What Is Ball Of Foot Pain?
The medical term for pain in the ball of the foot is metatarsal pain. Rather than describing a specific condition, metatarsalgia is an umbrella term for symptoms that can have varied causes.
People experience an aching pain and inflammation in the padding directly below the toes, which is where we place the most pressure when standing and moving. This point marks the metatarsal heads, or the joints present just under the toes. The term can describe numbness, shooting pain, and/or soreness, especially when flexing the toes.
What Causes Ball Of Foot Pain?
This pain is generally the result of excessive walking and running. Ball of foot pain is an overuse injury, and the condition is often due to abnormal weight distribution, persistent pressure on the area, and other musculoskeletal stressors.
Many conditions and habits can lead to ball of foot pain, including high levels of activity, prominent metatarsal heads, weak toe flexor muscles, ill-fitting footwear, excessive pronation and so on.
However, experiencing pain in the ball of the foot is not always the result of physical activity. Sometimes, inherited anatomical conditions may predispose people to metatarsalgia. This may include having a high arch, a Hammertoe deformity, and so on. Any of these conditions can affect weight distribution across the foot. This pressure and weight distribution cause inflammation, which in turn causes foot pain. Also in some cases, the forefoot will become red or swollen.
How To Relieve Ball Of Foot Pain?
The following measures will often help improve ball of foot pain and stop it from coming back:
- Rest your feet – put your feet up regularly and avoid activities that make the pain worse; try low-impact activities such as cycling or swimming instead of sports that involve a lot of running or jumping.
- Use an ice pack – apply an ice pack to the affected area for about 20 minutes several times a day; make sure you wrap it in a towel so it doesn't damage your skin.
- Change your footwear – choose shoes with arch support, a wide toe box, and a well-cushioned sole that can help you relieve pain. Explore WALKHERO arch support solution.
- Use shock-absorbing pads or insoles – these can fit inside your shoes to help cushion your feet, try our WALKHERO orthotics insoles which make you feel more comfortable.
- Maintain a healthy weight – adopting a healthy, balanced diet and doing regular low-impact exercises can help you lose weight if you're overweight.
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