Pain in ball of foot

Metatarsalgia is a condition that causes pain and an inflammation of the ball of the foot.

People who experience metatarsalgia are usually very physically active and are usually people who run and jump a lot, putting a lot of pressure on the feet.

Metatarsalgia can also be caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes for a long period of time.

Although it is not a serious condition, it can sideline a person for a good amount of time. There are really basic treatments such as icing down the feet and getting some rest that can relieve the symptoms of metatarsalgia, however.

It is also important to have quality footwear that has shock-absorbing insoles and arch supports, especially if the person is very active.

When metatarsalgia occurs, the ball of the foot, which is the part of the sole behind the toes, hurts. The pain gets worse when the person stands, walks or runs. The toes can also hurt in some cases.

Sometimes the pain is akin to walking with a pebble in the shoe.

Sometimes, the pain appears suddenly, especially if people have just started running or walking a lot, but in most cases, the pain appears gradually for people who are very active.

If the pain does not cease or leave the foot for a long period of time, a doctor should be asked about the condition. The doctor, however, will most likely just tell the person to change the shoes they are wearing or modifying the activities and exercises that they are doing regularly.

People who experience metatarsalgia are those that participate in high impact sports mostly. People who play soccer, tennis, baseball, football or basketball often develop the condition.

If the pain gets worse and does not want to go away, it is maybe wise to consider switching to other activities that do not put so much pressure on the feet, such as swimming and cycling.

Women that wear high heels most of the time can also develop the condition, as well as people who participate regularly in sporting activities but do not wear shoes with the proper padding and support needed for such activities and the amount of pressure that the foot is experiencing on a regular basis.

Many people who are overweight also have problems with the condition, since a lot more pressure is being put on the foot than is the case with people that have a normal body weight for their size.

If it goes untreated, the pain could also be transferred to other parts of the body, such as the lower back and hips, because the person will probably be limping and distributing pressure on other body parts when the feet are in pain.