Metatarsalgia Pain: Causes And Relief With Orthotic Shoe Insoles

Sharp pain in the balls of your feet is an indication of Metatarsalgia, a foot ailment that involves inflammation to the nerves . Metatarsalgia is a common occurrence among runners, basketball players, tennis players, and other athletes involved in high-impact sports. It is also frequent among women who wear high-heel shoes for long periods at a time.

Metatarsalgia: Common Symptoms
People afflicted by ball of foot pain experiences sharp pain in one or both of the balls of their feet, the area right behind the toes The footache can be acute, burning, or dull, and is most often felt near the big toe, though it can also occur under the middle toes. These are the most frequent symptoms linked with metatarsalgia:

• The soreness worsens when you run, walk, or stand for long periods, and gets better after resting.
• The pain worsens when flexing the feet.
• A feeling as if walking on pebbles
• Lack of sensation or tingling of the toes
• The pain worsens when walking barefoot, particularly on hard surfaces.
• Intense pain around the toes.

Metatarsalgia: Common Causes
When we run or jump, the metatarsal bones absorb the full impact of the equivalent of several times our body weight. Among the many factors causing metatarsalgia are intense physical activities, irregular foot anatomy, excess weight, poorly fitting shoes, and constant wearing of high-heel shoes.

Potential Complications
If the symptoms of metatarsalgia are not taken care of in a timely manner, this condition can deteriorate to more critical disorders such as loss of range of motion, ligament injuries, toe problems, and chronic stiffness. In extreme cases, necrosis can develop and collapse the entire bone structure.

Treating Metatarsal Pain
Healing metatarsalgia usually does not require extreme measures. The most recommended treatments for metatarsalgia are:

Get plenty of rest - Avoid putting unneeded pressure on your feet by resting. In short time you may get involved in low-impact activities such as swimming, rowing, or cycling.

Apply Ice - Use ice packs on the area of pain for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.

Wear proper footwear - Shoes need to fit properly and be of the appropriate for the type of activity that you plan to get involved in.

Wear arch support insoles – The use of appropriate arch support insoles can provide the needed sustainment to reduce stress on the ball-of-foot area.

Wearing arch support insoles can play an important role in of most treatments for metatarsalgia. Wearing metatarsal pads can also help to reduce the stress around the metatarsal area.

Most of the cases concerning metatarsalgia do not require medical care. It is common for our feet to ache after a long day of standing or working out. Consult a physician if the pain or burning sensation if the metatarsalgia does not improve after modifying your activities and wearing arch support insoles.

Having ball of foot pain can be a dreadful condition, but by taking the proper care of your feet with the treatment options recommended above you can return to your normal activities in a short amount of time.