If your feet are happy, you are going to be happy — and walking, too.
But if you are feeling pain or tingling, it could be a symptom of a bigger problem.
Daily foot or ankle pain is not normal, and there is generally something you can do about it, according to Harvard Medical School.
* Your toes. When shoes are too tight, they can cause Morton's neuroma, a nerve problem. It feels like you're standing on a pebble. Treatment ranges from better shoes to steroid injections, to surgery. And a bunion is caused by an alignment problem called hammertoe. Surgery can help.
* Your heels. You can avoid or treat heel pain by increasing flexibility. Stretch by stepping away from a wall, and leaning in with your hands on it, one leg bent forward and the other holding back to stretch the ligament.
It's also caused by overuse, leading to plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a strip of tissue that creates the arch of the foot and becomes inflamed when it meets the heel bone.
Try resting, elevating and over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatories. If they don't help, you'll need physical therapy, steroid injections or custom arch supports.
* Your ankles. Pain behind the ankle may be caused by a tight Achilles' tendon resulting in tendinitis. If rest, ice, and OTC anti-inflammatories don't help, physical therapy and cortisone shots may do it.
If pain is in the ankle joint, it may be arthritis, often caused by previous trauma to the foot or ankle. Treatment ranges from footwear changes and cortisone shots to surgery.
If you can't walk at all on an ankle, it's more likely that it's broken.
* Your arches. If your foot bows outward in the middle, you may have fallen arches. They're caused by the main tendon in the foot losing its elasticity. Pain in the arch can run up the back of the ankle and leg. Custom arch supports (orthotics) will help, but you may need physical therapy.
* Your midfoot. The metatarsal bones in the middle of your feet connect to your toes. The bones are prone to fractures, especially in people with osteoporosis. A break can cause swelling and tenderness. It's treated with immobilization in a walking boot for six weeks.
