Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is the medical name for pain in the ball of the foot.

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What is Metatarsalgia?

Video transcript

What is Metatarsalgia? Transcript

(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)

Hello, I’m Donna Robertson, Head of Training and Chief Pedorthist for Foot Solutions, a foot wellness retailer specializing inexpertly fittedfootwear and custom crafted orthotic insoles. Today we are going to discussMetatarsalgia, a common condition we address at Foot Solutions.Metatarsalgiais a condition in which the ball of the foot becomes painful and inflamed. There are 5 metatarsal bones in the forefoot.Metatarsalgiais usually a result of underlying conditions such as abnormal alignment of one or more toes,hammer toes and bunions, loss of medial, lateral, and transverse arch structure and joint stability. It can also be caused by improperly fitting shoes. The pain can be sharp, a dull ache, fatigue feeling, or a burning feeling. You may even feel like you’re stepping on a pebble.Anyone can experience the pain ofmetatarsalgia, although runners and others who take part in high impact sports or spend more time on their forefoot have the condition more frequently. People with high arches also havemetatarsalgiamore than others, this foot type puts extra pressure on the metatarsal area.Overpronation (excessive inward rolling of the foot) or over supination (excessive outward rolling of the foot), added with poorly fitting shoes, leads to abnormal pressures across the metatarsal bones during toe off of the gait cycle causing atrophy of the fat pads protecting the ball of the foot.Symptoms can come on quickly or develop overnight. The metatarsal pain may become worse while standing, running, or walking.Untreatedmetatarsalgiacan lead to hammer toe deformities losing grip strength and function of the toes. Pain in the ball of the foot can cause you to limp and transfer pain in other parts of the body, including the lower back,hip, knee and ankle leading to an abnormal walking function in hopes of offloading pressure to decrease pain in the ball of your foot.I hope this video was helpful in understandingMetatarsalgiaand its symptoms. Our experts at Foot Solutions are experienced in addressing this pathology and are ready to help you get out of pain, comfortably on your feet.In a follow up video, we will discuss four treatments forMetatarsalgiaas well as how Foot Solutions can help. To learn more or to schedule a visit with oneof our in-store Pedorthists, visitwww.footsolutions.ca. Your feet are the foundation of your health. Let us take care of them for you.

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Four Common Treatments for Metatarsalgia

Video transcript

Four Common Treatments for Metatarsalgia Transcript

(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)

Hello, I’m Donna Robertson, Head of Training and Chief Pedorthist for Foot Solutions, a foot wellness retailer specializing inexpertly-fittedfootwear and custom crafted orthotic insoles. In a previous video, we discussed the common causes and how to identifyMetatarsalgia. Today, we are going to review four common treatments to address this pathology.1.Avoid walking barefoot. Those withmetatarsalgianeed the cushion and support of footwear.2.Have an expert analyze your feet and add ball-of-foot cushions to your shoes to reduce shock to the ball of the foot and provide cushioning to feet that have thinning fat pads. This is important: make sure the shoedepth accommodates the thickness of the cushions.3.Metatarsal pads can take pressure off very specific spots on the ball of the foot. A metatarsal pad acts by compressing the soft tissues proximal/behind to the metatarsal heads and relieving compression at the metatarsal heads.4.Balancing the foot is done to provide additional support and pressure relief of the entire foot by addressing the structure of the foot. This canbe accomplished by adding additional material within the shoe or insole to a specific area or removing material to create a depression under a boney prominence.Foot Solutions experts are adept at addressingMetatarsalgiawith expertly-fitfootwear, custom orthotic insoles, and properly placed metatarsal pads and cushioning. We have an appropriate selection of athletic, casual, and dress shoes as well as custom-fitted orthotic insoles to support your arch and properly disperse foot pressure. To learn more or to schedule a visit with one of our in-store Pedorthists, visitwww.footsolutions.ca. Your feet are the foundation of your health. Let us take care of them for you.

What is Foot Solutions

What is Foot Solutions?

Video transcript

What is Foot Solutions? Transcript

(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)

For over 20 years, Foot Solutions has been evaluating, solving, and preventing foot and joint issues for people just like you.Our highly trained board certified foot specialists are available at our retail locations to expertly fit you in a truly custom orthotic and recommend the perfect footwear from our collection of stylish international brands.We are proud to have thousands of positive reviews online, evidencing the care and attention that defines our service. At Foot Solutions, you will meet men and women passionate about foot and joint health and eager to provide you with a meaningful, first-class experience.Come into Foot Solutions and see for yourself how visiting with one of our specialists can improve your quality of life.

Symptoms, Causes and Common Treatments

Metatarsalgia

Symptoms

The metatarsal area is the region where the toes join the rest of the foot and is a spot often subjected to added pressure because of high heeled shoes, abnormal foot shape, overpronation (excessive inward rolling of the foot) or oversupination (excessive outward rolling of the foot), poorly fitting shoes, diminished fat pads on the ball of the foot, a neuroma (a mass of nerve tissue) or intense training or overuse.

Causes

  • Activities that put repeated stress on the ball of the foot (i.e., jogging)
  • Intense training or overuse
  • Ligament injuries and joint irritation
  • Thinning or shifting of foot pads
  • Neuroma, a painful mass of nerve tissue
  • Abnormal foot shape
  • Excessive rolling inward of the foot (over-pronation)
  • Excessive rolling outward of the foot (over-supination)
  • Calluses or skin lesions that affect weight distribution
  • Improperly fitted shoes
  • Shoes that are too small
  • High heels

Common Treatments

  • Taking anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce Metatarsalgia pain
  • Adding ball-of-foot cushions to your shoes can reduce shock to the ball of the foot and provide cushioning to feet that have thinning fat pads
  • Metatarsal pads can take pressure off very specific spots on the ball of the foot

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Foot Solutions Products

  • Supportive athletic, casual or dress shoes
  • Off-the-shelf arch supports
  • Custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch supports
  • Metatarsal inserts and/or pads
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