One of the most common areas of foot pain is in the ball of the foot. This is an area that bears the weight of the body when you walk. There can be many causes of pain here. These are just a couple:
- Fracture. Many people have active lifestyles. It is easy to break one of the bones in the foot by stepping wrong off a curb, with repetitive use or with high impact activities.
- Neuroma. This is an inflamed nerve on the bottom of the foot and can cause a numbing feeling to the toes as well as pain to the bottom of the foot.
- Bony deformities. One of the bones in the foot can be too long and protrude, or bones can be angulated downward, causing pain or callus production.
- Plantar plate tear. This is a break in the cartilage that supports the bone at the ball of the foot, and causes the toe to drift because the joint is disrupted.
- Hammertoe. This is a curved toe that causes retrograde pressure on the ball of the foot.
- Gout. The joints, usually the big toe joint, get hot and swollen, making it very difficult to walk, but the pain goes away after a few days.
- Arthritis. There are many different types of arthritis, from wear and tear arthritis, to inflammatory arthritis that can destroy the joints and cause pain.
- Poor shoegear. Certain types of shoes can cause pain in the ball of the foot.
- Bunions. These are protrusions of bone on the sides of the foot due to abnormal angulation of the bone.
If you have pain in the ball of the foot, don’t let it affect your lifestyle. You need to figure out what it is and treat it effectively, and we are equipped to do that. Please call and make an appointment. Thank you.
Click below to learn more:
Metatarsalgia from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo.