports. Frequently mistaken for an ankle sprain at first.
Achilles Tendinitis
Inflammation or degeneration of the Achilles tendon. The difference between mid-portion and insertional tendinitis, and evidence-based treatments.
Ankle Dislocation
A serious injury where the talus moves out of its position in the ankle joint — almost always with a fracture. An emergency requiring rapid reduction.
Ankle Fracture
A break in one or more bones forming the ankle joint. Often confused with a sprain at first — the mechanism is similar. Many require surgery.
Ankle Impingement
Pain at the front of the ankle from soft tissue or bone spurs pinching during dorsiflexion. 'Footballer's ankle' — common in athletes who bend the ankle hard.
Ankle Instability
Repeated ankle giving-way after one or more sprains. Affects roughly 1 in 5 people who sprain an ankle. Preventable with proper rehab — and treatable.
Ankle Sprain
How long does a sprained ankle take to heal? Grade 1: 1–3 weeks. Grade 2: 3–6 weeks. Treatment, the Ottawa Rules, and avoiding re-sprains.
Extensor Tendinitis
Pain on the top of the foot from inflamed tendons, often triggered by tight shoe lacing or a sudden mileage jump. How to confirm and relieve it fast.
Gastroc Tear
A tear of the medial gastrocnemius — a sudden 'pop' in the calf during push-off. Frequently mistaken for an Achilles rupture but managed differently.
High Ankle Sprain
An injury to the ligaments connecting the tibia and fibula just above the ankle joint. Slower to heal than a regular sprain — and often misdiagnosed as one.
Peroneal Subluxation
The peroneal tendons snap out of their groove behind the ankle, causing a visible pop and outer ankle instability. Why this is frequently missed after sprains.
Peroneal Tendinitis
Inflammation or wear of the tendons along the outer ankle — common in athletes who cut and pivot. Symptoms, link to ankle instability, and PT focus.
Peroneal Tendon Tear
A tear in the peroneal tendons along the outer ankle, often mistaken for a sprain that won't heal. Symptoms, how MRI confirms it, and when surgery is needed.
Posterior Impingement
Pain at the back of the ankle when the foot points down — usually from a bony fragment or os trigonum pinched between the tibia and heel. Common in ballet.
PTT Dysfunction
The most common cause of adult-acquired flatfoot. A key tendon weakens, the arch collapses, the foot rolls inward. Catching it early matters.
Sinus Tarsi Syndrome
Persistent pain in a small bony canal on the outside of the hindfoot, often after an ankle sprain that should have healed. Why it's frequently missed.
Subtalar Arthritis
Cartilage wear in the joint between the talus and heel bone, often years after a calcaneal fracture. How it differs from ankle arthritis and what helps.
Subtalar Dislocation
A high-energy emergency where the foot dislocates beneath the ankle joint. Requires urgent reduction and follow-up for arthritis and avascular necrosis risk.
Subtalar Instability
Hindfoot giving-way that persists even after ankle sprains have healed. Often confused with chronic ankle instability but involves deeper ligaments.
Talar Fracture
A break in the talus — the bone connecting foot to leg. Because the talus has a precarious blood supply, fractures carry significant risk of avascular necrosis.
Talar OCD Lesion
A defect in the cartilage and bone of the talar dome — often from an old ankle sprain that didn't fully heal. A cause of persistent ankle pain after a sprain.
Tarsal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel of the foot — compression of a major nerve behind the inner ankle. Burning, tingling, or shooting pain in the inner ankle, arch, or toes.
Structural & Whole-Foot
How your foot is built and moves — flat feet, high arches, gait patterns, and nerve syndromes.
Accessory Ossicles (Extra Bones)
Small extra bones some people are born with, scattered through the foot. Most are silent on X-ray. A few cause pain when pinched or fractured.
Burning Feet
Burning, tingling, or hot sensations in the feet that are a symptom, not a diagnosis. The most common underlying causes and when burning warrants a workup.
CMT Disease
An inherited nerve disorder that often appears first in the feet as high arches, hammertoes, and ankle weakness. The foot changes and how they are managed.
Compartment Syndrome
Pressure buildup in the leg's muscle compartments. The acute form is a surgical emergency — can cause permanent muscle and nerve death within hours.
CRPS
Severe, prolonged pain in a foot or limb — usually after a minor injury. Early recognition matters because the longer it persists, the harder it is to reverse.
Drop Foot
Difficulty lifting the front of the foot, causing tripping or a high-stepping gait. Usually a nerve or spinal issue. Why prompt evaluation matters.
Equinus / Tight Calves
Tight calves quietly drive plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and many other foot problems — often without causing calf pain itself.
Flat Feet
Low or absent arches are a normal variation in many adults. When flat feet cause pain, when they signal a more serious problem, and what treatments help.
High Arches
An exaggerated arch that loads the heel and ball unevenly. Often inherited and painless, but a high arch developing in adulthood can signal a neuro cause.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Damage to peripheral nerves causes numbness, burning, tingling, and balance loss — often noticed in the feet first. Causes, workup, and why foot care matters.
Pronation & Supination
How your foot rolls affects the whole kinetic chain. When overpronation or supination drives real problems, and what shoes or orthotics can do.
Shin Splints
Diffuse aching pain along the inner shin from too much, too soon. Most cases resolve with rest, calf stretching, and addressing foot mechanics underneath.
Diabetes-Related
Higher-stakes complications of diabetes affecting the foot — close monitoring required.
Charcot Foot
Bones of the foot weaken and collapse — almost always with diabetic neuropathy. Early signs (red, hot, swollen foot) are an emergency.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Nerve damage from diabetes — usually starts in the feet with numbness, burning, or tingling. The most dangerous part isn't pain; it's the sensation you lose.
Diabetic Ulcers
Open sores on the feet in diabetes — the leading cause of lower-limb amputation, but largely preventable with vigilant foot care.
Foot & Leg Swelling
Swollen feet or ankles can come from dozens of causes, some harmless and some urgent. How swelling pattern points to the cause and when to seek same-day care.
Lymphedema
Persistent swelling when the lymphatic system can't drain properly. Differs from venous swelling because it involves the toes and feels firmer over time.
Osteomyelitis
A bone infection in the foot — most often with diabetes, foot ulcers, or trauma. Hard to diagnose, harder to treat, and a leading cause of amputation.
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to legs and feet. Causes leg pain with walking, slow wound healing, and signals cardiovascular risk overall.
Venous Insufficiency
Faulty vein valves let blood pool in the lower leg, causing swelling, heaviness, skin changes, and eventually ulcers near the ankle.
Wound Healing & Infections
Small foot wounds heal slowly in diabetes because of nerve damage and poor circulation. Warning signs of infection and why same-day care matters.