Ball of Foot Pain - Metatarsalgia

Pain under the Ball of the Foot (Latin term: Metatarsalgia) is a common foot complaint, in particular for women. Women who often wear high heels or tight fashion shoes, or have done so in the past will most likely suffer from Metatarsalgia.

Men also suffer from this condition, especially if they often wear hard shoes without much cushioning inside, such as workboots or military/police boots etc. Or, if their job requires standing or walking for prolonged periods.

Symptoms of Ball of Foot Pain - Metatarsalgia

People suffering from Metatarsalgia often experience a burning sensation in the ball of the foot. Sometimes combined with a sharp, tingling sensation near the toes (this condition is called Morton's Neuroma).

Most women with Ball of Foot pain, also display excessive callous formation under the balls of their feet. Ball of Foot pain worsens when when wearing high heels/fashion shoes for a longer periods of time or for men - after walking long distances.

What are the main causes of Ball of Foot Pain?

1) wearing high heels/fashion shoes

2) over-pronation (fallen arches)

Metatarsalgia develops when the metatarsals (forefoot bones) lower and the surrounding ligaments weaken. In turn, the entire forefoot structure collapses, which then leads to constant pressure and friction in the ball of the foot area. Collapsing of the bones in the forefeet occurs because wearing heels means most of your bodyweight is placed on the forefoot area, instead of the bodyweight being spread out over the entire foot, as it should be.

However, collapsing of the metatarsals can also occur due to over-pronation (fallen arches, rolling inwards of the feet and ankles), which is a very common condition. Over-pronation, combined with wearing hard, flat shoes and walking on hard surfaces, such as pavements, tiled floors etc often leads to Ball of Foot pain, as well as aching legs, knee pain and lower back pain.

Relief from Ball of Foot Pain and Metatarsalgia

For ladies' fashion shoes we have developed a unique product: Footlogics 'High Heel Comfort' Made in Spain, this specially designed insole restores your biomechanical balance by supporting the longitundinal arch, as well as the metatarsal bones.

The result is that your bodyweight is now distributed evenly over your entire foot instead of just on the forefoot. In turn, the insoles prevent excessive pressure and friction in the ball of the foot, and greatly reduce or eliminate the pain and burning sensation under the feet - especially with longer periods of standing or walking.

For regular footwear, whereby Metatarsalgia is caused by over-pronation there is a full-length orthotic called Footlogics Comfort, which corrects over-pronation and features a metatarsal raise to help alleviate the pressure and friction in the ball of the foot.