When Foot Pain Isn’t Just a Foot Problem: A GP–Podiatrist Perspective

Foot pain is one of those complaints many people try to live with. It starts as a dull ache after a long day, a sore heel in the morning, or discomfort that comes and goes. Often, people assume it will settle on its own, and sometimes it really does.

But in clinical practice, we also see many patients whose foot pain lingers for months, despite rest, pain relief, or even physiotherapy. At that point, the issue may no longer be just about the foot itself, but how the foot functions within the entire lower limb.

This is where collaboration between general practitioner (GPs), podiatrists, and other healthcare professionals becomes important.

Why Foot Pain Is Often More Than Just Where It Hurts

Pain is useful. It tells us something is wrong, but it doesn’t always tell us why. For example, heel pain may feel localised, but the contributing factors can include:

• how the foot loads during walking
• ankle flexibility
• calf tightness
• footwear choices
• how forces travel up the leg during daily activity

In Singapore, we commonly see foot pain linked to long hours of standing or walking, commuting, dress shoes with limited support, or sudden increases in activity such as recreational running, fitness classes, or even a long holiday trip.

When pain persists, focusing only on the painful spot may miss the underlying reason the tissue is being overloaded in the first place.

What a Podiatric Assessment Looks at Differently

Many people are surprised to learn that podiatry assessments are not just about the foot in isolation. A podiatric assessment often includes:

• observing how a person walks
• assessing foot posture and joint mobility
• checking how load is distributed during movement
• looking at how footwear interacts with foot mechanics

This dynamic, movement-based approach helps identify contributing factors that may not show up on scans or X-rays.

Imaging can be very useful in ruling out serious pathology, but it does not always explain why pain developed or why it keeps returning. Understanding how the foot behaves during everyday movement is often key to longer-term improvement.

When Foot Pain Stops Improving

One common scenario we see is when pain improves initially, then plateaus. For example:

• morning heel pain that settles slightly but never fully resolves
• recurring forefoot pain that flares up whenever activity increases
• discomfort that shifts location rather than disappearing

This doesn’t mean earlier care was inappropriate. In many cases, it simply means another layer of assessment is needed.

A podiatric assessment can help determine whether biomechanical factors are continuing to place stress on the same tissues, even as symptoms are being managed.

The Role of Collaborative Care

Foot pain is rarely managed by one profession alone. Good outcomes often involve collaboration between:

• GPs, who provide medical oversight and initial assessment
• physiotherapists, who guide rehabilitation and strengthening
• podiatrists, who address foot mechanics, load distribution, and footwear

When care is coordinated, patients often understand their condition better and feel more confident following through with management plans. This is especially important for conditions that are influenced by activity levels, lifestyle, and long-term habits.

Why Early Assessment Matters

Waiting until pain becomes severe or long-standing can make recovery more challenging. What usually can recover in a few weeks can now require few months to get better. Early assessment helps:

• identify contributing factors before they worsen
• reduce repeated flare-ups
• prevent compensation patterns that affect knees, hips, or lower back

This doesn’t mean every episode of foot pain needs specialist input. But when symptoms persist, recur, or limit daily activities, further evaluation can be helpful.

Keeping People Moving Comfortably

From a patient’s perspective, the goal is usually simple: to walk, work, exercise, and live comfortably without being constantly aware of their feet.

Achieving that often requires looking beyond the painful area and understanding how the body moves as a whole. This is where collaboration between healthcare professionals becomes valuable, ensuring care is not fragmented but complementary.

Assessment by a podiatrist trained in lower-limb biomechanics, such as Straits Podiatry, can be a useful part of that broader care approach when foot-related symptoms persist.

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