What is Metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia is a general term used to describe a painful foot condition in the area just before the toes. This is an extremely common foot disorder that can affect the bones and joints at the ball-of-the-foot.One or more of the metatarsal heads becomes painful, or inflamed, as a result of too much pressure on the foot over an extended period of time. It is common to experience acute, recurrent, or chronic pain with metatarsalgia.
Ball-of-foot pain is often the result from poorly fitting footwear. Many women experience this condition due to ill-fitting dress shoes and other restrictive footwear. Shoes with a narrow toe box forces the ball-of-foot area to be forced into a minimal amount of space. This can restrain the walking process and lead to extreme discomfort in the forefoot.
Other contributing factors for Ball-of-foot pain includes: partaking in high impact activities without proper footwear and/or orthotics. Additionally, as we get older the fat pad in our foot tends to thin out, making us much more susceptible to pain in the ball-of-the-foot.
Treatment
This disorder usually is treated nonsurgically and treatment immediately lessens the pain leading to a full recovery.
