Top of foot pain refers to discomfort or pain experienced on the upper surface of the foot. This type of pain can result from various causes and conditions, affecting individuals of different ages and activity levels. Some common causes of top of foot pain include:

Extensor Tendonitis

Inflammation or overuse of the tendons that run along the top of the foot can lead to tendonitis, causing pain, swelling, and tenderness.

Stress Fractures

Repetitive stress or sudden increase in activity can cause small fractures in the bones of the foot, leading to pain and discomfort.

Metatarsal Fractures

Fractures of the metatarsal bones (the long bones in the midfoot) can cause pain at the top of the foot.

Morton's Neuroma

This condition involves a thickening of the tissue around the nerves leading to the toes, often causing a sharp or burning pain on the top of the foot.

Tarsal Coalition

An abnormal connection between two bones in the foot can lead to pain on the top of the foot, particularly during physical activity.

Arthritis

Inflammatory conditions like arthritis can affect the joints in the midfoot, causing pain and stiffness.

Nerve Compression

Compression of nerves in the foot can result in pain and other sensory symptoms on the top of the foot.

Tight Footwear

Wearing ill-fitting or tight shoes can cause pressure on the top of the foot, leading to pain and discomfort.

Dorsal Ganglion Cyst

A cystic swelling that can develop on the top of the foot, causing pain and irritation.

Treatment for Pain on the Top of the Foot

The treatment for top of foot pain depends on the underlying cause. It may include rest, ice, elevation, and anti-inflammatory medications for mild cases. In more severe cases, medical evaluation and imaging may be necessary to determine the specific cause and guide the appropriate treatment, which may involve physical therapy, orthotic devices, or, in some cases surgery.

KT Tape for Top of Foot Pain Video Summary

This is when you have pain  across the top of the foot and ankle. Some causes of this may be overuse,  tight poorly fitting or worn out shoes, running on uneven surfaces may also be a  cause. KT Tape helps treat this condition by  relieving pressure to reduce pain, relaxes associate muscles, and may increase circulation.

For this application, I'm actually going to place a red dot just on top of the foot. Your pain may vary by location, but we'll just use this as a  reference. Okay, and position-wise, we're actually going to place the foot in plantar flexion, or in other words, toes pointing away from the shins. For the first part of this application, we're gonna take a full strip of KT Tape. Folding that in half. We will take a pair of scissors and cut rounded corners on the folded end of the tape. Rounding the corners helps prevent the tape from rolling up or catching on clothing. We're then going to twist and tear the backer paper right in the middle of that first piece. Peeling that paperback, being very careful not to touch the adhesive part of the tape. We're then going to apply this over that point of pain with an eighty percent stretch.

So we're going to stretch that all the way out and then back that off just a little bit, and then place that over the point of pain. We're going just to pinch off the ends and lay the ends of that tape down with absolutely zero stretch. So the only stretched portion of that piece is in the middle. We're going to give it a good rub, especially on the edges so it sticks well, that creates a little heat.

Okay, we're going to take our second piece, and we're going to tear again right in the middle. This is from the first piece we cut. We're going to apply nice even pressure with our thumbs, going over at that point of pain once again, just a little bit higher. Eighty percent stretch, peeling off  the paper, and laying down the ends with absolutely zero stretch. And for our last piece, we're going to take a full strip. This time we're going to tear the tape down by the logo end. This creates an anchor point that we will place just beyond those first two pieces on the skin, but behind the toes. We're also going to flex the toes to stretch the skin over that area. We're going to peel the paper back, but again handling the tape with the paper only. We're going to now put a fifty percent stretch on this, so a hundred percent, then backing halfway off. And now laying that down on the skin, and in the very top part, we're going to take off that paper and place that down on the skin with absolutely zero stretch. We're going to give the whole thing a good rub just to make sure the edges are down over the entire application. A little friction creates heat, heat activates the adhesive on the tape.

Summary

  • KT Tape can be used to treat top of foot pain caused by overuse, tight shoes, worn-out shoes, or running on uneven surfaces.
  • The application involves placing a strip of KT Tape with 80% stretch over the point of pain, pinching off the ends without any stretch, and rubbing the tape to ensure it sticks well.
  • A second piece of KT Tape is applied slightly higher than the first one, using the same stretching and laying down technique.
  • An anchor point is created with a full strip of KT Tape torn down by the logo end and placed behind the toes, with 50% stretch applied.
  • Helpful tips before applying include cleaning the skin, trimming hair, wearing a sock while sleeping, and considering complementary treatments like rest, ice, stretching, massaging, and anti-inflammatory medications. Seek medical care for severe pain, swelling, or discoloration.