Metatarsalgia (Ball-of-foot) Pain

Definition

Metatarsalgia is a general term used to denote a painful foot condition in the metatarsal region of the foot (the area just before the toes, more commonly referred to as the ball-of-the-foot). This is a common foot disorder that can affect the bones and joints at the ball-of-the-foot. Metatarsalgia (ball-of-foot-pain) is often located under the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal heads, or more isolated at the first metatarsal head (near the big toe).

Causes

• With this common foot condition, one or more of the metatarsal heads become painful and/or inflamed, usually due to excessive pressure over a long period of time. It is common to experience acute, recurrent, or chronic pain with metatarsalgia. Ball-of-foot pain is often caused from improper fitting footwear, most frequently by women’s dress shoes and other restrictive footwear. Footwear with a narrow toe box or high heel forces the ball-of-foot area into a minimal amount of space. This can inhibit the walking process and lead to extreme discomfort in the forefoot.
• The second most common cause of metatarsalgia is over pronation (rolling in of the foot). With over pronation of the foot the foot remains hypermobile during the whole gait cycle. When the foot remains excessively mobile it increases the amount of frictional and shearing stresses in the forefoot area this results in inflammation of the matetarsals.

Treatment and Prevention

The first step in treating metatarsalgia is to determine the cause of the pain. If improper fitting footwear is the cause of the pain, the footwear must be changed. Footwear designed with a high, wide toe box (toe area) and a rocker sole is ideal for alleviating the symptoms of metatarsalgia. The high, wide toe box allows the foot to spread out while the rocker sole reduces stress on the ball-of-the-foot.

If the foot is excessively pronating, Custom Foot Orthotics can be designed to correct the foots? malalignment and prevent the excessive strain on the metatarsals, reducing the inflammation and pain.

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