why is the sole near the toes of my foot painful?

Your feet bear the entire weight of your body as you walk or stand, so it's likely that most people feel foot pain at some point in their lives. With 26 bones and all the connecting joints, nerves, ligaments and muscles, foot pain can come from a number of issues. Although foot pain can be minor and go away without treatment, there are some issues that need to be seen by a doctor or you run the risk of serious damage that can result in a disabling condition.

Types

Several types of injuries can cause foot pain. One of the most common types is plantar fasciitis, which is brought on by overusing the sole of the foot. Another type of foot pain is Morton's neuroma, a nerve generally between the middle toe and the one next to the little toe becoming enlarged or thickened by stress. A third type is bone spurs, which are small protrusions of bone that may rub other bones and nerves, which will bring pain. Flat feet or fallen arches may also cause pain in the soles of the feet. There are other types, including metatarsalgia, diabetic neuropathy, plantar warts and stress fractures.

Causes

There are many causes of pain in the soles of the feet. Overuse, or standing too long, may cause your feet to burn or ache. Other causes include shoes that don't fit properly, high-impact sports, being overweight and diabetes. The feet support all of your weight, and according to an article on healthcarecentral.com, with each step you take, the force on each foot is approximately 50 percent greater than your body weight.

What to Do

Get off your feet as soon as possible when you start to experience foot pain. Try applying ice to reduce swelling. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever or anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. Sometimes a gentle massage will relieve some of the pain if the cause isn't serious enough to see a doctor.

When to See a Doctor

If the pain persists or gets worse, you can't put weight on your foot, the pain moves to another location in the foot or there's any sign of infection such as redness or localized tenderness, see a doctor. The condition may become worse if it is not treated properly.

Prevention/Solution

Have your footwear professionally fitted. Try shoes on and walk around in them in the store before purchasing them. Avoid going barefoot and wear sensible shoes (those with arch support, wide toe boxes and low heels). For sports or working out, wear properly fitting athletic footwear designed for the specific activity.

Workers comp is for an accident/injury that occurs at work. Most companies have a policy that requires you to complete an incident report within 24 hours of the incident in order for the injury to be covered. It's unlikely that this foot pain would be covered by worker's compensation unless he knows exactly what happened (i.e. - a lawnmower was dropped on his foot). In this situation, he would have needed to immediately report the incident and fill out the necessary paperwork so that the company would cover the medical costs and have a record of the incident that took place. Typically a drug test is completed as well (just protocol) after the incident/accident/injury. If there was not a specific incident that caused this foot pain, then it does not qualify for worker's comp. I would recommend that he visit his doctor to see what is going on. He may receive a referral to a podiatrist to be fitted for proper orthodics (often necessary when you're on your feet all day).