Metatarsalgia Treatment

At Orlando Foot and Ankle Clinic, we treat a variety of people, of all ages, with many different foot issues. Regardless of the severity of the problem, it is always important to have any foot issue checked out by a podiatrist. Our doctors are board certified and do both non-surgical and surgical options. One of the numerous conditions that we treat is called metatarsalgia. Metatarsalgia is a condition where the ball of your foot becomes inflamed and it is painful to have pressure on your foot. Metatarsal foot pain can include sharp, aching, or burning pain on the ball of your foot, shooting pain, numbness, or tingling in your toes, pain that worsens when pressure is put on your foot, and feeling as if there is a pebble in your shoe. These are all symptoms of metatarsalgia. Metatarsalgia can have one cause, or a combination of causes. Some of the possible causes of metatarsalgia include intense training or intense physical activity, high arches, hammertoes, bunions, excess weight, improperly fitting shoes, stress fractures, Morton’s neuromas, and other foot deformities among other possibilities. Metatarsalgia can develop in anyone, regardless of age or gender. However, there are higher risk factors for certain people such as playing high-impact sports, wearing high heels, wearing improperly fitting shoes, wearing cleats, being overweight, having other foot problems, and having inflammatory arthritis among others. rnIf metatarsalgia is not treated, it can cause other pain in your body. This is due to adjusting the way you walk and hold yourself due to the metatarsal foot pain. This commonly leads to pain in your lower back and/or hip(s). Metatarsalgia treatment can vary from changing shoes, resting, and/or using a metatarsal pad to needing metatarsal foot surgery to realign the metatarsal bones. A metatarsal pad is a pad that is placed inside of you shoe, in front of the ball of your foot. This helps to keep pressure off of the aching metatarsal bones. It is important to see your podiatrist for the correct diagnosis and treatment options. Your foot doctor will examine your foot while sitting and standing. The podiatrist may also use x-rays to determine if the issue is metatarsalgia or if it is another foot issue such as a fracture.