Ball of Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia)

Metatarsalgia is often described as a burning sensation in the ball of the foot, often combined with excess callous forming.

Pain under the ball of the foot (Metatarsalgia) is a common complaint with wearing high-heeled shoes, as well as wearing work boots, wellies, ski boots or other hard shoes while walking or standing for long periods. Pain in this area of the foot may also occur when wearing hard shoes without any cushioning inside, such as work boots.

What causes Ball of Foot Pain?

• Ball of Foot Pain occurs frequently when wearing high-heeled shoes, which cause our weight to be unevenly distributed across our feet, putting undue pressure on the metatarsals (forefoot bones).
• As a result, these bones drop, the surrounding ligaments weaken, and the entire forefoot structure collapses.
• This in turn leads to excess pressure and friction under the ball of the foot.
• The key reason for this problem is that when wearing high heels, most of our body weight is resting on the forefoot area.
• Ball of Foot pain can also occur when wearing normal footwear, especially during long walks or standing for longer periods of time.
• This type of ball of foot pain can often be treated with a full-length orthotic, which features a metatarsal raise to help alleviate the pressure and friction in the ball of the foot and wearing correctly fitted footwear.