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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

Foot/ankle pain and burning


(Kentucky)

It all started about 3 years ago. I would come home at night after walking the hospital floors all day and I would be ridden to the couch d/t extreme pain and swelling in my left ankle. The pain is located on the outside of my ankle and radiates to the top of my foot.you can see a vertical indentation of a line at all times. It looks completely different than my right ankle! If I stay off my ankle for a day or so the pain goes away. However, if i am on it for more than 30 minutes, the pain flares right back up! I have seen many doctors, had x-rays, and even an EEG! everything is negative. I know this isn't in my head and the pain keeps me from doing the things I love to do!

Please help!

ANSWER

Hi,

I would actually need to examine you to give you an accurate diagnosis, but the first thing that comes to mind based on your history is that of irritation to the peroneus longus tendon as it passes on the outside of the ankle.
In most cases that I see it is usually due to excessive pronation or flattening out of the foot during gait. This of course will be exacerbated by walking hard hospital floors where there is virtually no shock absorption available to the foot and ankle.
When a foot pronates or overly flattens out during gait, there is a stretching occurring on the medial side of the ankle and a jamming effect on the lateral side of the ankle. The peroneus longus tendon gets caught up in this jamming effect.
This is really all due to poor alignment of the ankle joint from the pronation and that is why the swelling will occur on the lateral side and not all around the ankle such as might be the case in an arthritic ankle.
The easiest thing to try would be an orthotic, but it has to be a decent orthotic which is hard to find in drug stores and supermarkets as they typically do not support the foot enough so they do not reduce pronation nor do they create better ankle alignment.
You could take a look at our Superstep orthotics as an affordable alternative.
In any event I would suggest you try an orthotic first; if for some reason that does not solve your problem than an MRI would be in order.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this site is purely informational in nature. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. This information is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and treatment. The information presented here may be subject to errors and omissions.


SITE LAST UPDATED: APRIL 2026




MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
(items I prescribe in the office)


Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain
best buy in a pre-made orthotic
click link below


SuperStepOrthotics

Orthotics for heel and arch pain for those who must wear dress shoes
click link below


redithotics

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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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UK

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Unknown location

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Unknown location

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New Zealand

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Sincerely

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Arizona
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Florida
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Poland
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M P

South Carolina
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Natalie

unknown location


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Arlington, VA


Thank you so very much, that would be much appreciated. I love those insoles, by the way. (referring to Superstep orthotics)

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San Clemente, CA


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Pam

location unknown


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location unknown


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Bre

location unknown


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anonymous



Dr. Mitnick, Thank you, you were 100% correct. The pain finally brought me to the ER. I spent 8 days in the hospital. The Doppler you spoke of was able to show that there was no pulse in that foot. This was an arterial clot that split and traveled throughout my leg. My leg was almost amputated. I am in rough shape but have all my parts intact!! You certainly know what you are talking about. Thank you for taking the time to answer. Yours Truly!

anonymous



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Poland



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Seattle, WA


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Bonnie

location unknown



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New Jersey



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Debbie

location unknown



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Chrissy

location unknown



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Evansville, IA



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San Diego, CA



Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

Rivi,

Albany, NY



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Jill S.

location unknown



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Jackie

Whichita, KS



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Boston, MA



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Colorado



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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

by: Max

location unknown
Again, I really appreciate that you responded to my inquiry, and that your mention of Parkinson's helped me to find my way to a diagnosis of this difficult to diagnose disease. Most patients see on average 16 doctors before they are diagnosed. I hope that you can help other people that ask for your expertise in the future.

Barb D.

Canada
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location unknown
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Wisconsin
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Julie

location unknown
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Renae

North Carolina
Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

Thanks again doc for having this website and we STILL need qualified Podiatrists in beautiful sunny Tampa Bay (Bradenton) Florida.

Bessie Mae

Florida
Dear Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so very much for taking your time to answer my question. You have greatly relieved my anxiety related to the continual tingly I feel in my feet. I will share your response with my podiatrist next week. God bless you for having this question and answer page on your website! Most gratefully,

Lynne T.

location unknown
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Robert

New Jersey


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a mom

location unknown


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Melody

Lenoir, NC


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Rustam

Bellevue, WA


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Jodi

location unknown

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