Thank you for your email. This persistent foot pain is definitely not normal, typical "sprain/ strain" should resolve within a week or two.
Before we start, we need to ask you a few more questions about your symptoms:
1. Was there any injuries involved? (it means that we might have to suspect fractures or ligaments tear)
2. Does this pain radiates from somewhere? Is there any associated symptoms such as numbness/ paraesthesia (ant biting sensation)/ weakness? (it means that the pain maybe referred from the spine and could be nerve related)
3. Will the pain be bad enough that keeps you awake at night? (it means that we might have to suspect something more sinister such as some kind of abnormal growths)
Sometimes fractures can occur without major fall/ injury, they can occur with repeated loading/ strenuous exercises, the classic example is stress fracures in the metatarsal bones in soldiers who are required to do long distance marching.
Another uncommon cause of foot pain would be a Morton's neuroma, typically felt as a persistent "pebble in the shoe". It's a benign growth of one of the nerves in the foot which may get impinged or irritated from the movements of the foot.
To clinch the diagnosis, we would need to perform careful physical examination and advanced imaging (X rays can rule out fractures, but MRI would be able to pick up more information about where there are ligaments tear or any abnormal growths).
I would definitely recommend you to get check out by an Orthopaedic Surgeon or a Sports Physician. Only after the cause of your symptoms had been established, then we can initiate appropriate treatments.
Hope it clarifies some of your doubts.
Cheers,
Dr. Henry Chan
