What Are the Possible Causes of Pain and Swelling on the Top Part of the Foot?

When there is pain on the top of the foot along with swelling, consider a fracture, bacterial skin infection, or gout.

Fracture

If pain or swelling begins after falling, hitting something hard, or twisting the foot, fracture of the bones in the foot are always possible. Even if there is no significant injury, continued participation in sports involving long-distance running or frequent jumping can lead to a stress fracture. Stress fractures often do not involve bruising or some discrete injury. Rather stress fractures are a wear-and-tear injury of the bone over time from repetitive overuse. Symptoms at first may be only after prolonged use but can progress to significant pain at rest if left untreated.

Bacterial infection or gout

If you experience swelling, redness, and heat along with pain on the upper aspect of your foot, it could be due to a bacterial infection or gout. Generally, the symptoms of gout occur at the base of the big toe, but can also appear in other joints of the foot. A skin infection (cellulitis) can be initially difficult to distinguish because of symptom overlap, so additional testing and evaluation by your healthcare provider is important.