They are not a replacement for properly-fitted footwear, but they can be helpful to wear if you’ve experienced ball of the foot pain before and know you’ll have an active day. In short, these pads absorb shock and reduce the pressure on the balls of your feet. When they are properly fitted, these pads help to lengthen the tissue of the foot to avoid inflammation and to off-load body weight placed on the ball of the foot- helping with toe alignment. Metatarsal pads slide over your foot or inside of your shoe and are designed to help spread the arch behind the ball of your foot. We often find that those with other foot problems develop metatarsalgia as a direct result of neglect treating their first condition. Others with pre-existing foot conditions like hammertoes or bunions may need custom orthotics to guarantee a personalized fit. Athletes in particular need to be extra mindful of wearing shoes with arch support as well. Same goes for too-tight footwear, which cramps and causes stressful rubbing and inflammation. Shoes that are too big can cause slipping that may irritate the ball of the foot tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Even what seems like a “baby” two-inch heel may- with time and consistent wear- cause metatarsalgia-like symptoms.Įven shoes you think are a good choice like padded sneakers still don’t help if they’re not the right fit. While we know it’s a stylish look, any shoe that lifts your heel and shifts your weight to the front shoebox can cause ball of the foot pain. Podiatrists admittedly do a lot of finger-pointing towards high heel wearers. Try to limit your active time and intensity to grant your feet a proper recovery window. Remember that long hours on your feet can over time develop into chronic foot conditions- and metatarsalgia is no different. This ball of the foot pain is also common in tennis players who make quick hops and pivots across the court, as well as dancers. We see a lot of long-distance runners with metatarsalgia or other foot conditions, surprised to learn that miles and miles of repetitive “low” impact can cause stress to the bottoms of feet. Stretching and slowly awakening your ball of the foot can help to increase its range of motion and prevent injury.Įven if you always warm-up, watch out for the frequency and intensity of your routine. If you’re not warming up before being active on your feet, we recommend adding this important pre-workout time to your schedule. If you are an active person, you may be causing your own misery, unintentionally! The balls of your feet can become stressed due to overuse or shock of your foot’s tendons, ligaments and cartilage. While icing, raise your feet up for some elevation. Wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply to the balls of your feet for 20 minutes a few times a day as the pain persists. When you can sit down, do the balls of your feet a favor by following the ol’ R.I.C.E. Now, we know you can’t realistically sit around for days, but the more you can take a load off while it’s hurting, the better! 2. With this in mind, metatarsalgia treatment options are focused on ways to reduce inflammation/swelling/irritation.īecause the cause of the inflammation is often due to pressure on your foot tendons, ligaments and cartilage- getting off your feet will remove the burden. It’s important to understand that metatarsalgia pain is a result of inflammation of the tendons, ligaments and cartilage around the metatarsal bones of the balls of your feet.

Those who wear poorly-fitted shoes, are obese or have other foot conditions can develop inflammation of the tendons, ligaments and cartilage around the metatarsal bones.įortunately, there are few things you can do to subdue the pain and prevent further irritation of the ball of your foot.

Here it’s easy to pinpoint the cause.īut it’s not just athletes who suffer from the painful condition of metatarsalgia.

It’s one thing for the ball of your foot to hurt after an obvious injury- caused by a high-impact jump or training for a marathon. Ma8:24 am Published by Foot and Ankle Group

Tiny balls that itch on feet