What is this Pain in the Ball of my Foot?

There’s a sharp pain in the ball of your foot. It feels like there’s a pebble in your shoe that you are walking on. Sometimes the pain is severe and makes your toes feel like they have pins and needles. The discomfort is worse when you stand or walk for long periods of time—especially on a hard surface—and gets better when you put your feet up. If this accurately describes your symptoms, you may be suffering from a condition we treat at Southern Maryland Foot & Ankle called metatarsalgia.

What is Metatarsalgia?

In the part of your foot between the arch and the toes are five bones that correspond with your toes known as metatarsals or dropped metatarsal heads. When one or more of the joints of these bones becomes inflamed, metatarsalgia occurs. Common causes for this inflammation include:

• Arthritis

• Poorly fitting shoes or spending long amounts of time in shoes that have rigid soles and not much support or padding; high heels that force weight to the front of your foot

• Foot mechanics: patients with an overly high arch, second toe longer than the first, bunion, hammertoe or other toe deformity are more prone to metatarsalgia

• Being overweight

• Being a runner or participating frequently in another sport or high impact to your feet activity

• Traumatic injury

• Stress fracture

• Morton’s Neuroma

Treatment

Our board certified foot and ankle surgeon, Dr. Larry Hotchkiss, will take a detailed medical history and ask several questions about your lifestyle and leisure activities. He will examine your foot and may order an x-ray. The treatment for metatarsalgia will depend on the cause. In some cases where a deformity is causing the chronic pain and inflammation, surgery may be necessary. Most often, however, it can be treated with conservative measures such as rest, ice, over-the-counter pain relievers and possibly padding or orthotics for your shoes to relieve pressure to the affected area.

If you are experiencing pain and discomfort in the ball of your foot, make an appointment online for our Clinton or Waldorf office or by calling (301) 868-3899 or (301) 843-9581.