Wearing shoes that don’t fit your feet properly can cause foot pain, especially if you are on your feet for long periods of time throughout the day. Sometimes it’s best to prioritize comfort over looks when it comes to footwear. Choose shoes that will provide proper support throughout the day. In the longer term, wearing ill fitting shoes can lead to bunions.

Bunions are painful bony bumps that develop at the joint where the big toe meets the foot, on the inside of the foot⁶ . The big toe can start to lean towards the second toe, and make it painful to walk.

Tendons are the bands of tissues that attach your muscles to your bones. If they are used a lot or injured, they can become inflamed, which is called tendonitis.

Bursitis is a condition that affects the small, synovial fluid-filled sacs – called bursae – that cushion the bones and tendons near your joints. These sacs can also become injured or inflamed through overuse, resulting in bursitis. Bursitis most often occurs in joints that are used in frequent, repetitive motions.¹²

Both conditions can affect the feet and ankles, particularly common are Achilles tendonitis, or to experience these conditions if you have flat feet or high arches.¹³

Some people experience osteoarthritis in their foot joints or ankle joints. Osteoarthritis is a condition associated with the degradation of cartilage - the material that acts as a cushion between joint bones – thereby creating stiffness, pain, and decreased range of motion. Osteoarthritis can cause ankle pain or foot pain, especially when the condition causes inflammation to flare up.

Depending on what’s causing your foot or ankle pain, you can also use different types of over-the-counter pain relief. If you’re not sure what’s causing the pain it’s worth discussing with your pharmacist before selecting a product.

You can try Voltaren Pain Relief Gel if your foot or ankle pain or swelling is due to sprains, strains, bruising, or sports injuries, that have caused trauma to a tendon, ligament, muscle or joint in your foot or ankle. You can also use Voltaren Pain Relief Gel on tendonitis or bursitis. Please read the label to ensure Voltaren is the right product to relieve your pain.

Voltaren Pain Relief Gel contains a pain relieving anti-inflammatory that will help get you back on the way to doing the simple things that bring you joy, like dancing in the living room when a favourite song comes on.

Read more for targeted tips on relieving pain in your feet and ankles so you can regain the joy of movement and mobility.

• Foot and Ankle Pain Relief Options

If your foot pain symptoms or ankle pain symptoms include severe pain, swelling, or an open wound, you should see a doctor. It is also important to see a professional if you’re unable to put weight on your foot or find it difficult to walk, or if you have burning pain or numbness. Your doctor may perform a physical examination, order imaging tests such as an X-ray or MRI, and give advice on what management options are most appropriate to use for sore feet or ankles.