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Comprehensive Foot and Ankle, LLC
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Palmer Branch, DPM Board Certified in both Foot Surgery as well as Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery |
Lilburn office: 770-921-8800 Cumming office: 770-886-6833 |
Metatarsalgia
If you are experiencing pain in the ball of your foot, this is often referred to collectively as metatarsalgia. Many different conditions can cause such pain. Such painful conditions are prevalent in physically active individuals as it may be caused by repeat impact on the ball of the foot while running and jumping. Other groups of patients at risk for such painful problems include older patients who may have lost some of the fat pad in the area or who have problems related to arthritis in the area.
Symptoms you may experience from this condition can include:
- Sharp pain or dull ache just behind the toes on the ball of the foot.
- Pain that worsens while walking, running or jumping and improves when at rest.
- Numbness or pain in the toes.
- Pain in the feet that worsens when barefoot.
There is often one primary cause for metatarsalgia, which can include:
- Tendonits of the flexor tendons which bend the toes toward the ground.
- Improper foot alignment
- Hammertoes
- Morton's Neuroma (a thickened, scarred nerve in the ball of the foot)
- Unusual foot shape
- Intense training and activity
- Bunions
- Excess weight
- Tight shoes
- Soft tissue masses / cysts
- Stress fractures
Often pains in the foot can be resolved with a day or two of rest, some ice and over the counter pain medication. However, if your pain is severe or ongoing, it may be time to see a podiatrist. Other treatment options include modification of shoes or insoles, injections (steroid or other) use of pads and arch supports. Surgery may be needed in some cases when conservative measures fail.
