FOREFOOT PAIN (METATARSALGIA)

ABOUT FOREFOOT PAIN

Forefoot pain describes any pain in or around the ball of the foot in the metatarsal region. There are several conditions that can cause pain in the forefoot and the most common is metatarsalgia. We can treat forefoot pain in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Worksop.

Metatarsalgia is inflammation in the ball of your foot around the joints where the foot bones meet the toe bones. It isn’t a serious condition but can make walking extremely uncomfortable so can affect exercising or your daily activities.

Metatarsalgia can be caused by exercises that involve a lot of jumping or being raised onto the balls of your feet, such as skipping or dancing. The condition can also be caused by wearing high-heeled shoes or shoes that are too tight across the foot, or by being overweight.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF METATARSALGIA?

The symptoms of metatarsalgia include:

• A sharp or burning pain in the ball of your foot

• Pain that is worse when you stand, walk or run, or when you raise up onto the balls of your feet.

• Pain that is worse if you are barefoot

• The constant sensation that there is a stone in your shoe

Similar conditions that cause forefoot pain include:

• Morton’s Neuroma where the pain is caused by a pinched nerve in the ball of your foot.

• Freiberg’s disease where a deformed metatarsal bone causes pain and possibly a limp.

• Sesamoiditis is where the tendons supporting the sesamoid bones under the big toe become inflamed.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?

Most cases of metatarsalgia are treatable with conservative methods:

• The best treatment for a metatarsalgia is wearing well-fitted footwear that is wide enough for your feet.

• Insoles or orthotics can also be used to support the foot arch and keep your weight properly distributed when walking.

• Metatarsal pads can give extra cushioning to the ball of the foot to relieve pain.

• Ice therapy and painkillers can be used to treat the inflammation and the pain caused by metatarsalgia.

Surgery is rarely needed but can help where a case of metatarsalgia has not responded to other forms of treatment. Book your treatment for forefoot pain in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster or Worksop. You can also follow us on social media.