Metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain)
What is Metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia occurs when the ball of your foot, the area between the toes and arch, becomes painful and inflamed. Metatarsalgia is most commonly the result of an overuse high-impact sporting injury.
Causes:
The most common cause of Metatarsalgia is overuse in high-impact sports which place pressure on the metatarsal bones at the front of the foot. Other causes include:
- ill-fitting shoes
- trauma
- frequent wearing of high heels or shoes which causes more weight on the ball of the foot
- foot abnormalities, such as high arches, callus, bunions, hammer toe
- weight
- Arthritis.
Signs & Symptoms:
- feeling like you are walking with a small stone in your shoe
- sharp, burning, shooting pain in the ball of the foot
- numbness or tingling sensation
- swelling
- pain on weight bearing.
Treatment:
Identification of the underlying cause will assist with the management of symptoms along with the prevention of injury reoccurrence.
Your Podiatrist will work with you to identify the underlying cause and create an individualised treatment plan, which may involve:
- footwear review
- deflective padding
- cushioning insoles
- strapping/taping
- x-ray/ultrasound
- stretching and exercises
- Orthotics. Read more about prescription & prefabricated orthotics.
Have more questions?
Contact our team.
Your Journey to
Healthy Feet Starts Here
We listen, we observe, and we tailor our approach to fit you perfectly.
