What are the possible causes of pain and swelling on the top part of the foot?

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Ankle pain and swelling can stem from several conditions that require medical evaluation. Common causes include fractures or stress fractures from injury or repetitive strain, bacterial infections like cellulitis that cause redness and warmth, and gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis triggered by uric acid buildup. Because these conditions vary widely in severity and treatment, identifying the underlying cause early is essential to prevent complications.

If you're experiencing symptoms and aren't sure what's causing them, taking a free, instant, online symptom check can help you better understand your condition and guide your next steps. It's a quick, confidential way to narrow down possibilities and decide whether you need urgent care, a specialist, or at-home management—empowering you with clarity before your next doctor's visit.

Reviewed for medical accuracy: 07/14/2026

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Explanation

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 you can use our free AI symptom checker to help identify potential causes before consulting your healthcare provider.

(References)

Welck MJ, Hayes T, Pastides P, Khan W, Rudge B. Stress fractures of the foot and ankle. Injury. 2017 Aug;48(8):1722-1726. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2015.06.015. Epub 2015 Sep 15. PMID: 26412591.
Hossain M, Clutton J, Ridgewell M, Lyons K, Perera A. Stress Fractures of the Foot. Clin Sports Med. 2015 Oct;34(4):769-90. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2015.06.011. PMID: 26409595.
Sullivan T, de Barra E. Diagnosis and management of cellulitis. Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Mar;18(2):160-163. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-160. PMID: 29626022; PMCID: PMC6303460.

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