Have you noticed any snapping sounds coming from your feet or ankle when you are walking or running?

Snapping in the foot or ankle is a condition in which you feel a snapping sensation or hear a popping sound in your foot when you move your lower extremities. The snapping sensation occurs when a muscle or tendon (the strong tissue that connects muscle to bone) moves over a bony protrusion in your feet. 

Although snapping anywhere is usually painless and harmless, the sensation can be annoying. In some cases, snapping in the foot can lead to bursitis, a painful swelling of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints.

When tendon snapping/popping follows major trauma, tearing of support soft tissue structures may have occurred and warrants an orthopedic consult if the snapping is either painful or limits function.

Author

Visoth Chan, DPM Dr. Visoth Chan is the owner and medical director of Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience. Following this, she received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at the California School of Podiatric Medicine in Oakland. She subsequently completed her podiatric surgical residency at White Memorial in Los Angeles. She takes great pride in her role at Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates and strives to make sure her patients have the best care possible. When not treating patients, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family, especially her daughter, Emmylou.