Ball-of-foot Pain

Ball-of-foot pain or forefoot pain is a foot disorder generally associated with a painful condition in the ball-of-foot or metatarsal region, which results from several biomechanical factors or other diseases.

This general foot pain may be treated as a symptom of metatarsalgia or sometimes may be equated with that condition. But metatarsalgia is a condition that involves decreased density of bones due to age, and gradual loss of the protective pad of fat covering the metatarsal heads probably due to abnormal gait arising from uneven distribution of weight on the forefoot.

Metatarsal is one of the five cylindrical bones extending from the tarsus (heel) to the toes, which are numbered from the inside out, the first metatarsal extending to the big toe and the fifth to the tiny toe. Metatarsal bones bear the whole weight of the body or during its motion. Any misalignment due to various factors results in imbalance, which affects all bones causing ball-of-foot pain. The pain is more pronounced when you walk or run.

Causes

Several factors including many forms of diseases cause ball-of-foot pain. This makes it difficult to establish the condition based only on symptoms. It is, therefore, important to gain more knowledge of various fundamental causes in order to manage its treatment effectively. Let us therefore study some of the probable sources of ball-of-foot pain.

Foot consists of bones interspersed with soft tissues. Repeated impacts due to several factors cause painful injuries to these structures and they are difficult to treat.

Bones and joints of the foot like sesamoid, metatarsoophalangeal joints are always subject to stress leading to fractures including collapse of the plantar plate covering the sole of the feet. Mechanical forces pull the toes straining the soft tissues and nerves. Thus, fractures and stress causes inflammation and rupture of the adjacent parts like tendons and ligaments leading to accummulation of fluid sand restricted joint movements.

Athletes, sportsmen, and women in high-heeled shoes commonly experience ball-of-foot pain. Turf toe is an example affecting football players, who play on hard surfaces wearing lightweight shoes.

Painful soft-tissue masses resulting from pressure in the adjacent areas may become inflamed and cause ball-of- foot pain. These masses may cause degeneration of ganglia in the forefoot and bursitis. Infection of foot skin, which includes ulcers at pressue points and penetration of foreign bodies, is another cause of thickening of joints, fluid collection at the joints, and also tendon disorders like thickening, inflammation, and rupture.

Other diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and gout cause sensory loss, joint misalignment, destruction of bones and tissues, and narrowing of joint spaces. Ball-of-foot pain also results from other foot disorders like calluses, corns, bunions and Morton's Neuroma.