Any pain is undesirable. Pain in your feet is the worst. You are left uncomfortable all through the day, you can’t put on your favorite sneakers, and what’s more apparent is that you can’t walk all that well.

This article is to help you find out why your foot might be in pain, in particular, the top portion of your foot (the area of your foot that corresponds to the region of the shoe which houses the laces). Below are 5 reasons why the top of your foot might hurt.

Stress Fracture
Don’t get intimidated already! This is not some massive-five-weeks-off-in-a-cast fracture. It’s not at all scary and can be healed pretty quick if you visit a physician as soon as possible. If you happen to experience sudden pain in the region right behind your toes, this is probably because the metatarsal bones are fractured. Metatarsal is a scientific term referring to the bones that lead to your toes, so there are five of them. Imagine the five of your toes extended up to the ankle region, this family of five bones is called the metatarsal bone family. Symptoms for this are excessive swelling and sharp pain upon touch.

Extensor Tendonitis
Again, this is a fancy term which refers to the inflammation of the tendons (tissues which connect a muscle to a bone) in the middle to upper portion of your foot. Increased tightness of your calf muscle is the culprit of this condition. Stretching your calf muscle will solve the problem. Wearing a shoe with a heel thickness of an inch should take the stress off of your tendons. Don’t worry about going out of style. You’ve got Simon Cowell and Tom Cruise for a company who happen to be fans of the heeled shoes.

Tarsal Coalition
Due to excessive growth of certain bones in your foot, there is decreased or no motion of the joints. Over time, the joints become stressed and you might experience acute pain. Symptoms include pain near your ankle and muscle spasm (sudden contraction) on the affected leg.

Too Much Activity
Although this is pretty obvious, many people look at this possibility. That pain you’re having is probably because you have walked or stood a lot the past week. Try reducing the strain on your feet and see if that makes a difference.

Tight Footwear
This is a common cause of foot pain. Tying the shoe laces too tight or wearing that tight pair of shoes (because you’re reluctant to buy a new pair) could result in unnecessary stress on your tendons which lead to discomfort.

So, those are five common reasons why the top of your foot might be hurting. If you feel that the pain persists for a week or so, it’s best that you consult an orthopedist. That’s the fastest way to restore your feet back to their best condition.