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There are a lot of structures in the ball of the foot that can become painful if put under stress. It could be caused by general wear and tear, living your life in heels, playing too much high-impact sports, being overweight or another condition you may have.
Metatarsalgia is the name given to pain in the ball of the foot. The pain affects the area underneath the metatarsal bones at the front of the foot and is a common point of pain as this is where most weight is distributed when standing, walking and running.
Metatarsalgia can be caused by a number of different conditions including overuse, being overweight and wearing high heeled shoes. The pain can feel like a burning or aching sensation, a feeling like there’s a small stone stuck under the foot. Pain can be more intense when pressure is applied from standing, walking or running.
Pain in the ball of the foot can be made significantly worse by standing, running or walking. The pain usually develops gradually over time, rather than suddenly.
Although metatarsalgia is usually caused by pressure on the ball of the foot, there can be other factors at play:
Older people, people with naturally lean skinny feet, and people with diabetes are at more risk of metatarsalgia.
You can help reduce the pain in the ball of the feet by trying the following:
Please seek medical advice if the pain does not improve despite following self-help tips, if the pain increases and interferes with your everyday activities, if you are diabetic, if you have any tingling or loss of sensation in your foot or if you see a change in the shape of your foot.
All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health care matters, please contact your healthcare professional
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