Ball of Foot Pain

Ball of foot pain is also known as metatarsalgia because it refers to pain and inflammation in the foot around the area of the metatarsal bones.

Ball of foot pain is often caused by forces or stresses acting on this part of the feet. These forces and stresses can have lots of causes:

• Footwear e.g. wearing high heels that increase the pressure in the ball of foot or tight shoes that force the ball of the foot into a small space
• Sports or activities that put a lot of pressure on the ball of foot
• Some people may have a particular foot shape or walk in a particular way that puts extra stress on the ball of foot
• The foot has natural cushioning under the balls of the feet to help protect it from forces but as we get older this can get thinner and less effective
• Injuries such as stress fractures in the metatarsals can also cause ball of foot pain

What does it feel like? This type of pain can often be a burning shooting sensation, an ache, or a feeling of walking on stones.

The Solution

Orthotic inserts can be used to treat pain in the ball of foot by redistributing the forces that are causing the stresses or excess forces that lead to pain. The type of insert used will depend on the cause of pain e.g. pain caused by wearing high heels may be helped by the Scholl Orthaheel Slimfit which is designed for use in ladies shoes but ball of foot pain due to pressure caused by the way a person walks may be helped by another Scholl Orthaheel product e.g. Scholl Orthaheel Workforce