There are 26 bones and over 30 joints in a human foot. Whenever a joint sustains an injury, the body’s defense mechanism kicks in by increasing the blood supply to the affected region. This leads to fluid buildup in the surrounding tissues, causing the joint to swell. Joint swelling might also bring about stiffness, redness, warmth, and sometimes pain, depending on why the injury happened.

In addition to injuries, joint swelling in the foot can arise from conditions that are inflammatory, degenerative, due to injury, triggered by infection, or caused by the formation of crystals in the joints, like in the case of gout. Persistent disease should be evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon to accurately pinpoint the origin and to determine the most effective course of treatment.